Working together for Rotherham - March 2021

National inspectors have praised the response of Rotherham’s firefighters to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a report, published by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue adapted to the pandemic effectively and carried on delivering its core services during the first few months.

The service also provided additional support to its communities, during the first phase of the pandemic, and made staff wellbeing a clear priority.

“I’m so incredibly proud of the way staff from right across the service have responded to a really difficult situation and I’m pleased that so much of their hard work has been recognised by inspectors.

Right at the start of the pandemic, I asked my staff to stand up and be counted at a time of enormous national need. Whether it was delivering food and medicine to isolated, vulnerable people, delivering PPE to frontline health workers or volunteering to drive ambulances and fit face masks, they stepped up in a really big way.”

Fire service staff bring joy to Mexborough care home

Several Rotherham-based fire service staff and volunteers were praised for bringing some joy to a Mexborough care home before Christmas. A member of Rotherham’s community safety team, with the support of local fire cadets, raised funds to buy and deliver over 100 gifts to isolated care home residents in their local areas.

One of the homes was in Mexborough where residents were presented with 40 gifts by the team who, in an attempt to bring some Christmas cheer, dressed up as elves and spoke to the residents through their windows.