FAQs
GlossaryThis page contains some of the most commonly asked questions relating to FiReControl. Please visit this page again as we aim to provide regular updates as we receive new questions.
Questions:
Will all current fire and rescue service control staff be able to get a job at SWFC?
Will South West Fire Control have any vacancies which will be available to the general public?
Will I ever get an engaged tone when I dial 999?
Will I have to wait for my 999 call to be answered if all the call takers at SWFC are busy?
Has the equipment that will be used been tested?
What rotas and shifts will staff be working on?
Why is there such a high level of security on site?
How will you cope with the loss of local knowledge?
Will there be fire appliances based at the site in Taunton?
How much will SWFC cost me as a tax payer?
Will the relationship with other emergency services change?
What impact will FiReControl have on members of the public?
Will SWFC deal with everything current control rooms handle?
Q. Will all current fire and rescue service control staff be able to get a job at SWFC?
A. Everyone in the South West region currently working in an FRS control room has been offered the opportunity to apply for posts at South West Fire Control. The forward recruitment process, which was agreed with the representative bodies and the FRSs, was implemented in January 2010 and is currently ongoing.
As a result of this work, all control room staff on permanent contracts in the region know what job they will have at SWFC. Those that were unable to transfer for any reasons have had this confirmed to them.
More information about the forward recruitment process can be found here.
Q. Will South West Fire Control have any vacancies which will be available to the general public?
A. South West Fire Control is committed to offering any remaining control staff vacancies to staff holding temporary positions within the region’s FRSs in the first instance. However, if these vacancies are not filled in this way, or any other vacancies arise within the company, they will be advertised on the company website.
Q. Will I ever get an engaged tone when I phone 999?
A. No.
Q. Will I have to wait for my 999 call to be answered if all the call takers at SWFC are busy?
A. The standard expected is to answer 95 per cent of calls in five seconds. These standards have been set by the Minister for Fire and Resilience. In the event that all control room operators at SWFC are busy taking calls, the call will be diverted to the next available control room operator, regardless of location.
Q. Has the equipment that will be used been tested?
A. Yes it has. The technology here is not new technology, it is simply best-in-class of existing tried and tested technology. It has not, however, been networked before and we need to ensure that it will work in this new environment. Further rigorous testing and training will also take place before the centre goes live. Existing control room operators will not, however, cutover until the relevant Chief Fire Officer is completely satisfied that SWFC can take their calls.
CLG has set up a new board to provide assurance that every aspect of the project will be delivered to the expected standards. The assurance board meets monthly and South West Fire Control’s Chief Executive Julie Burnett represents her colleagues from the other regional control centres.
Q. What rotas and shifts will staff be working on?
A. Rotas and shifts have been agreed with the representative bodies and details of these are available here.
Q. Why is there such a high level of security on site?
A. The building is built to a high level of resilience. Access to the site is monitored and there will be restricted access to certain areas of the building due to the sensitivity of the nature of the equipment and information held there.
Q. How will you cope with the loss of local knowledge?
A. The systems in the control room will be supported by caller identification systems; this will enable the control room operator to be proactive in identifying the incident location. The firefighters on the ground will also retain the same local knowledge they have always had. In addition, SWFC will take advantage of existing best practice in London Control Centre, where what is effectively a regional control has been operating for 18 years.
Q. Will there be fire appliances based at the site in Taunton?
A. No, there will not be any fire appliances based at the site in Taunton. Although SWFC will be used for for handling calls and mobilising fire appliances, these will not be based at the site.
Q. How much will SWFC cost me as a tax payer?
The costs of this project are entirely a matter for the Communities and Local Government department (CLG) which is the Government department responsible for delivering this project. You can visit its website at http://www.communities.gov.uk/fire/resilienceresponse/firecontrol/
Q. Will the relationship with other emergency services change?
A. We don’t see why they should. Relationships are excellent on the ground and between respective control rooms and moving to SWFC will not compromise this.
SWFC has hosted a number of visits both from the police and ambulance services and welcomes this interaction with them.
Q. What will be the difference for members of the public once SWFC is up and running?
A. Members of the public won't notice any difference once emergency calls are transferred to SWFC.
Q. Will SWFC deal with everything current control rooms handle?
A. No, it will deal with most tasks but there are some things presently carried out by the FRS which SWFC won’t do, for example, answering community fire safety enquiries. The FRSs in the region are looking at cost effective solutions to this.