DEPUTY chief fire officer Joe Hassell, from Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, gives an overview of 2020.

How have things gone this year?

It’s been really challenging trying to run an emergency service through the first lockdown period in particular, with social distancing and making sure we’re keeping as safe as we can while we respond and train our firefighters.

I’m pleased to say our emergency response to the public was not affected and staff sickness was kept really low.

What are you particularly pleased with?

I’m especially pleased about how we worked with the ambulance service and other agencies through Covid.

We were the first fire and rescue service in the country to help to drive ambulances.

I was proud we were able to help and the way are staff are continuing to support the NHS is amazing.

Has there been any challenges this year?

The pandemic was a completely new situation for everyone so we didn’t have all the information we would have liked to start with.

Our firefighters can’t work from home but we very quickly put plans in place to keep them safe and they adapted their procedures really well to keep working.

What has been the impact of Covid-19 on your work?

Fire crews were still able to respond to incidents, very little. We had to adapt our community safety and business safety work, which is usually carried out face-to-face.

We have used video conferencing to give businesses owners advice and virtual school lessons instead of staff visiting schools.

We found a way around the situation to give people safety advice and help keep them safe.

What are you planning to focus on next year?

We will be meeting the public more as soon as the restrictions allow and working with the business community again.

We will also implement some of those plans we proposed last year under our Safer Together programme around how we use our appliances and innovative ways of working to improve our service to the public.

What can the public do to help the fire service over Christmas and into the new year?

More than half the fires we attend around Christmas are cooking-related. Watch out for distractions, such as children, animals or opening presents.

Alcohol can also really affect your judgment around risks, so take care mixing alcohol and cooking.

And there are a surprising number of people who think it is okay to leave cooking on when they go out. Please, always switch off your cooking if you’re going out of the house.

Check your Christmas tree lights are in good working order – if they look damaged or dodgy, they are not safe.

Never overload electrical sockets, and use extension leads safely – fully extended, and never make daisy chains with leads.

And, although it may look pretty having lights on day and night, please always turn your lights off before you go out, or to bed.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I’d like to wish everyone a safe Christmas and a happy New Year. We hope to see everyone again in a couple of months! I’m feeling positive about next year but we’ll remain ready to respond to all eventualities.