Long shifts away from stations made a little bit easier with the gift of hot water flasks from the Federation

23 February 2021

Long shifts away from stations made a little bit easier with the gift of hot water flasks from the Federation

Police officers who are spending long shifts away from the station can now receive a little respite thanks to a gift from Leicestershire Police Federation. 

Drinks boxes and large 5 litre flasks are being sent out to all the force’s stations and the specialist support teams; traffic, firearms & dogs and tactical support. 

Flasks for hot water, along with cups of cappuccino, latte, americano, hot chocolate, and tea are now available for all teams who may find themselves spending hours out in the cold. 

The boxes began their trips to stations this week, and they have been welcomed by police officers who have received them. 

Adam Commons, Leicestershire Police Federation Chair, said: “This is something that I thought about at the start of the year while I was reviewing some of our wellbeing plans. A lot of the time, when my colleagues are on scene preservations or lengthy missing persons searches, they just need a hot drink to warm them up and help keep them going.

“The force had provided flasks that had seen better days so it was a joint effort between Group Insurance and the Fed as a gift from us to each station. If there is something that is going on out in fields or woodlands, it is easy to send someone to the station to get a box of hot drinks. 

“It is just another facet of wellbeing. People can be outside for a few hours and at this time of year particularly, it can get cold. This is something else that we are offering people so they can keep warm and get some respite.” 

Adam said the boxes should show officers that their wellbeing matters at such a trying time. He added: “Across the board, Covid is still the massive impact factor for officers. They are shattered. It’s been a difficult year. The roadmap to recovery will change things again for them.

“It is going to mean people are going to breach the regulations, they will start doing things early. There is another trying time ahead. While the rest of the country is happy that things are going to start changing, there will once again more work for the police, which is an ongoing concern.” 

Adam is pictured with Siobhan Gorman, the NPA Commander for Wigston and Harborough.