On the 20th March FIA Director and Cold Cut Academy lead Bernie Higgins, A W Hainsworth & Sons Business Development Manager Lesley Routh-Jones and myself joined a collaborative team to support the National Fire Commercial Transformation Programme (NFCTP).
Under guidance of Kent CFO Ann Millington and Head of Commercial and Procurement in KFRS and Programme Lead for the NFCTP Tina Butler, our remit was to provide independent support to the programme and leverage our contacts and supply chain expertise to help source Personal Protective Equipment for firefighters undertaking an enhanced role in the battle with Covid-19.
We held twice weekly calls with Mary Dawson, Programme Manager NFCTP, to ensure that our work dovetailed nicely with the aims and objectives of the National Fire Chiefs Council. Direct calls, emails and social media posts allowed us to provide tangible and effective data and contacts for the NFCTP to achieve its PPE procurement and supply chain targets. We also provided suggestions and market feedback on the support that suppliers to FRS UK will be looking for as they recover from the economic effects of the pandemic. This has been a truly collaborative effort between government, FRS and the wider UK and supply chain and we are very keen to build on this and develop a professional and resilient relationship with all the parties so that the UK Fire and Rescue Service can continue to provide a world class service to the public.
Tina Butler, Head of Commercial and Procurement in KFRS and Programme Lead for the NFCTP, adds:
“The NFCTP and FIA have been engaged for some time prior to COVID, building a more professional relationship between the Sectors to ensure that we move away from a fragmented approach to market engagement.
The unprecedented global impact on supply chains as a result of the pandemic has been a real test of this new way of working, and I am incredibly grateful to Bernie, Martin, Lesley and everyone involved within the network, who have really pulled together with the Fire and Rescue Service to ensure that we can provide the right level of protection for our front-line. I look forward to building upon this good work to ensure that together, we can deliver the most effective and successful recovery possible.”
We at Cold Cut Systems take great pride in being part of the team and will continue to support in the recover phase and beyond. Should you wish to know more, please email us at info@coldcutsystems.com and we’ll be in touch.
