FIREFIGHTERS have completed 1,590 shifts driving emergency ambulances in support of South Western Ambulance Service during the pandemic.

The numbers came to light at the recent annual general meeting of Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Authority.

In the last financial year, Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS) also supported the South Western Ambulance Service by attending more than 3,400 emergency calls, the meeting was told.

DWFRS also carried out 1,785 respiratory PE FaceFit tests for health and care workers and supported the vaccination programme by helping at mass vaccination centres in both counties.

Chief Fire Officer Ben Ansell said 2020/21 was an "extremely challenging year."

He added: "Staff from across the service have and continue to go above and beyond to help their communities, ensuring that we can still deliver our prevention, protection and emergency response functions.

"We have achieved this whilst also undertaking extraordinary roles to support our partners and, in particular, the NHS.

"Despite the challenges we have faced, I am very pleased with the performance of the service.

"We continue to operate in a challenging financial climate, with difficult decisions to be made, but our fantastic staff are key to ensuring we keep our communities safe, whether at home, at work or on our roads.

"I look forward to working with Cllr Knox and our new fire and rescue authority over the coming year to ensure we do our best to build on and continue this excellent work."

Operational demand for the fire service did fall in 2020/21, due to the coronavirus lockdowns. However, the service continued with its fire safety regulation programme, conducting almost 400 fire safety audits of commercial premises, the AGM was told.

During the AGM Cllr Rebecca Knox was re-elected as chairman, with Cllr Paul Oatway elected as vice chairman.

Cllr Knox said: “It is a privilege to have been re-elected as chair of Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Authority and I am grateful to my fellow elected members for their support.

"We have responsibility for an excellent fire and rescue service, and I know I speak for the full authority when I say how proud we are of our workforce.

"We will work to deliver results across our prevention, protection and emergency response activities over the coming year despite the financial challenges we face."

A DWFRS spokesman said: "The authority approved the Community Safety Plan 2021-24 which went through public consultation in the spring.

"They also received the annual service performance review for 2020-21.

"With a year dominated by the coronavirus pandemic, the report shows how the service has performed against its priorities and targets set by the authority through the Community Safety Plan."