FIREFIGHTERS will be helping healthcare staff on the frontline at the new Nightingale Hospital in Harrogate to tackle coronavirus.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service outlined how it is adapting to the crisis - with firefighters already volunteering to deliver food and medicine, driving ambulances and picking up extra shifts to help emergency services.

But fire chiefs warned firefighters are also receiving “dozens” more callouts for fires in people’s homes and gardens during the lockdown.

The Nightingale Hospital - a 500-bed facility built inside Harrogate Convention Centre in less than two weeks - opened over the weekend.

Jon Foster, deputy chief fire officer at North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, told a police, fire and council coronavirus meeting: “We have put some additional resources into Harrogate and that’s to support the Nightingale Hospital.

“We’ve now got a dedicated fire engine for the duration of this pandemic.”

Plans for firefighters to help the ambulance service and move the dead have already been announced.

Chief fire officer Andrew Brodie told the meeting: “We got a request from the ambulance service for people to drive the ambulances that will ferry people to and from the Nightingale Hospital in Harrogate, so we’ve now got 12 people who are trained from each fire and rescue service across the region.

“They will start to do that work the moment the Nightingale Hospital is up and running.”

The fire service has also lined up alternative buildings that can be used as temporary fire stations - should any of the sites need to be vacated for a deep clean.

Chief Brodie said it is “not always straightforward” for firefighters to get the recommended personal protective equipment “because there is so much demand nationally for it”.

And he said if necessary, firefighters will wear their hazmat suits and breathing equipment to protect themselves.

He said: “As a fire and rescue service we’ve got the ultimate PPE for being able to deal with most things - hazmat suits and our breathing sets.

“Now clearly we would rather not be having to put them on to deal with lower level hazards but ultimately we can do if it came down to it and certainly that’s the sort of thing that we’re looking at in the intervening period before we get full access to all the PPE that might be recommended.

“So it’s not a straightforward issue but it is one that we’re managing well.”

He said firefighters have already begun to deliver food and medicine to the most vulnerable across York and North Yorkshire - and were available to support people if needed.

Mr Foster said firefighters are being called to more incidents in gardens and houses than they normally would at this time of year - and urged people not to have bonfires and to take care.

He said: “[The number of] incidents has increased in certain areas and one in particular.

“We are dealing with dozens more fires in gardens and open spaces than we would normally be at this time of year, and some unfortunately spread into other buildings like sheds and garages.

“We really urge people to be careful at home and please don’t have bonfires.

“I recognise that the wheelie bin for garden waste has been suspended for a period of time, but this is impacting all our delivery.”

He added that “distraction and carelessness” has led to more fires in the home - including a recent callout due to a teddy bear being left on a lamp.

He warned that these fires can become serious.