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10 August 2005 - Mixed Views on New Fire
Control Centres Announced Today
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As the first 7 locations for the introduction of the new fire
control centres to modernise the fire and rescue services were announced today,
the Fire Brigade Union's President states that the new move is both "wasteful
and dangerous".
At the moment, there are 46 local fire service control rooms and
it is the intention of the Government to reduce this to 9 main control centres,
selected by taking into account the following factors:
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Accessibility for people and services.
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Demographics.
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Vulnerability to threats such as flooding.
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Suitability for development.
The first 7 locations announced by Jim Fitzpatrick MP, ODPM
Minister responsible for fire and a former fire-fighter, are as follows:
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Belmont Business Park, Durham.
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Lingley Mere Business Park, Great Sankey, Warrington, Cheshire.
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Cambridge Research Park, Cambridge.
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Willow Farm Business Park, Castle Donington, Leicestershire.
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Wolverhampton Business Park, Wolverhampton.
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Paragon Business Village, Wakefield, West Yorkshire.
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Blackbrook Business Park, Taunton, Somerset.
Mr. Fitzpatrick commented:
"There is a compelling need to modernise and rationalise the
control rooms in England, as part of the overall modernisation agenda. In the
post-9/11 world, and in the wake of the events of 7th July, we need control
centres that are resilient enough to deal with a terrorist attack or any natural
disaster.
"London's experience on the 7th July showed that only a
regional control centre can deal effectively with an event of that scale
particularly in terms of the specialist management required for inter-agency
liaison and on-going communications to synchronise plans and deployment when the
Fire and Rescue service is not the prime service on the scene.
"While existing control rooms do a good job, they are not
designed to deal in a co-ordinated way with major regional or national incidents
- they need improvement and investment.
"The new national network will provide the Fire and Rescue
Service with a modern, effective system that will better protect the public. The
centres will use the latest proven technology which will not only enable
firefighters to respond more quickly to incidents but improve their safety by
providing accurate information before they reach the scene. 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. It will also be much more
efficient, which will free up resources for other Fire and Rescue Service work,
such as fire prevention.
"We recognise that establishing the new network will
inevitably result in change for staff. We are working very closely with the
national employers so that staff are treated well, and will continue to work
hard to keep staff informed of developments as they happen.
"As it is for the Fire and Rescue Service, public safety is
our priority. We will work with them and other stakeholders to take this
important project forward. This is all about improving public safety and
improving the Fire and Rescue Service."
However, Fire Brigade Union's President, Ruth Winters, views the
new control centres as being "wasteful and dangerous" commenting:
“£44 million would pay for an extra 1,400 firefighters who
could save lives. Or it would pay for a major boost to community
fire safety, or for initiatives to reduce arson. It is money that could save
lives.
“To do this at any time would be dangerous and irresponsible.
But to gamble with the efficiency of the fire service at a time when the threat
of terrorism makes its efficiency a matter of life and death for all of us is
almost criminally irresponsible."
Welcoming the news, Mr. Tom Carroll, President of the Chief Fire
Officers Association said:
"CFOA is delighted that the ODPM has announced the locations
of the new control centres today. CFOA has supported the Fire Control project
from the outset, and this is a significant milestone. We are also delighted that
ODPM is investing so much in the Fire and Rescue Service. Establishing this
national network of nine centres will be a huge step in the modernisation of the
Service. It will provide a better service for the public and will greatly
improve resilience, particularly important in the light of recent events."
The decision by the Government to centralise fire control
services was the result of a very intensive review process, by Mott Mac Donald
in 1999. Mr. MacDonalds' findings were published and consulted upon
in December 2003 and can be accessed by clicking the following:
FiReControl
Article by Alexandra Johnston
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