County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Authority (DDFRA) in the UK has signed a contract with Airwave, the UK TETRA network provider, for the provision of an integrated communication and mobilization solution. Airwave will work with APD and 3tc Software to deliver the control room solution. The duration of the contract is three years and is valued at an estimated £2 million.

The project delivery and system integration will be managed by Airwave, who will act as a single point of contact for all support, maintenance and future development activities. This will reduce the operational overhead for DDFRA. The Airwave network enabled Integrated Communications Control System (ICCS) will be provided by APD. The Cortex ICCS will provide capabilities to integrate radio dispatch and telephone call handling, into a single touchscreen interface. 3tc Software will provide the Guardian Command mobilizing system software which is an end-to-end command and control package that offers incident, resource and performance management.

Susan Johnson OBE, County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service chief executive, said: “The new system will improve the way in which we receive 999 calls and deploy emergency vehicles. It will also ensure that we continue to deliver a first-class service to our communities. By working with Airwave we will be able to provide a highly resilient command and control system that meets current and future requirements while offering value for money to the people of County Durham and Darlington.”