Joint control room will improve efficiency

In 2018 Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire’s Fire and Rescue Authorities both agreed the Joint Control Project, with Derbyshire chosen as the most viable location to meet the requirements for collaboration and Service delivery for both organisations. A year of business planning, preparation and consultation has followed to deliver a Joint Control for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire’s 999 call handling, based at Derbyshire’s Ascot Drive Community Fire Station. 

The new Joint Control operates using the tri-service mobilising system, a system that Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire fire and rescue services have been using to handle emergency calls and mobilise crews to incidents since 2015. The tri-service system allows all three Services to mobilise across three county borders, with the ability to automatically call on the nearest fire engine, without the need to request its use if that fire appliance belongs to one of the other two Services.  

Therefore, the new joint Control only means a change of location for Nottinghamshire and it will not affect the level of service provided to anyone calling 999.  

Following comprehensive consultation and support for all affected staff, Nottinghamshire’s control room staff have been transferred to Derbyshire. No compulsory redundancies have been made as a result of the process.  

John Buckley, Nottinghamshire’s chief fire officer, said, “In April, when we launched our new Strategic Plan, we outlined ten projects for Year 1, supporting our vision for creating safer communities across Nottinghamshire. This is the first to be delivered from that Plan. 

“Introducing Tri-Service Control back in 2015 was about ensuring we continued to effectively function cross-borders, so that the nearest asset was mobilised to an incident, no matter where in the three counties that appliance happened to be.  This remains at the core of what we do, keeping our communities safe. Creating a joint Control room at Ascot Drive means a change of location but the function remains the same.   

“Full credit must go to our fantastic staff in our Control rooms who have fully engaged in this process.”    

Derbyshire’s chief fire officer/chief executive Terry McDermott said, “The newly formed joint Control Room provides an efficient and effective emergency call handling service for the communities of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, the very communities whose safety is at the forefront of our decision making.  

“Bringing the two control rooms together will not affect the way 999 calls are handled, or the level of service people will receive when needing the fire and rescue service in an emergency.

“Through proactive prevention campaigning, over the past ten years nationally the fire and rescue service has successfully reduced the number of emergency incidents it attends. This has resulted in a reduction in the number of 999 emergency calls received and has therefore provided an opportunity for us to review the delivery of our call handling provision, to ensure it is as effective and efficient as it can be in line with the demand for service from our communities.   

“I’d like to take this opportunity to praise all the control room staff, from both Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, who have worked closely with the project team to deliver the joint control project and more importantly, I’d like to welcome our new colleagues from Nottinghamshire to Derbyshire.”