Press Release: 22 December 2010: RCC’s (FiReControl) Project Cancelled

Press Release: 22 December 2010 – For immediate release

RCC’s (FiReControl) Project Cancelled

After 8 years, £423m-£1.3bn, £52m on consultants and 5 years behind schedule the ‘FiReControl Project’ (Regionalisation of Emergency Fire Control Centres) was scrapped by the Government on 20 December 2010.

Paul Watts, Control Staff National Committee Rep (FBU Region 12 – Southern Region) said “This vindicates the professional opinion of Firefighters and Firefighters (Control), who have been the lone professional voice of the Fire Service in opposition to this fiasco, which has been a gross and obscene waste of public money. Fundamentally, technology will not save lives; it is the professionalism, skill and local knowledge that ensure public and firefighter safety.”

The last Government, along with many MP’s and local politicians have ignored the warnings and supported this failing and expensive project.

However, the fight continues as the Isle of Wight Council, who have consistently supported the failed FiReControl Project, now wish to pursue the moving of the Isle of Wight Fire Control Centre to Reigate, Surrey.

Andrew Cooper, Fire Control Rep, Isle of Wight FBU, said, “I would like to re-interate and endorse the comments of Peter Holland, President of the Chief Fire Officers’ Association (of 20/12/2010) ‘We must pay tribute to the hundreds of control room staff across the country who have had to deal with major uncertainty over the last few years, but who have continued to provide our communities with a very efficient and effective service throughout this time.”

Andrew Cooper added “My colleagues professionalism, knowledge, skill, integrity and tenacity has been very evident over the past eight years, providing the exemplary level of service that Island residents, visitors and businesses deserve.

We look forward to local politicians learning the lessons of history that the FiReControl Project shows and retain the Island’s Fire Control Centre.”

***ENDS***

Contacts:

Andrew Cooper, Chairman, Fire Control Branch, Isle of Wight FBU: 07889 182 762

Matt Sainsbury, Brigade Secretary, Isle of Wight FBU: 01983 525 121 (Fire Control Centre)

Paul Watts, Control Staff National Rep. (Southern Region): 07917 065 889

Ricky Matthews, FBU Regional Secretary (Southern Region): 07917 065 863

http://www.isleofwightfbu.com
http://www.fbur12.org.uk
http://www.fbu.org.uk

Notes to Editors

Fire Minister Bob Neill MP announced on 20 December 2010 in a Ministerial statement to the House of Commons that the FiReControl Project was scrapped (please see the attached Ministerial Statement).

FiReControl Project: £423m-£1.3bn (actual figure not yet released by the Government as deemed ‘commercial in confidence’). The last known stated figures show £423m, with £52m was spent on consultants for the project.

The project was started eight years ago (2004) and was running over five years behind schedule.

As part of the project the isle of Wight Fire Control Centre (in Newport, Isle of Wight) was to be transferred to the proposed South-East Regional Control Centre in Fareham, Hampshire, which was to cover nine counties (Hampshire, Royal Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Kent, East Sussex, Buckinghamshire, Isle of Wight, Surrey and West Sussex) and eight milllion people.

Since the May 2010 General Election the botched and wasteful FiReControl project has cost the tax payer £8.7m just for rent on the nine empty regional control centre buildings.

The South East Regional Control Centre building has laid empty for several years at a cost of £1.84m per annum to the taxpayer.

Dividing this figure down further to County level (for the nine counties for the RCC: Isle of Wight, Hampshire, Surrey, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, West Sussex, East Sussex, Kent, Berkshire) means the cost per annum to the local tax payer is £204,445.

Additional figures that would have to be added to the above annual costs for the Regional Fire Control Centre (based in Fareham) would be £396,825 per annum (£44,091 for the Isle of Wight) for facilities management services (provided by VT Flagship), Firelink (radio contract costs – unknown) and staffing costs (unknown).

Additional costs include the project management at the Department for Communities and Local Government (formerly Office of the Deputy Prime Minister – the then John Prescott), along with the South East Regional Management Board for FiReControl.

The project is five years behind schedule and was massively over budget.

The nine Regional Fire Control Centre buildings lie empty costing £40,000 per day in rent (source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/philipjohnston/7533673/Will-this-waste-of-our-money-never-stop.html).

Scrapped regional fire control centres

East – Essex, Norfolk, Cambridge and Peterborough, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, and Luton and Suffolk
East Midlands – Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, and Northamptonshire
London – London Fire Brigade
North East – Durham and Darlington, Tyne and Wear, Cleveland and Northumberland
North West – Cumbria, Cheshire, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside.
South East – Hampshire, Royal Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Kent, East Sussex, Buckinghamshire, Isle of Wight, Surrey and West Sussex
South West – Devon and Somerset, Dorset, Avon, Cornwall, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire
West Midlands – Staffordshire, West Midlands, Shropshire, Hereford and Worcester and Warwickshire
Yorkshire and Humberside – West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Humberside and North Yorkshire

In September 2010 Isle of Wight Councillors voted at a Full Council Meeting for an ‘in principle’ decision to move the Isle of Wight Fire Control Centre to Reigate, Surrey (Surrey Fire and Rescue Service), with a delegated decision.

A ‘Full Business Case’ is currently being compiled, which it is currently understood is due to go before Cllr Barry Abrahams, who will then make the delegated decision in February 2011.

Save Isle of Wight Fire Control Campaign website: http://www.firewontwait.com

Ministerial Statement and CFOA Press Release – both of 20 December 2010:

Ministerial Statement FiReControl – FINAL 20 December 2010 as PDF

CFOA Press Release 101220 FireControl Scrapped as PDF