New welfare van deployed for Operation Isobar

6 December 2019

Officers on duty for Operation Isobar – the NATO Summit at the Grove Hotel in Watford this week – were able to make use of Hertfordshire Police Federation’s new welfare van.

The van, which has a kitchen area, toilet, wash-down facilities, a drying area, a seating area and a table to eat or work from, was being used for the first time, and allowed the Federation to offer officers hot and cold drinks and light snacks.

“We have bought the van so that we can support officers who are on duty at these large operations but also at other smaller-scale incidents,” says Geoff Bardell, chair of Hertfordshire Police Federation, “It is just part of our drive to ensure we do as much as we can to promote officer wellbeing.

“With so many officers involved in Operation Isobar, it was great to be able to get the welfare van up and running in time to be able to make this its first deployment. Members were pleased to see us and to take advantage of the facilities on offer.”

Geoff and the Federation’s branch secretary, Al Wollaston, were both on hand to talk to officers and offer support.

Read more about the welfare van in the next edition of our Federation Matters magazine which will be distributed around the Force and posted on this site next week.