The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has taken a significant step towards modernising its emergency response capabilities by signing a £29.5 million contract with Motorola Solutions for a new 999 mobilisation system.
This seven-year agreement, with an option for a three-year extension, will introduce a cloud-based solution to streamline the process of dispatching firefighters to emergencies following 999 calls.
The new system is set to replace the ageing infrastructure currently in use across SFRS’s three operations control rooms located in Johnstone, Edinburgh, and Dundee, and deliver enhanced day-to-day and major incident response capability.
This upgrade comes at a crucial time, as the service responded to approximately 80,000 incidents in the previous year, each requiring one or more 999 calls.
Andy Watt, Deputy Chief Officer of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, emphasised the importance of this investment, when he stated:
“Our 180 Operations Control staff across Scotland are the unseen frontline of the service, working together they play a critical role in the safety of Scotland’s communities,
This cutting-edge technology will further enhance our capability by delivering a whole new level of day-to-day flexibility and resilience, providing SFRS with a single, stable and interoperable system across our three Operations Control rooms.”
This is the latest investment from the Service which included the re-opening of Dingwall Community Fire Station last month following a £4.6 million renovation.
At present, the Service is in the midst of a Strategic Service Review and also conducted a survey among Scottish citizens earlier this year to understand their expectations from a national fire and rescue Service.
Any further alterations to frontline services are expected to be made only after consulting with the public. The primary goal is to enhance and upgrade the capabilities and infrastructure of the Service.
The Service celebrated the 200th anniversary of Scottish fire and rescue services in Edinburgh last month, commemorating the establishment of the world’s first municipal fire service in 1824.
