People across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire will soon be served by a new, world-class 999 fire call mobilising system, following the appointment of Saab UK by the counties’ fire and rescue services.
Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service and Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service have signed a contract with Saab UK as a joint venture, making it the latest collaborative project between both organisations. The contract, which is for an initial five-year period with options to extend further, was awarded following a robust procurement process.
The new system is expected to be in place by October 2025, replacing the current system which was part of a tri-service agreement with Leicestershire Fire & Rescue Service dating back to 2015.
Derbyshire’s Chief Fire Officer / Chief Executive Gavin Tomlinson said: “The aim throughout the project has been to identify and secure a resilient, and effective 999 emergency mobilising system to meet the demands of our joint fire control room operators, incident commanders, and firefighters so that we can continue to make the communities of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire safer.
“By working with our colleagues and long-term collaborative partners from Nottinghamshire, we have been able to secure a contract that is financially advantageous, and a 999-call handling and mobilising system that uses the latest technology.
“It has taken a huge effort to get us to the point of awarding the contract to Saab UK, and while I look forward to developing our working relationship with their team, I would like to extend my thanks to our joint project team who have worked diligently to ensure we have the right technology and the right 999 mobilising system to serve the people of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.”
Speaking on the new system, Nottinghamshire’s Chief Fire Officer, Craig Parkin, said: “Our purpose as a service is to create safer communities, and investing in this new mobilising system sees us embracing new technology for the benefit of Nottinghamshire as a whole.
“I’m excited for us to build a positive working relationship with Saab UK and to see the benefits that this new system will bring about for our communities, our firefighters, and the control room staff who use it.
“This is also a recommitment to our long-standing relationship with a neighbouring fire service, who we have worked extremely closely with for many years – again with the intention of providing a first-class 999 response service.”
Collectively, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire’s fire services cover over 1,830 square miles, protecting 2.2 million residents. Firefighters from the 55 stations spread across both counties are mobilised to incidents by a joint control centre, based in Derbyshire.
Dean Rosenfield, Group Managing Director of Saab UK, said: “By selecting SAFE, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Services have invested in a feature-rich solution that will directly benefit local communities. The success here further establishes SAFE’s position in a competitive market and our expanding fire service offer.”