A new regional fire control centre won’t go ‘live’ on Thursday as planned, despite a five-year delay due to the failure of a national project which wasted £482m of taxpayers’ money.
Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service’s 999 calls were due to be handled by the North West Fire Control Centre. IT problems are responsible for yet another hold-up.
The service says “lack of data” within the system places “an intolerable degree of risk” to mobilising and service delivery operations.
Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester and Lancashire brigades will eventually operate from there, with the transfer date for Cheshire and Cumbria now postponed.
Cheshire Fire Brigades Union secretary Dave Williams said last Thursday: “Yesterday afternoon staff were told there would be a delay of between four and six weeks. They have not given a new date or any indication as to when they will know.”
Mr Williams said the latest delay followed the previous start date in January being cancelled.
“It doesn’t look good,” said Mr Williams. “We always said the business case was questionable. We believe we should carry on with the existing control room in Winsford. This is adding additional costs. We have also been highlighting difficulties about rostering and things like that. This is quite risky, it’s going into the unknown.”
Cheshire FBU has previously raised concerns that reduced staffing levels at the regional control centre will lead to 999 calls being stacked at busy times.
And there are fears operators in a regional centre won’t have the local knowledge possessed by call handlers based in Winsford.
The Warrington-based centre, due to have gone live in 2009, was the brainchild of the last Labour Government which planned to replace all 46 local control rooms in England with just nine regional control centres.
This original scheme was one of the worst cases of project failure ever seen, according to the House Of Commons’ Public Accounts Committee, wasting at least £482m of taxpayers’ money.
A spokeswoman for Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “The chief fire officers involved in the North West Fire Control Project rigorously review progress at all significant milestones.
“Following a review of progress, it has been agreed to change the dates that each service will transfer control to North West Fire Control. Exact dates have yet to be confirmed but the delay is expected to be about one month.
“While the system is able to handle calls and mobilise resources, we are not confident that we will be able to do this effectively in its current state and believe that the lack of data contained within the system places an intolerable degree of risk to our mobilising and service delivery operations.
“We are in contractual negotiation with Telent – the suppliers of the system to determine damages and new deadlines. However, while we seek a speedy resolution, maintaining public safety is our top priority.
“Despite the delay, the North West Fire Control collaboration will continue save Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Cumbria and Lancashire £19m over the next 12 years, while improving call handing and mobilising systems.”
