Tri-service emergency control room goes live for Surrey, West and East Sussex

Author: Grace McGachyPublished 20th Nov 2021

A tri-service emergency control room for Surrey, West and East Sussex Fire and Rescue Services has gone live this week.

Surrey’s control room originally started taking calls for West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service (WSFRS) in December 2019.

Surrey County Council say teams have been working on aligning the services, ensuring capability and localised knowledge training for several months.

A high-tech secondary control room has been completed at SFRS new Headquarters in Reigate as well as upgrades to the primary control room.

Steve Owen-Hughes, Chief Fire Officer of SFRS, said:

“We’re delighted to be hosting call taking and mobilising for East Sussex now as well as Surrey and West Sussex.

"The heightened partnership working paired with our tremendous people and new ways of working will increase resilience and staff numbers as well as better value for money – thus benefiting all three services and residents.

“Our mobilising control system is state of the art, tried and tested and has the capacity to take a high volume of emergency calls.

“I want to take this opportunity to really thank all colleagues and partners for their dedication and hard work to see this project through and make it a success.”