Firefighters are helping in the fight against Covid-19 by delivering over two million pieces of vital personal protective equipment (PPE) to frontline health and social care workers.
The Brigade have transformed a former Brigade Distribution Centre in South London into the Operation Seacole distribution hub delivering masks, gloves and eye protection to 33 local authority centres and London partners including Police services and Transport for London.
The Brigade receives orders from the health service, care homes, doctors surgeries and mortuaries who need PPE for their staff. The following day the orders are processed and agreed by London Resilience Partnership. Once agreed they are loaded onto a range of Brigade vehicles and distributed across London.
London Fire Commissioner Andy Roe said:
“Our incredible teams are stepping up again, using their logistics skills to support the distribution of PPE to health workers who are working so hard during the pandemic. As well as maintaining a full emergency fire and rescue service, staff across the Brigade are working hard to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and assist our emergency and health partners.
“Throughout our 150 year history London Fire Brigade has played a key role in times of crisis and this is the same today. I’m extremely proud of our staff who are going above and beyond to protect the capital.”
We started distributing PPE following a request from the London Strategic Co-ordination Group.
Deputy Chair of London’s Strategic Coordination Group, Eleanor Kelly, said:
"The Strategic Coordination Group is bringing together London’s emergency services, local authorities and other critical partners to tackle the impact of Coronavirus in the capital.
"By helping to deliver the most vital equipment to London's frontline workers in this pandemic, we not only protect key workers by allowing them to continue to deliver their critical work, but no doubt we are helping to save lives."