Suffolk Fire and Rescue to bring control room back to county
They've decided to stop sharing a control centre with the fire service in Cambridgeshire
Last updated 15th Jun 2023
Suffolk's Fire and Rescue Service has announced plans to bring its control room back to the county.
Since 2011, the service has shared a centre with crews in Cambridgeshire located at Huntingdon as part of a bid to save money.
However delays in installing a new IT system have led to a decision to bring the facility back to Suffolk by the end of next year.
Councillors are due to vote on the proposal in September.
Councillor Andrew Reid, of Suffolk County Council, said:
“We have enjoyed a successful partnership with Cambridgeshire and it served as a national example of how well sharing resources across counties could work.
“It is time, however, to bring fire control back into our county and under direct Suffolk leadership.
“We are committed to delivering the most effective and efficient services to our residents, and in this case it is essential that we strive to find and develop a solution which is robust, sustainable and works for Suffolk.”
A new, Suffolk-based control room, with its own market tried and tested fire engine mobilisation software, will mean modernised IT systems and improved public and firefighter safety in Suffolk.
Jon Lacey, Chief Fire Officer at Suffolk Fire and Rescue, said:
“Following detailed talks with Cambridgeshire the decision has been made to bring fire control back into Suffolk. This decision has not been taken lightly and will take time to implement, however, we are confident it is achievable and the right way forward.
“Clearly a lot of time has gone into our collaborative work to date, so I would like to thank the teams for doing everything they could to make this work.
“Communities in Suffolk will not be impacted by this decision. We remain committed to providing excellent prevention, protection, and response to our residents.”