TETRA operator Airwave wins control room contract for County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Authority

Airwave, the leading critical voice and data communications provider, has been awarded the contract to supply an integrated communication and mobilisation solution to County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Authority (DDFRA).

According to John Lewis, Chief Operating Officer, Airwave: “We recognise the challenges brought about by the cancellation of FiReControl and have taken a fresh approach to the design of integrated communication and mobilising systems. By thinking differently, we have created a solution using established technologies in an innovative way, without compromising the capability found in legacy control room designs.”

“We have designed a solution which will be distributed across multiple geographical locations, enhancing resilience whilst significantly reducing cost.”

Susan Johnson OBE, County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service Chief Executive: “Incorporating the latest mobilisation technology and locating it in our new headquarters building in Belmont, Durham; the new system will improve the way in which we receive 999 calls and deploy emergency vehicles. It will also ensure that we continue to deliver a first-class service to our communities. By working with Airwave we will be able to provide a highly resilient command and control system that meets current and future requirements while offering value for money to the people of County Durham and Darlington.”

Airwave will deliver the control room solution working with APD and 3tc Software. The project delivery and system integration will be managed by Airwave, who will act as a single point of contact for all support, maintenance and future development activities. As well as reducing the operational overhead for DDFRA, it allows them to concentrate on what matters most - the front line.

The Airwave Network enabled Integrated Communications Control System (ICCS) will be provided by APD. The CORTEX™ ICCS will provide capabilities to integrate radio dispatch and telephone call handling, into a single user-friendly touch screen interface.

3tc Software will provide the Guardian Command mobilising system software which is an end-to-end command and control package that offers state-of-the-art incident, resource and performance management together with attribute-based mobilisation.

The duration of the contract is three years and is valued at an estimated £2m.

Source: Airwave