Project overview

Introduction

An efficient Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) is essential for the safety of the British public. To achieve this, the FRS requires an effective, modern communications system to support individual fire and rescue services.

In today's world there is a need for effective communications across the emergency services and in relation to the Fire and Rescue Service. Government is implementing a range of measures to build resilience including investment in the Fire and Resilience Programme, which will provide the FRS with the capability it needs to meet the challenges of the future. Firelink is part of the programme, providing the radio communication network for FRS vehicles and the nine new FiReControl Regional Control Centres.

Firelink solution

The Firelink solution is based on a statement of requirements, developed in conjunction with FRS users.

The strategic benefits of implementing Firelink are:

Resilience: Resilience to system failure to ensure continuing service to users.
Interoperability: Radio interoperability between fire and rescue services, and command level radio communications between the three emergency services.
Modernisation: enables national roaming, so a fire vehicle can remain in contact with a control room wherever it is located across the country.
Improved performance: provides clearer voice quality than existing analogue systems.
Efficiency: Increasing the efficiency of FRS communication services by improving service quality.
Deployment: providing the platform (in England) for mobilisation of fire vehicles through Regional Control Centres.
Command and Control: providing flexibility in the handling of command and control functions.

Project stakeholders

The Firelink project delivers a wide area communication system to the 56 FRAs across England, Scotland and Wales. It is sponsored by Communities and Local Government, the Scottish Government and the Welsh Assembly Government.

The Project Board comprises the Senior Responsible Officer (from CLG), Senior User (from the Chief Fire Officers Association) and the policy clients from England, Scotland and Wales.

A stakeholder group, comprising members of representative bodies and the Firelink Project Board, has been established. It both informs stakeholders and ascertains their views. The representative bodies that provide a key contribution to the successful delivery of the project include:

Chief Fire Officers Association
Convention of Scottish Local Authorities
Fire Officers Association
Fire Brigades Union
Local Government Association
Retained Firefighters Union
Welsh Local Government Association

Project phases

England, Scotland and Wales

The Firelink project comprises of:

a radio network and regional switching sites, similar to telephone exchanges
installation of radio, Mobile Data Terminal (MDT), global positioning receiver and associated hardware in fire and rescue service appliances, including New Dimension vehicles and officer cars

Scotland and Wales

Will additionally see the project deliver:

integration of Firelink equipment with legacy control room mobilising systems and Incident Command and Control Systems (ICCS)

England

For England, the rollout schedule for the project includes an 'interim solution'. This is providing the initial equipment and functionality that will be rolled out into legacy control rooms and appliances in order to allow all fire vehicles to be converted to Firelink prior to the cutover of fire and rescue services to the new Regional Control Centres (RCCs).