Q. When the Regional Control Centres go live, will I see any difference when I make a 999 call?
A. No. Your 999 call will still be put through to fire control operators who will take the details swiftly and send out fire appliances whenever necessary.
Q. Will I ever get an engaged tone when I phone 999?
A. If a major incident provokes a huge number of calls, the control centres will work together to make sure all calls are answered quickly. BT and Cable and Wireless are able to hold calls and put them through as soon as an operator is available.
Q. Will I have to wait for my 999 call to be answered if all the call takers in the RCC are busy?
A. It’s expected that 95 percent of calls will be answered in five seconds – these standards have been set by the Minister for Fire and Resilience. If all control room operators in the North East RCC are busy taking calls, the call will be diverted to the next available control room operator, regardless of location.
Q. Has the equipment been tested?
A. Yes. It’s not new technology – it’s actually the best tried-and-tested technology there is. However, it has not been networked together before, so further rigorous testing and training will take place before the centre goes live. The existing control rooms around the region will not cutover until their Chief Fire Officers are completely satisfied that the RCC can take their calls.
Q. Why is there such a high level of security on site?
A. The building is part of the Critical National Infrastructure (CNI), so it has been constructed with a high level of security. There will be restricted access to certain areas of the building because sensitive equipment and information are held there.
Q. Won’t a regional centre mean local knowledge is lost?
A. No. The systems in the control room will be supported by caller identification systems that show the location of the caller and pinpoint it on the mapping system.
This will help the control room operator can identify the incident location. Don’t forget, too, that the firefighters on the ground will keep the same local knowledge they have always had. In London, what is effectively a regional control centre has been operating successfully for 18 years, and we are taking advantage of things that work well there.
Q. Will there be fire appliances based at the site in Durham?
A. No. Although the RCC will be used for handling calls and mobilising fire appliances, these will not be based at the site.
Q. How much will regional control cost me as a tax payer?
A. The Government’s Communities and Local Government (CLG) department has committed New Burdens Funding to support the Fire and Rescue Services’ transition into the RCC, and it's only once the calls are transferred to the RCC that the associated costs will be met by the Fire and Rescue Services. In addition, CLG have undertaken to cover any net additional costs falling on an FRS under a New Burdens principles resilience payment. This will be in place for at least the first three years of operation, and will be reviewed after that. The North East’s elected members have committed to ensure that the RCC costs local tax payers no more than the current local control rooms cost.
Q. How has the delay in going live affected the project costs and savings?
A. CLG believes the financial implications of the reschedule are relatively small. It is currently assumed that the project will complete five months later than planned. CLG will, therefore, need to cover projects costs for this extended period.
Q. Will the relationship with other emergency services change?
A. We don’t see why they should. Relationships are excellent on the ground and between respective control rooms and the RCC will not compromise this.
Q. Is the building standing empty?
A. No. The RCC houses staff from both the North East Fire Control Company and the Regional FiReControl Project team and is extensively used for meetings by both internal and external groups. Training for all the control room staff will be taking place there over a number of months.