Firefighters and the British Red Cross sign up to help people in crisis

Firefighters and the British Red Cross are going to be working together more closely to help keep people safe in Bedfordshire and Luton.

The Fire and Emergency Support Service (FESS) vehicle run by Red Cross volunteers already turns out to emergency incidents to provide shelter and aid to those who whose homes have been damaged by fire, flood or other emergency. It is based at Bedford Fire Station in Barker’s Lane and volunteers are alerted by the Fire and Rescue Service control team.

In fact, one member of the Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service, Karen Crane, is a Red Cross FESS volunteer who turns out to help when away from her shifts at the Fire Control in Kempston.

At February’s Combined Fire Authority meeting. Chief Fire Officer Paul Fuller signed a ‘Memorandum of Understanding” with British Red Cross Area Operations Director Tricia Earp to cement the partnership between the two organisations.

Tricia Earp said: "The British Red Cross is delighted to sign this MoU and we hope we will be able to help even more vulnerable people in crisis in Bedfordshire and Luton from now on."

Both organisations also work together under the umbrella of Bedfordshire and Luton Local Resilience Forum (BLLRF) which brings together emergency services, local authorities and the voluntary sector to provide assistance to the public in times of crisis.

The Red Cross FESS team are always looking for more volunteers to crew the vehicle night and day. Contact Stephen Alexander at British Red Cross, 232 Dunstable Road, Luton LU4 8JL. Tel (01582) 589088 or email salexander@redcross.org.uk