Fire Service thanks volunteers for their dedication during pandemic
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service has thanked its dedicated volunteers as it celebrates Volunteers’ Week 2021.
As part of the national Volunteers’ Week campaign (1 June - 7 June) to thank the country’s volunteers, ECFRS has given a big thank you to its army of volunteers who give their time all year round and continue to go above and beyond during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Service has 50 volunteers who give their time all year round to help in their local community, from home fire safety volunteers to Essex Fire Museum volunteers. The Service also has more than 160 Fire Cadets who give their time in their communities and more than 1,000 people who volunteer with the Community Speed Watch scheme.
Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, the Service has been overwhelmed with offers of support from its existing volunteers as well as staff who wanted to play their part.
Over the course of just over a year, around 200 members of staff have given more than 20,000 hours to help move equipment between community hospitals, deliver food and medicine to people who are vulnerable and self-isolating and to litter pick at beaches.
The Service has also played a vital role in the county’s vaccine rollout with volunteers giving over 1,000 hours at vaccination centres to ensure members of the public can get their vaccines.
As well as helping at the vaccination centres, 10 staff members have spent more than 50 hours each training to become volunteer vaccinators and have already started to give their first vaccines.
Laura Bayley, Volunteer Co-ordinator at Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said: “Our volunteers play a vital role in keeping our communities safe and every minute they give helps to make Essex a safer place to live, work and travel. While many of our volunteers have had to shield during the pandemic, they are really eager to restart their volunteering to help in their communities.”
Andrea MacAllister, Lead of the Essex County Fire and Rescue Service Staff Volunteer Group said: “We’ve been overwhelmed with offers of support from our staff to help during the pandemic and each week, our volunteers continue to go the extra mile to help keep their communities safe. The dedication of our staff to the vaccine programme highlights the values they show to their day-to-day work – doing whatever they can to make their communities safer.
“Our newly trained vaccinators are the latest of our staff to be involved in the vaccine rollout. Colleagues who have given up their time to volunteer have shown that they are willing and able to do anything they can to help the nation through this dreadful pandemic.”
If you would like to register your interest to volunteer with Essex County Fire and Rescue Service visit: www.essex-fire.gov.uk/Volunteering/
Each day of Volunteers’ Week 2021, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service will share content about each type of volunteer in the Service.
Covid-19 pandemic volunteers
Around 200 staff members have gone the extra mile to help support their local community during the Covid-19 pandemic. The team has volunteered more than 20,000 hours across the county and have given their time at vaccination centres, helped to move hospital equipment at community hospitals, deliver food and medicine to vulnerable people and volunteers sacrificed several weekends to litter pick at beaches to ensure the public could enjoy the county’s coastline.
Home fire safety volunteers
ECFRS has more than 20 home fire safety volunteers who visit homes across Essex and install smoke alarms on every level of the home. The team also gives fire safety advice during home fire safety visits. If you or someone you know doesn't have working smoke alarms at home, the Service will fit them for free. Book a free home fire safety visit today at www.essex-fire.gov.uk/book
Community safety volunteers
The Service has more than 15 community safety volunteers who spend time in their local community talking to residents at local events about home fire safety and road safety. The team also carry out home fire safety visits where they fit smoke alarms and give fire safety advice.
Fire Cadets
More than 160 young people volunteer their time with ECFRS as Fire Cadets. The team give up their evenings and weekends and time during school holidays to help make Essex a safer place to live work and travel. They take part in training exercises and help with community projects and local events.
Museum volunteers
Have you visited the Essex Fire Museum in Grays? The museum is run by 10 volunteers and 2 members of staff who spend their time delving into the history of Essex County Fire and Rescue Service to create displays for the public. Nigel Townend is part of the team and gives his time to represent ECFRS as its Standard Bearer at events across the county including Remembrance Day and the Firefighters Memorial Day.
Community Speed Watch volunteers
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service works with colleagues in the Safer Essex Roads Partnership to train volunteers in the Community Speed Watch scheme. More than 1,000 people across Essex volunteer their time as part of the scheme to monitor and record speed levels in their communities and offer a visible presence to educate drivers on the dangers of speeding.
Page last updated on 31 May, 2021