1. FireControl Project.
1.1 Overview.
FiReControl
[www.firecontrol.communities.gov.uk]
is a Communities and Local Government (CLG) national
project looking at the Fire & Rescue Service's
existing mobilising and communications facilities.
The FiReControl project is working to
move from the existing system of 46
local control rooms in England into 9
new networked Regional Control Centres.
Currently the South East region is
served by nine of the local control
rooms covering over 8 million people
in East Sussex, West Sussex, Kent,
Surrey, Hampshire, Royal Berkshire,
Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and the
Isle of Wight.
The new Regional Control Centre for the
South East Region will be located at
Kite's Croft Business Park, Fareham,
Hampshire. The project was initiated
in 2003 and the final FRS in our region
is due to cutover to the RCC by end of
2011.
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1.2 Project Detail.
In 1999, following a request from the
government, Mott MacDonald carried out
a review of existing Fire & Rescue Service
Control rooms and the service they provided.
A report of the findings was published
in April 2000 and in December 2002 Sir
George Bain undertook a further review
of the Fire & Rescue Service.
Mott MacDonald updated their review in 2003
and the government published their White
Paper “Our Fire &
Rescue Service”. The FiReControl
project was initiated in early 2004 to
start work on one of the recommendations
which was to reduce the number of Fire
& Rescue Service control rooms in England.
Instead of 46 control rooms there will
be only 9 Regional Control Centres in the f
ollowing locations -
- South East - Kites Croft Business Park, Fareham, Hampshire.
- North East - Belmont Business Park, Durham.
- North West - Lingley Mere Business Park, Great Sankey, Warrington, Cheshire.
- Yorkshire and Humberside - Paragon Business Village, Wakefield, West Yorkshire.
- East of England - Cambridge Research Park.
- East Midlands - Willow Farm Business Park, Castle Donington, Leicestershire.
- West Midlands - Wolverhampton Business Park.
- South West - Blackbrook Business Park, Taunton, Somerset.
- London - Merton industrial Estate, Morden
The following documents provide more detailed information -
There is now a large team working on the national
project at Communities and Local Government.
There are also regional and individual
Fire & Rescue Service project teams.
The regional team for the South East region is based in Chichester, West Sussex.
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1.3 Next Steps.
Data Migration.
Following the award of the Infrastructure Services
contract to EADS, we are currently planning how ESFRS
are going to migrate all existing data e.g. pre-determined
attendances, hydrants, contact numbers, address gazetteer,
risk information and resource attributes etc. into
the format required by RCC.
New Ways of Working
We are also planning how ESFRS are
going to change existing or introduce
new procedures to allow for standard RCC
procedures - known as "New Ways of
Working" - such as having national
callsigns, different radio procedures,
standard radio messages and alignment of our
existing Mobilising system data such as
incident types to new RCC incident types etc.
A full list of Convergence Issues can be
found on the Convergence Outcomes Page.
National Callsigns.
The FiReControl National Project Team
have been working with the prime contractors
EADS and have recently released Ways of Working
Document 1 - National Call sign Plan for FRSs
to start implementing. ESFRS are now looking at
how we can convert our current call signs to the
new requirements whilst ensuring our existing systems
e.g. MIS, continue to function and provide the information
we are used to receiving.
"Out of scope" activities.
Although the new Regional Control Centre
(RCC) will be undertaking most of the
core operational activities that ESFRS
M&CC currently perform there will be
some additional jobs that the RCC will
not be taking on e.g. officers rota, and
ESFRS will need to continue to carry
these out. This work is called "Out of Scope"
and we are presently reviewing our existing
working practices to ascertain exactly what
will need to be carried out within the
organisation after cutover to the RCC.
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2. FireLink Project.
2.1 Overview.
Firelink
[www.frsonline.fire.gov.uk]
is a task group set up by the Communities
and Local Government (CLG) to buy and implement
a nationwide radio system for the Fire & Rescue
Service.
Airwave have been selected following a tendering
process to provide a common radio system
incorporating mobile data for all Fire &
Rescue Services in England, Scotland & Wales
that can also facilitate communications with the
other emergency services.
The Police nationally along with other
government agencies already use airwave.
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2.2 Project Detail.
The Firelink project to replace our existing
radio with a national radio scheme is now
moving into the implementation stage.
It has been split into 3 phases -
| Phase A |
Fitting of the radio terminals to 8 vehicles of ESFRS's choice and to our Mobilising & Communications Centre. Project will provide voice only facilities.
|
| Testing Period |
| Phase B |
Fitting of terminals to all vehicles across ESFRS. Project will provide voice only facilities.
|
| Phase C |
Connection to Regional Control Room (FiReControl project). System will provide voice and a data capability which will be linked back into the new Regional Control Room.
|
Following the installation of the Firelink radios
into both M&CC at HQ; Secondary Control at Station
11, Eastbourne and into 6 operational vehicles
(4 Pumps and 2 Service Vans), ESFRS participated
in the Infrastructure Site Acceptance Tests (ISAT)
and Customer Service Verification (CSV) and Phase A
is now in a position to be signed off.
Currently ESFRS are working on the planning
for the Phase B installation across the entire
operational fleet, including the fit to all
operational vehicles and the training of operational
personnel. The Phase B install is due to start
mid-November 2008 with completion by the end of January 2009.
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2.3 Next Steps.
Phase A and B preparation.
We are currently preparing for Phase B
installation - fitting Firelink terminals
to operational vehicles and the related
training. This is due to start from
November 2008. We will still continue to
use MODAS for status and other messages,
but we will encourage you to use the
radio at the appropriate time.
Fleetmaps
We are looking at fleet maps - a fleet
map is a list of appliances that can hear
each other - similar to the way that
MODAS works for appliances attending the
same incident.
First Line Maintenance
We are starting to look at First Line
Maintenance (FLM) arrangements for when
Firelink is installed and the associated
financial implications.
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3. Project Team.
East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service (ESFRS)
have set up a Special Projects Team to work
towards both the national projects.
The Special Projects Team for East Sussex
Fire & Rescue Service (ESFRS)
is based at HQ in Eastbourne and is
working on both the FiReContol and Firelink
national projects.
The team consists of -
| Ian Alexander | Head of Special Projects | 01323 462382. |
Jenny Allen (maternity leave)
Brenda Guile (Secondment) | FiReControl Projects Officer | 01323 462268. |
| Helen George (secondment) | Firelink Projects Officer | 01323 462266. |
| Kerry Hudson | Special Projects Assistant | 01323 462267. |
email -
.
If you have any questions or need further information please do not hesitate to contact us.
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4. Project Board.
ESFRS Project Board is made up of the following -
| Lead Officer | DCFO Chris Large. |
| Project Manager | Ian Alexander. |
| Project Officer | FiReControl - Jennifer Allen (maternity leave)
FiReControl - Brenda Guile (secondment)
Firelink - Helen George (secondment)
|
| Administration | Kerry Hudson. |
| Team Members |
- ACO Diana Williams [Director of Corporate Services].
- Andy Reynolds [Director of Community Protection].
- Steve Lewis[Control Room Manager].
- Sam Burroughs [Temp Head of HR & Organisational Development].
- Vijay Anam [Director of Information Management].
|
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5. Common Project Documentation.
General documents relating to both projects within ESFRS -
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6. Project News.
27/11/07 - LACC Representatives Appointed
During the first board meeting for the South East Fire & Rescue Control Centre Ltd, held on 8th November 2007, the following LACC representatives were appointed on the Board of Directors;
| Cllr Andy Dransfield |
- |
Buckinghamshire |
| Cllr Ted Kemble |
- |
East Sussex |
| Cllr Roger Price |
- |
Hampshire |
| David Williams |
- |
Isle of Wight |
| Cllr Bryan Cope |
- |
Kent and Medway Fire & Rescue Authority |
| Cllr Rodney Rose |
- |
Oxfordshire |
| Cllr Angus Ross |
- |
Royal Berkshire Fire & Rescue Authority |
| Cllr Maurice Neighbour |
- |
Surrey |
| Cllr Peter Jones |
- |
West Sussex |
Also decided at this meeting were the panel members for the Regional Control Centre Director's interviews, which were being held on the 19th November 2007.
17/10/2007 - Site of London's new fire control centre announced.
Local Government Minister John Healey announced today (17 October) that London's new highly resilient fire control centre will be located in Merton Industrial Estate, Morden, in the London Borough of Merton.
Communities and Local Government has worked in close collaboration with London's fire authority on the project.
The new Brigade emergency call handling centre will be part of a resilient national network of nine fire and rescue service emergency call handling centres in England. These will start to go live in 2009 and be fully operational by 2011. This is part of a major Government investment in equipping the fire and rescue service for the demands of the 21st century, which range from natural, industrial and man-made disasters to climate change.
Nine control centres will replace the existing 46 local fire service control rooms across the country. The announcement of the location of the London site puts the final piece of the network into place. Given the capital's particular requirements and also the need for world class systems to be in place for the 2012 Olympics it is particularly important that Firecontrol is delivered in partnership between Government and the London Fire Brigade.
Announcing that the London Control Centre will be based in Morden, in the London Borough of Merton, Local Government Minister and Co-Chair of the London Resilience Forum John Healey said:
"The Government's top priority is protecting the public and increasing the nation's resilience. That's why we are investing in the new national network of regional control centres.
"These will provide the fire and rescue service with a modern, effective control and mobilisation system that will better protect the public. The network will deliver a service that is resilient and capable of responding to anything from a small house fire to a large scale national emergency.
"There is a compelling need to improve the existing control rooms in England to deal with the increasing range of large scale incidents - from terrorist attacks to floods - that the fire and rescue service faces. Emergency call handling systems need to be up to the challenge. In 2005 we announced the locations of 8 of the new Regional Control Centres. I am pleased to announce the location of London's Regional Control Centre which completes the picture and provides the country with the world class service it deserves. "
London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority Chair Valerie Shawcross said: "London already has a first-class emergency fire call handling centre run by highly dedicated and professional staff, but we recognise the benefits that the introduction of new technology and improved resilience can bring. This new control centre will give us a secure place in a national system so London can have strong fall back arrangements and support other UK fire and rescue services if necessary."
Morden was chosen taking into account factors such as accessibility (for both people and services), demographics, vulnerability to threats such as flooding and suitability for development.
The Regional Control Centres are due to become operational in batches of three between 2009 and 2011.
Mike Forster, Development Director at Easter said "Easter Group and Morley Fund Management are delighted that the Department for Communities and Local Government have chosen to locate the London Fire and Rescue Control Centre in Morden. The decision to locate this important new facility here reflects the quality of the location and environment, providing excellent communications and transport facilities for Firecontrol. "Easter look forward to working closely with the Firecontrol project team on this the second collaboration between Easter Group, Morley Fund Management and Firecontrol. Easter and Morley Fund Management are currently constructing the South East Regional Centre at Kite's Croft, Fareham with practical completion due in May 2008."
16/08/2007 - FireLink Detailed Design Specification.
ESFRS have now received our Individual Detailed Design Specification (IDDS) from Firelink for the Phase A installation of the new national replacement radio system.
This document details how the installations are going to take place in M&CC, Secondary Control and our chosen 8 pilot vehicles. A new IDDS will be issued for Phase B which is when Firelink will be rolled out across the rest of ESFRS and which is planned for 2008.
For further details on all the phases within the rollout please see the FireLink Project information above.
The IDDS is a large document of over 1000 pages and, therefore, will not be made available on the Intranet. However, should you wish to have a look at the document please contact or visit the Special Projects team at HQ.
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04/04/2007 - Proposed FireControl Cutover Date.
ESFRS have been informed that the Infrastructure Services contract for the FiReControl Project between Communities & Local Government (CLG) and the successful bidder, EADS was signed on Friday 30th March 2007.
The signing of the contract has enabled CLG to issue a proposed timetable for the cutover of each FRS into their new Regional Control Centre (RCC) with ESFRS being given a date of May 2011 to move into the RCC at Fareham, Hampshire.
The associated documentation which accompanied the notification gives further information including:
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12/03/2007 - Announcement of State-Of-The-Art IT Contract Awarded to Improve Fire Safety.
On Wednesday 7 March 2007, Fire Minister, Angela Smith, announced that the contract to supply the infrastructure for the national network of nine regional control centres for the Fire and Rescue Service would be awarded to EADS Defence & Security Systems. The contract is worth £200 million over eight years.
Today´s announcement represents the Government´s commitment to providing a modern Fire and Rescue Service, which is equipped to deal with major incidents.
The Chairman of East Sussex Fire Authority, Councillor Michael Murphy has welcomed the Government´s announcement that the I.T. contract has been confirmed, so that work can now continue apace with the 9 Regional Control Centres for Fire and Rescue Services across the country. With many of the new RCC buildings already in the course of construction, including the Centre for the South East region, which will be located in Fareham, Hampshire, concerns were being expressed with regard to the impact of any further delays upon these national project timescales. Councillor Michael Murphy agreed that the new system would provide increased resilience across the country for Fire and Rescue Services. However, he also indicated that the Fire Authority expected it to deliver the value for money savings promised and wished to ensure that existing East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service Mobilising and Communications Staff would be offered appropriate opportunities within the organisation to support them if they did not secure jobs in the new control centre in Fareham. He commended the current staff for their professional approach and dedication to the local communities served, but also recognised that the announcement brought them all one step closer to what would be likely to result in major changes in their working careers
The Regional Control Centres will relay vital information to fire crews and deploy the nearest appropriate firefighting vehicle. They will also be able to automatically back one another up during major incidents providing a highly resilient and robust Fire and Rescue Service.
The Fire Minister, Angela Smith, said;
“This is a major step forward for the Fire Control project. The Government´s first duty is to protect the public. At the heart of this project is the ability for the Control Centres to back each other up and to provide information direct to fire crews on the ground. The technology provided under this contract will help to identify the location of incidents more quickly and precisely, ensuring that the correct equipment is mobilised as efficiently as possible. Ultimately, this will help to further reduce the number of lives lost to fire.” She went on to add, “The choice of the right supplier for this projects I.T requirements is therefore vital. I am very pleased to announce today that Communities and Local Government intends to award EADS Defence & Security Systems this £200 million contract.”
The Government has decided that continuing under the current system is not an option if national resilience is to be enhanced and the public better protected. The current system relies on 46 control rooms, which are not networked, operating on different standards and settings and with differing levels of equipments and technology. Nor can they deploy firefighting equipment across Authority boundaries. The cost of networking all 46 control rooms and supplying them with the new technology is estimated at more than twice the cost of the FIReControl project.
Communities and Local Government have been working in close partnership with members of the Fire and Rescue Service, the LGA and CFOA to deliver the FIReControl project.
Phil Toase, President of the Chief Fire Officers´ Association said;
“I am very pleased that we have reached this important milestone in the FIReControl project and welcome the investment in the Fire and Rescue Services that it represents. CFOA will continue to work with the Government and now with the supplier, to ensure that the project will enable the Fire and Rescue Service to deliver a service to the public that rises to the challenges of the 21st century.”
EADS Defence & Security Systems will be responsible for building and running the systems that will ensure data relay within the Fire Service, in turn, this gives fire crews as much information as possible to help them tackle the incident they are attending and ultimately aiming to further reduce deaths in fires.
The project is being procured so as to allow it to be phased-in and to avoid a single "hand-over" day, which will ensure the system is reliable and will give extra confidence to the public and fire crews as the system changes.
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18/01/2007 - FireControl News.
Under the Government proposals for Regional Control Centres (RCC), as set out in the Government´s Fire Service National Framework, each of the 9 Fire Service Regional Management Boards (RMBs) across England, in conjunction with their constituent fire & rescue authorities, are required to set up Local Authority Controlled Companies (LACC) to operate their RCCs within their respective areas.
On 17 January 2007, the South East Fire Regional Management Board agreed to participate in the setting up of such a company. On 18 January 2007, East Sussex Fire Authority also approved the proposed legal arrangements for the LACC.
A company known as "South East Fire & Rescue Control Centre Ltd" will now be set up and will be responsible for all matters involved with managing our regional RCC in compliance with the national project requirements.
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