Face coverings to be offered as part of fire service uniform

Face coverings will be offered as part of the Service uniform for Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service employees from this week.

We have added our Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service branded face coverings as an additional piece of our standard uniform. It is a versatile piece of uniform that can be used in a number of ways, one of which is as a face covering, should that be desired or required by staff.

These types of items are already in use within the Service and used by some of our specialist teams working in Urban Search and Rescue. This latest addition is a more general item for all staff including firefighters, corporate staff and volunteers.

In line with Government guidance and recommendations for face coverings, we have introduced these as an option for our staff to use as a face covering; should they wish to cover their mouth and nose when out and about, especially in enclosed spaces; that could include travelling on public transport, within shops and any other locations.

Within a workplace setting, providing a standard item of uniform ensures that should any member of staff wish to use them to cover their nose and mouth, they have a corporate branded item of uniform to achieve this and therefore ensure that the Service’s image is still maintained.

The decision to provide face coverings is considered as a balanced approach to provide uniformed items for our staff, to meet the current needs in these unprecedented times while maintaining the corporate image of the Service. The TWFRS face coverings is not Personal Protective Equipment and should not be considered as such, it is an item of uniform to be used at the wearer’s discretion.