The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has signed a seven-year contract with Motorola solutions to enable a cloud-hosted Control Room Solution to digitally transform their operations.

The £29.5 million contract with Motorola will provide a single, cloud-based solution to mobilise firefighters to emergencies following a 999 call.

The technology is set to deliver an enhanced day-to-day and major incident response capability, replacing the ageing systems currently used by the SFRS’s three operations control rooms in Johnstone, Edinburgh, and Dundee.

Last year, the Service attended around 80,000 incidents – each requiring one or more 999 calls.

Statistics revealed by the Service last week show that the number of house fires in Scotland was at its lowest since records began – with firefighters responding to 3,800 accidental dwelling fires.

However, the number of non-fire incidents such as flooding and road traffic collisions, was at 16,000 – the second highest on record.

The new system is set to allow SFRS Operations Control staff to deal with day-to-day incidents effectively and efficiently.

The initial contract period will be seven years with the option for a three-year extension.

“Our 180 Operations Control staff across Scotland are the unseen frontline of the service, working together they play a critical role in the safety of Scotland’s communities,” Andy Watt, the SFRS’s deputy chief officer said.

“Operations Control rooms by their very nature and existence, are fundamental elements in the delivery of SFRS core services and are a key component in ensuring we keep the communities of Scotland safe.

“A settled future platform is essential in enabling us to do that, this cutting-edge technology will further enhance our capability by delivering a whole new level of day-to-day flexibility and resilience, providing SFRS with a single, stable and interoperable system across our three Operations Control rooms.”

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The SRFS will now work closely with Motorola Solutions on the delivery of the new mobilising system.

It is the latest investment from the Service which included the re-opening of Dingwall Community Fire Station last month following a £4.6m renovation.

“We are proud to support the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service teams that operate in complex and fast-moving environments where every second counts,” Fergus Mayne, country manager for UK&I at Motorola Solutions.

“Our advanced control room technology helps to synthesise vital information and simplify workflows, allowing emergency services to quickly and efficiently respond to 999 calls from their communities.”