The Isle of Wight Council’s Fire and Rescue Service together with the British Red Cross are launching a six month pilot project on the Island to provide support and care for victims of fire, flood and other tragedies.
The Fire and Emergency Support Service (FESS), which was launched on 1 April, is run by a dedicated team of 14 volunteers and provides emotional care and practical support to victims of unforeseen crises. More than 50, 000 people are hit by domestic fires in the UK every year, with many forced to flee blazing homes in the middle of the night. FESS volunteers are on call ready to respond, providing assistance that can include setting up a temporary shelter, finding short-term accommodation, or simply somewhere warm to rest and recover.
All FESS volunteers are fully trained in First Aid, fire ground procedure and health and safety, and provide assistance from a specially adapted vehicle that can be at the scene of an incident within 90 minutes. In addition to immediate support, British Red Cross volunteers can also direct people to agencies where they can receive long-term assistance.
Mike Boocock, Operations Director of the British Red Cross in Hampshire, Isle of Wight, and Surrey: “Our FESS volunteers dedicate their free time to helping people in need and providing that extra reassurance when tragedy strikes. Their immediate support can maintain the independence of those that have lost their belongings - in some cases even their homes - and ensure people receive the help they need to start putting their lives back together.”
Councillor Barry Abraham, Cabinet Member for Safer Communities said: “While in operational terms, a small fire or flood can be described as a minor incident dealt with in minutes by our firefighters, that incident could make someone’s home uninhabitable and the practical and emotional impact of that can last for many, many months. FESS will be a helpful way of addressing these problems and helping people get the assistance they need.”
The British Red Cross has a key role to play in emergency response activities, and is included in local authority emergency plans for every county in the UK. When the London bombings exploded last July, experienced FESS crews rushed to the sites of the blasts and worked alongside the emergency services, providing First Aid and comfort for those affected.