Fire Service Celebrates International Control Week With Big Thanks

21/10/2024

For International Control Room Week, running from October 21 to 27, Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) is celebrating everyone who works in its combined fire control, taking 999 calls and mobilising fire engines, specialist vehicles and officers to incidents across Cambridgeshire and Suffolk.

When people think of the fire service dealing with incidents they usually just think of firefighters, however, control operators taking the 999 calls, managing resources, offering initial life-saving advice and being a reassuring voice at the end of the phone are often the unsung heroes and heroines.  

The dedicated week of recognition for those who work in control rooms comes at a perfect time for CFRS as the Service has recently gone live with a new mobilising system, meaning its control-based colleagues have faced a challenging time getting to grips with the new computer system and learning new ways of working.  

The Service procured a new mobilising system with French-based company SYSTEL just prior to the pandemic. The Covid restrictions on travel caused significant challenges resulting in a delay, and the global economic crisis had further impact. But last month the Service successfully switched over to the new system and has been mobilising fire engines with it since.

Chief Fire Officer Matthew Warren explained: “It was a real milestone to switch over to the new mobilising system last month. This is a hugely complex and intelligent mobilising system that takes and feeds data from several different sources to ensure we send the nearest and most appropriately skilled crews for each type of incident in the fastest time possible. We had faced considerable delays with implementing the system due to unforeseeable challenges along the way, but the joint working with SYSTEL and the incredible hard work, determination and solution-focused mentality of both the SYSTEL team and our own project team and colleagues has ensured we reached the finish line with a product that will see us well into the future and further improving efficiency.”

Matthew continued: “I am incredibly grateful to all our colleagues who work in our combined control room for their part in the successful transition. They have gone out of their way to support the training process and wider project all whilst continuing to do their day job of responding to 999 calls. Their teamwork and support for each other throughout the process truly reflects the values and culture of our Service and makes me incredibly proud.

“Learning new technology is never easy but navigating your way around a new system knowing that every second potentially counts in taking the call, getting all the relevant information and then being able to use the system to alert the right crews is added pressure. So this week of recognition comes at a perfect time for us to highlight the incredible work of our control colleagues and thank them for everything they do.”

The new SYSTEL mobilising system was a necessary investment for Cambridgeshire and Suffolk fire and rescue services as the old system was outdated, no longer formally supported - increasing the risk of it breaking, and limited options for continued improvement to services and keep communities safe.

Sebastien Guyot, Chief Executive Officer of SYSTEL also praised both CFRS’s Combined Fire Control employees and his team at SYSTEL who worked jointly and diligently to achieve this outcome. He added: “My team have been very impressed with the highest level of professionalism shown by everyone in the Control room and project team. It has been a pleasure working with Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service to implement our state of the art command and control solution and see it come to life, delivering efficiencies by bringing together innovative technology and different data sources for intelligent mobilising. I am always impressed with the multi-tasking skills control operators need in listening, inputting information, reading screens and ensuring the right help is sent and I am delighted to see our system successfully supporting this vital role in Cambridgeshire and Suffolk’s Combined Fire Control.”