Calcot chosen for new Thames Valley fire HQ

It was announced last week that Calcot was being proposed as the place to house the new joint control centre for Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) and Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service's (OFRS).
And at a meeting of Oxfordshire County Council Cabinet and Royal Berkshire Fire Authority on Tuesday (17) evening, the plans for the Thames Valley Fire Control Service (TVFCS) were given the go-ahead.
The new control, due to go live in April 2014, will be a purpose-built building, including improved security measures.
It will replace the existing systems with up-to-date risk information and technology, which will include new systems to enable control operators to identify the exact geographic location of an incident more quickly and pinpoint the precise position of each fire appliance, which will improve emergency response times.
The new system will allow the nearest available fire appliance to be used - irrespective of the fire and rescue service area.
The TVFCS project is expected to save £659,000 per year between the two fire and rescue services, with £229,000 per year of this being reinvested in equipment maintenance and future replacement costs.
Over the 15-year life of the agreement it is estimated it will save about £10m.
A non-staffed secondary control room will also be maintained, at OFRS’ current facility in Kidlington.
RBFRS and OFRS currently employ 52 control staff between them but in future it is anticipated that approximately 30 staff will be needed in the TVFCS.
RBFRS chief fire officer, Iain Cox, said: “Individual control rooms have become increasingly unsustainable due to falling incident numbers, reflecting our success in fire prevention.
"I am delighted that the decision has been made to move forward with the TVFCS and I am confident that it will provide an improved, more resilient and cost-effective service for the people of Berkshire and Oxfordshire.
“However, I am acutely aware of the impact that this news will have on both RBFRS and OFRS control staff, who have already experienced a lengthy period of uncertainty while the national fire control project was underway.
"My colleagues in Oxfordshire and I are committed to supporting our staff through this process and will do everything we can to make the transition to the TVFCS as smooth as possible.”