Dedicated fire engine put aside for Harrogate's NHS Nightingale Hospital

North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service has a dedicated fire engine poised specifically for the NHS Nightingale Hospital, while police have stepped up patrols due to reports of visitors frequenting the town centre.

In a public scrutiny meeting streamed online yesterday, Deputy Chief Fire Officer Jonathan Foster said they had set aside extra resources for the area so that it could continue to serve residents while also be prepared for the additional demands of the hospital.

Addressing the meeting, which was chaired by Police & Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan, Mr Foster said: “We have put some additional resources into Harrogate and that is to support the Nightingale Hospital that has been located there now.”

The hospital at Harrogate Convention Centre opened on Friday and has the capacity to care for 500 coronavirus patients.

Mr Foster added: “We have now got a dedicated fire engine for the duration of this pandemic, with an additional resource in Harrogate to support any other confirmed fires in the area.

“So, a reassurance really to the residents of Harrogate, that whilst we have got a dedicated fire engine looking after the Nightingale Hospital, we will respond as normal to all other incident in the Harrogate area and beyond.”

It comes as North Yorkshire Police said yesterday that there would be more officers deployed to patrol the area following concerns people were disregarding restrictions visiting Harrogate town centre.

This included groups congregating for picnics or drinking in the streets, people meeting to go for walks and motorists visiting or passing through for non-essential trips.

Harrogate’s Neighbourhood Policing Inspector Penny Taylor of North Yorkshire Police said: “It is really disappointing that we are having to step up our patrols in Harrogate today.

“To those who think the rules don’t apply to them, please remember our NHS colleagues and the very difficult job they are doing right now and please remember the people who’ve lost their loved ones and the reasons why these restrictions are now part of our way of life. We are all in this together, we need your help, and each one of us can do a little bit that will make not just a huge difference, but the difference between life and death.”

North Yorkshire Police revealed on Monday that it had issued 11 fines to those breaking regulations since Thursday.

Richard Flinton, Chief Executive of North Yorkshire County Council and Chair of the multi-agency North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, added in the scrutiny meeting that recognition was also needed for residents adhering to the rules.

“We need to recognise the brilliant nature of our communities in North Yorkshire and how people have stepped forward to look after other people,” he said.

"It's a real positive about being in North Yorkshire at this time."