Extra £850,000 to help fire crews through the coronavirus crisis

In March 2020, the government announced £1.6billion of additional funding for all local government sectors to help them respond to Covid-19 across all services they deliver.

As well as local councils, this meant money would be made available for fire and rescue authorities across the country.

In the first round of allocations, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) received £273,779.

Fire chiefs said they had spent £100,000 of the cash on personal protective equipment (PPE) to help keep crews safe.

A second £1.6billion Covid-19 fund, announced earlier in April, also gave local authorities and fire services further support.

According to new allocations published this week, TWFRS has seen its share more than triple with a grant of almost £1million.

Chief Fire Officer for TWFRS, Chris Lowther, described the funding as a “much-needed resource” for the service.

“I welcome the further additional grant funding that the authority has received from the government, in what is their second round of public sector grant funding in respect of the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.

“It is a much needed resource as we work through the challenges this unprecedented situation brings to us all.

“It is very pleasing that the authority has secured a greater allocation of the funding this time around and is testament to how agile the fire service has been, not only continuing to keep our communities safe during these troubled times but also in our ability to adapt and flex our available resources in support of the NHS, and other front line services during this crisis.”

Tyne and Wear fire chiefs have now received a total of £1,120,705 from the £3.2billion government fund across the two funding ‘tranches’.

The government has confirmed the funding will not be ringfenced, recognising councils and fire authorities are the best placed to decide how to meet pressures in their local areas.

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