Firelink: improved fire and rescue service radio communications

Introduction

The Firelink project is an important investment in fire and rescue service wide area radio communications. It will play an important part in making sure the Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) can respond to all types of incidents. The Firelink solution will improve resilience and interoperability within the service, using the latest technology available. Communication links with other emergency services will also be improved.

The project is being delivered by the Firelink Project Team on behalf of Communities and Local Government, the Scottish Government and Welsh Assembly Government.

For the first time the Firelink radio system will provide a standard national radio communications link between fire and rescue service control rooms and fire vehicles. It will be used to mobilise resources in response to a 999 call and provide the FRS incident commander with an external support link for the duration of the incident.

Purpose

Firelink has been developed based on the operational requirements of the FRS. It will bring new equipment to each fire and rescue service, based on modern digital technology and a network designed to meet FRS needs.

Firelink will install radio terminals, Global Positioning System units, mobile data terminals in fire vehicles and installation into FRS control rooms; initial training of FRS trainers and specialist users; and maintenance of the system.

Network infrastructure and installation into all fire vehicles is scheduled to be completed in 2009. In England this stage will be followed by a phased migration to the Regional Control Centres.

Firelink will provide the FRS with:

Improved resilience and security - to reduce the risk of system or network failure ensuring continuing service to the user. The system also prevents unauthorised eavesdropping of communications.
Communications Interoperability - for more effective joint emergency operations.
Superior voice communication - provides clearer voice quality than existing systems allowing more efficient call handling.
Modernisation - enables national roaming where a fire vehicle can remain in contact with a control room wherever it is located across the country.
Data communications capability - for transmitting data quickly, providing greater freedom to deliver information.
Automatic vehicle location to pinpoint where appliances are, assisting with mobilisation of the nearest appropriate appliance to the incident.

The Firelink solution will help modernise the Fire and Rescue Service.

Background

Current wide area radio systems have been established and maintained by individual fire and rescue services. This has led to differences in the type and nature of radio systems across the Fire and Rescue Service.

Following the event of 11 September 2001, a review of FRS capabilities was undertaken. This led Ministers to review the radio communications strategy and consider options for replacing the old wide area radio systems.

In May 2002, Ministers announced a new competition for the procurement of a wide area communications system. The plan was for the system to replace the existing regional strategy for the fire and rescue services in England and Wales. Scotland joined the project soon after. The project was to be called Firelink. The contract for the Firelink project was awarded in March 2006 to Airwave.

The bigger picture

Firelink will provide the radio communications link for another project in the Fire Resilience programme, namely FiReControl, which will deliver nine modern regional control centres in England.