FIRE SERVICE AND GENERAL FIRE SAFETY TOPICS > Control

Regional Fire Controls Scapped

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Dinnertime Dave:
Just been made aware of this statement from CFOA - Good news or bad?

The Chief Fire Officers' Association (CFOA) is not surprised with the decision announced today by Bob
Neill MP, the Minister for Fire, to end the FiReControl project. The project designed to set up 9 regional
control centres to handle all 999 fire calls in England has been beset by difficulties from the outset. Peter
Holland, CFOA President said, "Despite the best efforts of fire professionals in attempting to assist both
CLG and EADS in developing a resilient mobilising and operational asset management solution for the
Fire and Rescue Service, the project has failed to deliver on time, cost and quality."
CFOA will now be pressing CLG as a matter of urgency to secure appropriate funding to deliver
alternative resilient fire control systems and facilities. CFOA wishes to ensure that equipment which has
already been delivered to services by the project remains in place including mobile data terminals in fire
appliances. CFOA also wants to see delivery of many of the other benefits that would have been
provided by the regional control project but at a lower cost and reduced complexity. To this end, CFOA
will be seeking an early meeting with the Minister to explore the implications of this decision and will
continue to support Chief Fire Officers throughout England to deliver improvements in what are
unprecedented times.

Golden:
I think that I ought to wait until after the 'watershed' to post what I really think about the whole mess and the project management by the government and the fire service! I believe the concept of regional controls was sound and that in these technically advanced times the issue of local knowledge has been superseded. However from what I have seen the technology wasn't the cutting edge/future proof solution that was originally promised. This project has been a mess and should have been pulled years ago to save even more money from being wasted.

The basic problem with regionalisation (in general not just with control) is that very few councils want to give away their autonomy and will resist any attempts by central government to interfere. This has also happened with the integrated clothing project and Firebuy which have both failed.

A link to the CLG statement:

http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/1803622

Mike Buckley:
I agree that the concept was sound, but there were too many vested interests opposed to the project, not just the councils.

The battle has been won but the outcome of the war is still undecided. It will be interesting to see if the government attempt to revive the project in a few years time and the tactics they will use to achieve their goal.

Clevelandfire 3:
Im glad to hear that this sorry mess and catastophically expensive white elephant sponsored by Gordon Brown through the CLG (Dept for Complete Lies and Guff) is at an end. What a mess. I think someone should be sent to prison for all the wasted cash. And we wonder why the country is in a mess.

kurnal:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-12042563

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