FIRE AID member, the Staffordshire Emergency Services Humanitarian Aid Association (SESHAA) has been putting their skills to good use in the UK by supporting the COVID-19 response and vaccination programme. At a time when most humanitarian groups are grounded from their International work due to COVID -19 travel restrictions, SESHAA volunteers decided to put their skills to good use by volunteering to assist and support the NHS through the COVID-19 pandemic.

In February 2021, SESHAA members, as part of the Blue Light Veterans group, joined forces with RE-ACT Disaster Response, military veterans to support COVID-19 Vaccination Centres in Stoke on Trent, Stafford, and JCB in Staffordshire. SESHAA’s members, mostly from Staffordshire Fire & Rescue Service, gave their time to undertake vaccinations (where trained), decontaminate ambulances, undertake marshalling and team leader duties at various vaccination centres.

Alf Wilson, FIRE AID Trustee and SESHAA Project Manager said: “It was felt that even if we could only support in a small way, it would be beneficial to both the recipients, our members, and members of our own communities”. 

Throughout, February, March and April 2021 the centres were managed by SESHAA and Fire & Rescue Services volunteers 7 days a week. In June 2021, following a spike in the COVID-19 Delta variant in the Staffordshire Moorlands, once again SESHAA and Fire & Rescue Service volunteers rose to the challenge and helped set up a COVID-19 Vaccination Centre in the town of Leek, its aim was to vaccinate younger people in the town. During their first day alone volunteers vaccinated 500 people between the ages of 18- to 35-year in the Moorlands. SESHAA members are still on call awaiting any further requests to support the NHS in its excellent work during the COVID-19 pandemic.