When Clyde volunteer firefighters helped deal with a ceiling leak at Dunstan Hospital on Sunday, they also took the chance to try out their coronavirus precautions for the first time since the Covid-19 lockdown.
Clyde chief fire officer Stephen Gee said firefighters were alerted at 6.48am, and spent nearly 90 minutes dealing with the situation, which resulted from an apparent equipment fault in a low-pressure hot water pipe.
A couple of patients were moved for convenience in dealing with the situation, but the incident did not result in major disruption to the hospital, and only part of one ward was affected by the leak.
Firefighters were able to control the water flow, and helped with mopping up in part of the ward.
Because of the Level 4 lockdown, Clyde volunteer firefighters had not been carrying out their normal group training work, and the call-out gave them the chance to test their personal protective equipment and precautionary tactics, Mr Gee said.
Firefighters limited their initial response on the fire appliance to four volunteer firefighters, until the situation could be clarified, and then further firefighters were deployed.
