Telecommunications company O2 Airwave Ltd has been chosen as the preferred bidder subject to the satisfactory completion of the final details. The bidding process has been subject to open competition and been run in accordance with EU guidelines.
The Firelink Project was established to procure, deliver and install a single wide area radio system for the FRS. This will play an important part in assuring the delivery of operational priorities, including a response to the effects of a terrorist or other major incidents.
Firelink is not just a replacement system. The planned benefits include:
- built in resilience to system failure to ensure continuity of service;
- improved voice quality;
- encrypted voice and data communication services;
- radio talk groups that can be configured to suit operational needs;
- more available capacity; and
- national roaming where a fire vehicle can remain in contact with a control room wherever it is located across the country.
Jim Fitzpatrick said: "We are investing heavily in the fire and rescue service to ensure that it is able to meet the challenges of the modern world. Today's announcement is a major milestone in achieving this. Events such as the flooding in Boscastle and Carlisle as well as the need to respond to terrorist incidents such as the London bomb attacks in July show just how important this is.
"Firelink will transform the current arrangements and give the service, for the very first time, the same digital radio system across the country - a system that will enable fire fighters to communicate not only between fire and rescue services but also with the other emergency services, regardless of location. We are also creating a framework for the scheme that provides the devolved administrations with an option to extend it to Scotland and Wales in the future.
"We have run a fair and open competition in accordance with EU guidelines and will now roll-out a radio system that best meets the operational requirements of the fire and rescue service and provides value for money to the tax payer. Service representatives from all three nations have been closely involved in developing the performance specification of the project as well as the evaluation of the proposals."
Bernie Cahill, Chief Fire Officers Association representative said: "The announcement of contract award for Firelink marks a significant milestone in the progress of the project. The Fire and Rescue Service has worked closely with the project team on the development of the Firelink requirement as well as the evaluation of proposals. Through this close collaboration, I am confident that the project will deliver a solution that best meets our user needs and greatly improves interoperability with our colleagues in the other emergency services."
The new radio system will be rolled out from 2006 and in England will be coordinated with the establishment of regional fire control centres.
History of the procurement process
- Notice in the Official Journal of the European Communities October 2002
- Invitation to submit proposals issued July 2003, received 31 October 2003
- Negotiations started February 2004
- Best and final offers received 15 April 2005
- Revised final offers received 31 August 2005
- Contract award November 2005
- Complete roll-out in 2009
The events surrounding the attack on the World Trade Centre brought the issue of radio systems for the fire and rescue services (FRS) in this country into sharp focus and fundamentally changed the operational environment of all emergency services. It became necessary to re-evaluate the requirement for radio interoperability in relation to the emergency services.
Quelle: Publictechnology, 15.11.2005
