Firefighters: We need jabs and regular tests

FEARS RAISED THAT CREW MEMBERS COULD SPREAD VIRUS

DERBYSHIRE firefighters feel they are being treated as “cannon fodder” due to a lack of regular Covid testing and because they have not been prioritised for the vaccine, it is claimed.

One firefighter said he believed staff were at serious risk of contracting the virus while on call-outs and he fears passing it to his children.

But a spokesman for Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service there was no evidence to suggest firefighters were at a higher risk from the virus than those in the top nine vaccine priority groups.

DERBYSHIRE firefighters are feeling “forgotten” and are being treated as “cannon fodder” due to a lack of regular Covid testing and of vaccine prioritisation, it is claimed.

A year into the pandemic, firefighters in Derbyshire are not being provided with regular Covid-19 testing despite coming into frequent contact with those in the county and city who are most vulnerable.

Some have taken it upon themselves to hop in a fire engine with the rest of their crew to get tested once a week at Pride Park.

A Derbyshire firefighter who spoke to the Local Democracy Reporting Service on the condition of anonymity said he believed staff were already at serious risk of contracting the virus while attending call-outs, and that home visits added to this risk.

During call-outs, social distancing is rarely possible, with firefighters often in close personal contact with residents to rescue them from harm and to speak to those who are passing on details of the incident and fearing for their loved ones and properties.

He has had relatives of his pull out of vital childcare bubble arrangements due to the perceived risk of him catching and spreading the virus. He fears passing it to his kids and he cannot now assist his elderly relatives with food shopping.

He and his colleagues across the county have been missing out the support they often provide to each other after difficult incidents which have a long-lasting mental toll – worsened by the anxiety of a lack of testing and vaccine prioritisation.

They say it would be helpful to see management in the service lobbying for both, but says this has not been the case and claims their concerns have fallen on deaf ears.

With these in place or being lobbied for they would feel more at ease.

They suspect management have not brought in regular testing for firefighters to avoid crippling workforce shortages caused by self isolation procedures should cases be identified. The pressure to restart home visits, despite a lack of testing, has been pushed by the rise in fatal and accidental house fires in the county.

A spokesperson for Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service said testing for staff without symptoms is in the works and the Chief Fire Officer, alongside the National Fire Chiefs Council, have been lobbying the Government for vaccine prioritisation.

They said there was no evidence to suggest fire and rescue staff were at a higher risk from the virus than those in the top nine vaccine priority groups.

This includes everyone aged 50 and above, health and social care staff, care home staff and residents, the clinically extremely vulnerable and those with particular underlying health conditions.

The lack of regular testing has left many within Derbyshire’s fire and rescue service fearing they could be “super spreaders” and giving the virus to their children and loved ones without their knowledge.

Firefighters have been told they must restart “safe and well” visits at the homes of the county’s most vulnerable – the elderly and disabled.

This includes going into dozens of homes a month to check fire alarms are working and to check for other fire safety issues and provide advice.

Up until now, due to the pandemic, these checks had taken place at the doorway to avoid the risk of contracting or passing on the virus.

Now each watch or shift must carry out around 10 visits per month, on top of visits usually carried out by crews while attending incidents to check on neighbouring properties and businesses in the area – particularly after a fatal fire.

Management, in an email seen by the LDRS, have said: “We have a greater understanding of Covid 19 and the PPE and safe systems of work to operate safely and effectively in our communities, even whilst the pandemic is ongoing.”

Speaking to the LDRS, the Derbyshire firefighter, renamed as John to protect his identity, said: “It is a constant worry every time my child has a cough or any other symptom that might be linked to coronavirus.

“Thankfully nothing has led to that so far but I am always conscious about going home and cuddling my children before I go to bed, I feel like I need to go for a shower, and what difference that would make, I just don’t know, but that’s all I can do.

“All our gaffers are making these decisions without serving on the frontline, they are at offices in HQ and have the option to work from home, with no worry about taking the virus back to their families – that is just not an option for us. It is hurting people’s mental health, and it is a frequent thing we all talk about across watches, being scared about what we are doing to our families. If our managers were saying they were fighting our corner for testing or the vaccine that would be something.

“When this all started we understood we would sit behind the NHS and police in terms of the vaccine, not literally almost forgotten with nobody fighting our corner.

“I feel like people need to know we have not been vaccinated or tested before they let us in their properties, especially when it is the most vulnerable we would be visiting.

“When we were told about the home visits this week I just thought ‘I can’t do this anymore, this is getting ridiculous.’

“Why should we be suffering? The public need to know the danger.

“We just are not getting answers about why we are not getting tested. We think it is because stations would not be able to work, but that is not our problem, we are not cannon fodder, it is not just us it is playing with but our families as well. It feels like they do not care.”

I feel people need to know we have not been vaccinated or tested before they let us in their properties. ‘John’