The FBU has worked with the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) and the local government fire and rescue service employers to agree a national framework for how firefighters will be able to respond to the crisis.

Firefighters are now permitted to:

Assist ambulance services in some specified activities and drive ambulances;

Deliver food and medicines to vulnerable people;

In the case of mass casualties due to COVID-19, move dead bodies;

Assist in face fitting masks to be used by frontline NHS staff and clinical care staff working with COVID-19 patients;

Deliver PPE and other medical supplies to NHS and care facilities;

Assist in taking samples for Covid-19 antigen testing;

Drive ambulance transport not on blue-lights (excluding known Covid-19 patients) to outpatient appointments or to receive urgent care;

Provide instruction for non-Service personnel to drive ambulances (not on blue-lights);

Assemble single-use face shields for NHS and care staff;

Packaging and repackaging food supplies for vulnerable people;

Transfer of known or suspected COVID-19 patients to and from Nightingale hospitals;

Transfer of non-COVID-19 patients to and from Nightingale hospitals;

Delivery of special infection, prevention and control (IPC) training packages to care home staff;

Training care home staff to deliver special infection, prevention and control (IPC) training packages to their care home colleagues.

The measures are temporary to respond to the coronavirus outbreak. The FBU, fire chiefs, and fire service employers have agreed to extend the work until 30 September, six months longer than planned, with the possibility for further renewal. The initial agreement was for two months but was extended in early June.

The Tripartite Group have raised concerns about risk assessments varying between brigades. National risk assessments have been produced for agreed activities, to be implemented locally by fire and rescue services. Services are forbidden from taking these temporary measures as permanent changes to employment terms and conditions.

New duties must be subject to a risk assessment, training if needed, and appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

More on the National Agreeement