Fire Service Manual Volume 1. Fire Service Technology, Equipment and Media (1998) - part 1

 

  Index      Manuals     Fire Service Manual Volume 1. Fire Service Technology, Equipment and Media (1998)

 

Search            copyright infringement  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Content      ..      1       2         ..

 

 

 

Fire Service Manual Volume 1. Fire Service Technology, Equipment and Media (1998) - part 1

 

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Issued under the authority of the Home Office
(Fire and Emergency Planning Directorate)
Volume 1
Fire Service Technology,
Equipment and Media
Communications
and
Mobilising
HM Fire Service Inspectorate Publications Section
London: The Stationery Office

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Communications
and Mobilising
Preface
The first edition Part
5 of the Manual of
which may be available in the future. This book is
Firemanship dealing with the subject of communi-
written in non-technical terms and aimed primari-
cations was issued in
1954. It concluded "Fire
ly at covering the operational and functional com-
Service communications are intimately related to
munications requirements of the professional fire-
an intricate field of electrical engineering, which
fighter. This, by necessity, encompasses all the
includes telecommunications both by landline and
communicating elements from that of "the origi-
wireless, which is in turn only a small part of the
nating caller to the incident's conclusion" via the
territory covered by electrical science".
brigade Control, station call-out and Incident
Command structures. The text, diagrams and sym-
The passage of time and advances in technology
bols used, whilst not necessarily conforming to
have changed every concept of fire service com-
those in other technical publications, have been
munications from those identified by the writers
modified as appropriate to assist the reader. Those
within the first edition of Part 5. The basic fire ser-
who require further technical detail must refer to
vices' communications requirements have, howev-
other publications and technical sources which
er, remained unchanged and are identified in the
specialise in the area concerned.
1947 Fire Services Act. This is still as relevant
today as it was when first mandated to fire author-
It is anticipated that this book will be invaluable to
ities in
1947, to "secure efficient arrangements for
brigade Communications Officers and all person-
dealing with calls for the assistance of the fire
nel who are or become intimately involved in the
brigade in case of fire and for summoning mem-
planning, procurement, implementation and opera-
bers".
tion of mobilising systems, communications sys-
tems, radio and fixed and mobile communications.
To ensure that fire services' communications effi-
As in Book 10 of the Manual of Firemanship, a
ciency is maintained to the highest level requires
great deal of emphasis has been placed upon plan-
the introduction of modern technology systems,
ning principles, and the importance of clearly iden-
coupled with frequent reviews to brigades' prac-
tifying both the operational requirements and the
tises and procedures. Changes in equipment and
constraints associated with procurement processes.
procedures become inevitable, because either
New technology solutions can be both implement-
equipment becomes obsolete, or technical main-
ed and beneficial if, as a result of a due planning
tenance support is exhausted or overly expensive.
process, they address and meet the needs and cri-
New equipment often has advantages over what it
teria of 'the user'. New technology should not,
replaces, in that it generally incorporates more
however, be seen as the driving force and the rea-
functionality and flexibility, thus affording
son to change for changes sake. This is especially
greater opportunities for changes in procedures
so in areas where an overall simpler solution could
and practises.
be adopted instead.
It is an impossible task to bring the reader fully up-
It is hoped that the information and advice con-
to-date with the technology that is both available
tained within this book will help to ensure that the
and continually evolving, or indeed to indicate that
Fire Services' Communications and associated
Communications and Mobilising
iii

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

systems will at least maintain and ideally improve
their present standards of efficiency and reliability.
The Home Office is greatly indebted to all those
who have contributed and assisted (by providing
material and information) in the preparation of the
edition.
This book replaces the Manual of Firemanship
Book
10 Fire Brigade Communications and
Mobilising.
Home Office
June 1998
iv

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Communications
and Mobilising
Contents
Preface
Hi
Chapter 1 Regulatory issues
1
1.1
H.M. Government
2
1.2
OFTEL
2
1.3
Radio Frequency Management
3
1.4
Home Office Communications Advisory Panel (HOCAP)
8
Chapter 2 Fire Control Centres
11
2.1
Basic Call Handling Procedures
11
2.2
Control Centre Staffing Levels
15
Chapter 3 A brief history of the 'Fire Control Centre'
17
Chapter 4 The 999/112 emergency service
23
4.1
BT
23
4.1.1
The British Telecom fixed telephone system
23
4.1.2
Operator call-handling procedures
24
4.1.3
Mismatches between EA and Fixed Network Operator Boundaries
26
4.1.4
Provision of ex-directory information
26
4.1.5
Access to tape recordings of Emergency Calls
26
4.1.6
Calling Line Identity (CLI)
27
4.1.7
Network Resilience
28
4.1.8
Priority Fault Repair Service
28
4.1.9
BT National Emergency Linkline
28
4.1.10
Government Telephone Preference Scheme
29
4.1.11
Secondary Control
30
4.1.12
Publicity/Public Education
30
4.2
Cable & Wireless 999 service
30
4.2.1
Operator call-handling procedure
31
4.2.2
Enquiries and requests from emergency services
32
4.3
Kingston Communications
32
4.4
Telephone Number Portability
33
4.5
Emergency Text Telephone Service for the deaf
33
4.6
Emergency calls from the Railway Industry Network
34
4.6.1
Paypnones
35
4.7
Cellular communications
35
4.8
Cellular 999 services
35
4.8.1
Name and Address Information of Mobile Callers
36
4.8.2
Release of Subscriber information
36
4.8.3
System Description - ORANGE
37
V

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4.8.4
Cell/EA Boundaries
37
4.8.5
Routing 999/112 Calls to EACCs
37
4.8.6
Cell ID Look-Up Failure
38
4.8.7
EACC Connect-to Numbers
38
4.8.8
Misrouted Calls
38
4.9
The satellite telephone
39
4.10
Public Warning and Information by Telephone (PWIT)
39
4.10.1
How the proposed BT 'PWIT' system would work
40
Chapter 5 Control Centre equipment
43
5.1
Control Centre Design
44
5.2
Communications
44
5.2.1
Administrative Communications
44
5.2.2
Safeguards for Emergency Communications
44
5.2.3
Provision of Suitable Circuits
45
5.2.4
Alternative Routing of Cables
45
5.2.5
Monitoring of Remote Circuits
45
5.2.6
Exchange Telephone Lines
46
5.2.7
Operational Lines
46
5.2.8
Line Concentrator Units and Digital Switches
46
5.2.9
Automatic Call Distribution
48
5.3
Computerising Mobilising System
48
5.3.1
Mobilising System Functions
48
5.4
Ancillary Control Facilities
51
5.4.1
Voice Recorders
51
5.4.2
Availability and Fire Situation Display
52
5.4.3
The Gazetteer
52
53
5.4.4
Maps
53
5.4.5
Automatic Fire Alarm (AFA) Terminations
54
5.4.6
Secondary Control Facilities
54
5.4.7
Control Centre Software
54
5.5
Equipment at Fire Stations
54
5.5.1
Mobilising Computer
54
5.5.2
Printers
54
5.5.3
Alerter Base Station
54
5.5.4
Public Address System
55
5.5.5
Turnout Lighting
55
5.5.6
Alternative Power Supply
55
5.5.7
Exhaust Extraction Systems
55
5.5.8
Control of Traffic Signals
56
5.5.9
Automatic Appliance Room Door
56
5.5.10
Running Call Facilities
56
5.5.11
Enquiry Bell
56
5.5.12
Other Ancillary Equipment
Chapter 6 Automatic Fire Alarm Transmission
Systems
57
6.1
Transmission Methods and Reliability Issues
57
6.2
Social and Community Alarms Centres
60
vi

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 7 Automatic Vehicle Location Systems
63
7.1
AVLS Technology
64
7.2
Potential Benefits of AVLS to the Fire Service
66
7.3
AVLS System Implementation
66
7.4
Operational Considerations
67
7.5
Implementation Costs
67
7.6
Conclusions
68
Chapter 8 Smart and Swipe Cards
69
Chapter 9 CCTV in the Fire Service
71
Chapter 10 Radio
75
10.1
Frequency Spectrum characteristics, selection and allocation
75
10.1.1
The Frequency Spectrum
75
10.1.2
Characteristics of the different Frequency Bands
77
10.1.3
Frequency Selection and Allocation
78
10.1.4
Channel Spacing
79
10.2
Radio Scheme Engineering
79
10.2.1
Modulation methods
79
10.2.2
Talk-through
81
10.2.3
Wide Area Coverage
82
10.2.4
The Spaced Carrier System
82
10.2.5
The 'Quasi-Synchronous' or 'Common Frequency' System
82
10.2.6
Scheme Engineering
83
10.2.7
Links
83
10.2.8
Frequencies
84
10.2.9
Equipment
85
10.2.10
Fixed Mobiles
86
10.2.11
Main Control
86
10.2.12
Transportable Equipment
87
10.2.13
Power Supply Arrangements
87
10.2.14
Microwave
87
10.2.15
Multiplexing
88
10.3
Mobile, Transportable and Personal Radio Equipment
89
10.3.1
Conventions
89
10.3.2
Mobile Equipment
89
10.3.3
The Aerial
90
10.3.4
Channel Selection
90
10.3.5
Squelch
90
10.3.6
Transmission Timer
90
10.3.7
Power Supplies
91
10.3.8
Fixed Mobile Version
91
10.3.9
Special Features
91
10.3.10
Transportable Equipment
92
10.3.11
Personal Equipment
93
10.3.12
Methods of using Personal Radios
93
10.3.13
Composite Units
95
10.3.14
Personal Hand-Held Radio Sets
96
10.3.15
Intrinsically Safe Personal Radios
96
vii

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

10.3.16 B.A. Radio Communications Interfaces
96
10.3.17 Disadvantages of use of radio with B.A.
96
10.3.18 User Discipline
96
10.3.19 Security
97
10.3.20 Care of Hand-Held Radio Equipment
97
10.4
Trunked mobile radio systems
98
Chapter 11 Radio Alerting System
99
11.1
Alerter - General Description
99
11.2
Encoder
100
11.3
Transmitter
101
11.4
Alerters
101
Chapter 12 Mobile Data
103
12.1
What is Data?
103
12.2
History
103
12.3
Current Technology
104
12.4
Radio Communications
104
12.5
Data on Vehicles
105
12.6
Typical Data Requirements
106
12.7
Mobile Control Units
108
Chapter 13 Breathing Apparatus Telemetry
109
Chapter 14 Sub-surface communications
113
Chapter 15 Potential hazards of using radio equipment
115
15.1
Explosion Protection - Standards
115
15.2
Ignition Sources
116
15.3
Protective Measures
116
15.4
Intrinsically Safe Design Criteria
117
15.5
Selection of Explosion Protected Equipment
117
15.6
Radio Use in the Vicinity of Explosives, etc.
118
15.7
Radio Use in the Vicinity of Retail Petrol Stations, etc.
118
15.8.
Radio Use in the Vicinity of Air Bags
118
15.9
Radio Use in the Vicinity of Medical Devices
118
15.10 Radio Use within Silos
119
Glossary of terms and abbreviations
121
Appendix 1: Control Staff- Training, Competence and Promotion
127
Fire Service College Courses
128
Brigade Based Initial Recruit Training
129
Appointment and Promotion of Control Personnel
131
Standards of Competence
132
Appendix 2: List of relevant DCOLs/DFMs (in Scotland) and FSCs
134
Acknowledgements
135
viii Fire Service Manual

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Communications
and Mobilising
Chapter 1 - Regulatory issues
1.1 H. M. Government
HM Chief Inspectors provide reports to the rele-
vant Secretary of State.
Members of Her Majesty's Government responsi-
ble for the fire service are:
Fire Service Funding
Secretary of State for the Home Department.
In England and Wales, fire services are provided
(England and Wales);
either by County Councils or Combined Fire
Authorities in the shire, and by joint Fire and Civil
Secretary of State for Scotland; and
Defence Authorities in London and the former
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
metropolitan counties.
Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State
Some funding is provided from central govern-
(Fire and Emergency Planning, Prisons, etc.)
ment as part of a composite revenue support grant
Director Fire and Emergency Planning
made to local authorities, the remaining cost is col-
lected through the revenue support mechanism of
Her Majesty's Chief Inspectors of Fire Services
the council tax. The Fire Service, unlike the Police
Service, receives no specific grant from central
Central Government Responsibility for
government.
the Fire Service
While Fire Authorities have statutory responsibili-
The money distributed for the fire service
ty for the provision of fire cover and exercise day-
(Standard Spending Assessments) is not ring-
to-day control over activities of their fire brigades,
fenced within the total amount available to the
the Home Secretary has a central responsibility
local shire authorities
(Total Standard Spending)
for the efficiency of the fire service and is answer-
and the shire fire brigade has to compete with
able to Parliament on fire policy. Assistance is
other local authority services for its resources. The
given to Fire authorities by the Home Office in
FCDAs have no other sources of funding. The
establishing standards and the provision of techni-
Combined Fire Authority
(CFA) is financed by
cal guidance.
contributions from its constituent authorities, who
are required to meet their proportionate share of
In England and Wales, the Home Office Fire and
such expenditure.
Emergency Planning Directorate advises the
Home Secretary on fire matters including the oper-
Capital expenditure by fire authorities may be
ational efficiency of the fire service and the
funded from borrowing, capital receipts
(subject
enforcement of fire safety legislation. Fire
to certain rules), or from revenue expenditure.
Brigades are inspected by HM Fire Service
The Home Office sanctions borrowing for fire
Inspectorate. The Inspectorate also provides the
capital expenditure generally through the alloca-
technical resource for compilation of codes of
tion of Basic Credit Approvals
(BCAs) and
practice and guides, to legislation for the benefit of
Supplementary Credit Approvals
(SCAs) for
Fire Brigades.
specific purposes.
CommunicationsandMobilising
1

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Central Fire Brigades Advisory
organisations with an interest in the 999 service.
Council
These include HM Fire Service Inspectorate, The
Scottish Office, OFTEL and the Department of
In England and Wales, except on discipline and
Trade and Industry.
conditions of service matters, the Home Secretary
is advised in the discharge of his/her responsibili-
The Committee, which meets twice a year under
ty for fire by the Central Fire Brigades Advisory
the chairmanship of the Home Office, discusses
Council (CFBAC). This council was set up under
issues and matters arising from the provision of the
Section 29 of the Fire Services Act
1947 and is
999 public emergency call service. The Committee
normally chaired by a Home Office minister and
encourages liaison between the EAs and PTOs at a
includes representatives of the local authorities,
more local level and considers what mechanism
the fire service and other interested organisations.
might be introduced to resolve disputes between
A similar council advises the Secretary of State for
the EAs and PTOs. It has also introduced Codes of
Scotland.
Practice and Memorandums of Understanding,
covering such issues as methods of handling 999
The CFBAC is in turn advised by a number of
emergency calls on the fixed and mobile telephone
standing committees, and ad hoc committees are
networks.
also established from time to time to consider or
review particular policies. By agreement between
The 999 Liaison Committee was responsible for
the Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for
producing the 'Strategic Framework for
Scotland, these standing committees are joint com-
Combating Malicious Hoax 999 Calls' issued as
mittees which advise both the Council for England
DCOL 9/96 (in Scotland as DFM 8/1996).
and Wales and the Council for Scotland.
Any problems which need to be resolved are pro-
The Chairman of the Central Fire Brigades
gressed through a spirit of co-operation and good-
Advisory Council is usually the Parliamentary
will between the relevant parties; the 999 Liaison
Under Secretary of State with specific responsibil-
Committee has no statutory powers or authority.
ity for fire service matters.
The Joint Strategy Committee on Operational
The subject matter in this section of the manual is
Practices and Technology receives regular
dealt with by the Joint Strategy Committee on
update reports from the
999 Liaison
Operational Practices and Technology.
Committee.
Fire Service communication issues are also discussed
1.2 OFTEL
within the Chief and Assistant Chief Fire Officers'
Association (CACFOA) committee structure.
The Office of Fair Trading for Telecommuni-
cations, OFTEL, is the regulator - or 'watchdog' -
Communications and Computing Policy
for the UK telecommunications industry. It is
Committee (C&CPC) - at Chief Officer level.
headed by the Director General of Telecommuni-
cations. The Director General is appointed by the
District Communications Working Parties -
Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and the
at Control and Communication Officer level.
appointment usually runs for five years.
Home Office 999 Liaison Committee
OFTEL was set up under the Telecommunications
Act
1984. OFTEL regulates through monitoring
The Home Office organises and supports meetings
and enforcing the conditions in all telecommunica-
of the
999 Liaison Committee, a forum which
tions licences in the UK, and initiates modifica-
brings together representatives of the Emergency
tions to these licence conditions.
Authorities (EAs) - (Police, Fire, Ambulance and
Coastguard), the Public Telecommunication
All telecommunications operators - such as BT,
Operators
(PTOs)
(fixed and mobile) and other
Cable & Wireless (formerly Mercury), local cable
2

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

companies, mobile network operators and the
numbering scheme in the UK and allocates blocks
increasing number of new operators - must have
of telephone numbers to operators. A separate
an operating licence. These set out what the oper-
Numbering Administration Unit within OFTEL
ators can - or must - do or not do.
deals with this.
Under the Telecommunications Act 1984, OFTEL
OFTEL monitors developments overseas.
has a number of functions.
Nowadays UK operators are international busi-
nesses and so are their major customers. OFTEL
These include:
takes a global view and ensures that UK policies
and decisions reflect international develop-
ensuring that licensees comply with their
ments, they are also closely involved with
licence conditions;
telecommunications developments in the
European Union.
advising the Secretary of State for Trade and
Industry on telecommunications matters and
OFTEL is a non-ministerial government depart-
the granting of new licences;
ment, and is, therefore, independent of ministerial
control.
obtaining information and arranging for pub-
lication where this would help users; and
Each year the Director General is required to submit
an Annual Report on the department's activities and
considering complaints and enquiries made
those of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission
about telecommunications services or appa-
(MMC) in the telecommunications area, to the
ratus.
Secretary of State. This is laid before Parliament.
Under the Act, the Director General has a duty to
Funding is provided by Parliament, but the cost is
carry out these functions, some of these duties
offset almost entirely by the licence fees paid in by
include:
the operators.
ensuring that telecommunications services
OFTEL staff are Civil Servants, and experts from
are provided in the UK to meet all reasonable
consumer, business and industrial backgrounds.
demands for them (this includes emergency
The Director General also has six Advisory
services, public call boxes, directory informa-
Committees to advise him on telecommunications
tion services and services in rural areas);
matters. The only one of these committees that has
a direct relevance to the Fire Service is the
promoting the interests of consumers;
Advisory Committee on Telecommunications for
Elderly and Disabled People (DIEL).
ensuring that those providing services are
doing so efficiently; and
One OFTEL proposal was the introduction of a BT
'Lifeline' service. This service which gives provi-
promoting research and development.
sion for 999/112 calls also allows incoming calls
for a few pence a month. A change to the discon-
The Director General has extensive powers under
nection policy may include barring of outgoing
the Telecommunications Act, particularly when
calls as an alternative to disconnection, emergency
enforcing or modifying licence conditions. He can
calls could still be made.
direct licence holders to comply with a certain
condition - or conditions - in their licences. If they
1.3 Radio Frequency Management
continue to breach the same condition/s the
Director General can make orders which are
'Frequency' management in the United Kingdom
enforceable through civil action.
is an inter-departmental function of central gov-
ernment accountable to a cabinet committee. Two
OFTEL is also responsible for administering the
sub groups and a small secretariat are responsible
Communications and Mobilising
3

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

for the general radio frequency planning and
seeking to ensure that all United Kingdom
assignment procedures on behalf of this commit-
users, manufacturers and installers of radio
tee.
equipment comply with the relevant
European Union measures and with the rele-
The Frequency Planning Group is formed from
vant provisions of international agreements to
representatives of all government departments and
which the United Kingdom is a party;
agencies involved with frequency management. It
examines proposals from departments to ensure
developing policy for, and planning and reg-
that applications are compliant with the terms and
ulating use of the radio frequency spectrum,
conditions set out in the International Radio
the geostationary orbit and other orbits of
Regulations (IRR) and are consistent with effec-
telecommunications satellites by all non-
tive use of the available spectrum. From time to
government users of radio equipment in the
time it may agree to assign a service or application
United Kingdom except where otherwise
outside the terms defined in the IRR. In such cases
agreed; and
the group must be satisfied that no harmful inter-
ference will result to services operating in accor-
monitoring the radio frequency spectrum as
dance with the Radio Regulation Tables.
an aid to its management, enforcement, and
ensuring freedom from harmful interference.
The Assignment Panel is broader based and
includes representatives from Industry as well as
Radio Investigation Service
government departments and agencies. The panel
examines all proposals to use shared radio bands.
The Radio Investigation Service
(RIS) is the
Its primary responsibility is to ensure that no
enforcement arm of the Radiocommunications
harmful interference results from the shared use of
Agency. Its aim is to ensure that authorised radio
radio bands or to the dedicated bands which are
users can operate without undue interference. This
allocated to various services/applications.
is achieved by ensuring that licensed users adhere
to the conditions under which they are authorised
Radiocommunications Agency
to operate and, if necessary, by taking legal
enforcement action against those who operate
The Radiocommunications Agency
(RA) was
radio equipment without regard to other authorised
established as an executive agency of the
users.
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on 2nd
April
1990. Previously the RA operated as DTI's
The RIS has several roles:
Radiocommunications Division.
resolution of interference problems;
The Agency is responsible for most civil radio
matters, other than those of telecommunications
inspection of installations at customer's
policy, broadcasting policy and the radio equip-
premises; and
ment market. The main activities are:
help and advise with radio problems and offer
licensing the use of radio equipment under
a paid diagnostic service to commercial and
the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949;
domestic radio users.
investigating interference and enforcing the
The RIS inspects all Police and Fire Service radio
relevant legislation;
installations as part of their work. This is to ensure
compliance with the conditions of the radio
representing United Kingdom interests in
licence. The RIS has indicated that it will contact
international meetings on radio spectrum
users beforehand to arrange a convenient date and
management matters;
time for the inspection.
4

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Role of the Home Office in Frequency
ence between systems, it is essential that all radio
Regulations and Management
equipment meets minimum standards of perfor-
mance. Type approval is a procedure which
The Home Office (Scottish Office in Scotland)
involves checking the technical characteristics of
participates in national frequency management in
new equipment, or modifications to existing
the United Kingdom, and is accountable to the
equipment, to ensure that the design meets these
Cabinet Office. These departments also provide
standards and is acceptable for licensing. Type
representation through the RA in international fre-
approval is only intended to provide a means of
quency management fora.
examining an equipment's potential for causing or
suffering radio interference. It is not an endorse-
The maintenance of inter-operability between indi-
ment or recommendation of a particular device for
vidual users is a major operational requirement of
operational use.
both the Police and the Fire Service. This has a sig-
nificant influence on radio scheme engineering
If transmissions other than those of the
and spectrum planning. Where an individual force
required frequency (Spurious transmissions) are
or brigade propose changes to their radio schemes
radiated by transmitters, then this is likely to
that are likely to affect the level of current inter-
cause interference to other radio receivers.
operability, the department takes advice from
national user representatives before granting the
For civil radio spectrum users, these performance
necessary assignments.
standards are published in a series of specifications
issued by the RA. Similarly, equipment used in
Policy and Regulation
Home Office bands must also meet certain stan-
dards to satisfy the conditions of the users' licence.
The Home Office Frequency Management Group
assigns frequencies to its user services to meet
The Home Office sets its own standards of perfor-
specified operational requirements. Wherever pos-
mance for equipment used in its bands. Currently,
sible, this takes account of national and interna-
these are based, where possible, upon the appro-
tional frequency management policies.
priate MPT*, or European Telecommunications
Standard Institute
(ETSI), specification. Where
Home Office policy is promulgated to users in the
there are no relevant specifications. Radio
form of "Radio Frequency Policy Statements".
Frequency and Communications Planning Unit
Separate series of policy statements are prepared
(RFCPU) publishes its own. These set out the car-
for both the Police and for the Fire Service
dinal points to which equipment must comply
before it is considered for licensing. The relevant
These documents, which are classified as
Home Office Radio Frequency Policy Statement
'Confidential' under the Government Protective
should be consulted for advice on the type
Marking Scheme, are sent to all Chief Officers of
approval of equipment to be used in Home Office
Police, and Fire Services, and to certain other
bands.
interested parties such as the Radiocommuni-
cations Agency. The documents form the basis on
Only approved equipment is licensed under cur-
which assignments are licensed and regulated.
rent regulations and users are advised to check the
suitability of any apparatus before making a finan-
Radio Frequency Policy Statements can include
cial commitment. Use of non-approved equipment
operational limitations on the use of channels
contravenes the conditions of the comprehensive
where it is considered necessary to maintain the
radio licence held by each Police force, Fire
efficient use of the radio spectrum.
Brigade or other user of channels in the Home
Office bands. Separate additional approval is
Type Approval
* MPI is an abbreviation for Ministry of Post and
Telecommunications. Although this Ministry no longer
To provide the most efficient use of the available
exists, the RA is still using the initials MPT plus a
radio spectrum, and avoid undue levels of interfer-
number to indicate their specification documents
Communications and Mobilising
5

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

required from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)
Promulgation of policy regarding the use of
for equipment used in aircraft.
the department's band allocations through the
publication of a series of Radio Frequency
Radio call-signs
Policy Statements.
The Home Office RFCPU is responsible for the
Represents Home Office user services on
allocation of call signs to all fire brigade radio
DTI and National committees i.e.. Civil and
schemes. The detailed allocation of identifying
Land Mobile Committee
(CLMRC) and
suffix letters and/or figures to individual units
Microwave Fixed Links Committee (MFLC).
(mobiles, etc.,) is arranged locally. The call signs
for all police and fire brigade radio schemes start
Technical assessment of applications to share
with 'M2' followed by two letters which identify
Police and Fire Service hilltop and other
the particular radio scheme, e.g., M2FH. The use
sites, to determine the potential risk of inter-
of call signs, and radio operating procedures gen-
erally, are dealt with in the Fire Service Training
Manual. The basic call sign of a fire brigade is
Assist Home Office user services with inter-
shown on the brigade radio licence.
ference problems.
Home Office Frequency Management
The Police and Fire Comprehensive
Group
Radio Licence
The Home Office Frequency Management Group
In accordance with the Wireless Telegraphy Act
(HOFMG) is part of the Radio Frequency and
(1949) all users of radio frequencies must be
Communications Planning Unit
(RFCPU). The
licensed by the Secretary of State. The organisa-
Scottish Office regulates frequencies for
tion responsible for issuing radio licences or
Scotland.
authority to use frequencies is the Radiocommuni-
cations Agency.
The main functions of the Frequency Management
Group are as follows:
The 'Police and Fire Comprehensive Radio
Licence' has been designed to cover all Home
Regulation and management of the frequency
Office managed frequencies assigned to a particu-
bands allocated for Home Office user ser-
lar user. Any assignments that a user holds which
vices in accordance with national and inter-
are in civil bands will need to be licensed sepa-
national policies.
rately. The only exception is 'Citizen Band' (CB)
channels which are covered by the Police and Fire
Assignment of frequencies to meet specific
Licence.
user requirements in the Home Office bands
at HF, VHF, UHF and SHF.
For the fire service the licensee referred to in the
licence document is normally the Chief Fire
Preparation and maintenance of licence
Officer. Under the terms of the licence, the
schedules for Home Office user services and
licensee shall only use the Fixed Stations and
maintenance of a database of all assignments
Mobile Stations to send and receive wireless teleg-
in the Home Office bands.
raphy relevant to the operation of the fire services.
Represents the Home Office and its user ser-
Private Contractor Access to Fire
vices within the national frequency planning
Assignments in the Home Office Bands
forum.
With reference to the relevant Home Office Radio
Provides representation, through the Radio-
Frequency Policy Statement, where private contrac-
communications Agency, at international fre-
tors are responsible for the provision and/or mainte-
quency management forums.
nance of Fire Service radio systems, their staff may
6

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

have access to certain Brigade frequency assign-
page), as well as all mobile and fixed equipment
ments and be required to use these for the purposes
used within each brigade. The detail contained
of test transmissions. The Home Office will autho-
within the schedule relates to the technical parame-
rise the use of such frequencies within the Brigade
ters associated with every base station site used by
area by private contractors, subject to the prior
the brigade and its mobile equipment, and the radio
agreement of the respective Chief Officer. Use of
frequencies the equipment is authorised to use.
Brigade frequencies at service centres remote from
the Brigade area may be permitted conditionally, but
Examples are:
with prior approval from the Home Office Radio
Frequency and Communications Planning Unit.
Transmit power - The maximum transmitted
power is normally that which enables the
Such contractors will be required to hold a Test
user's operational requirement to be met.
and Development (T & D) Licence relevant to
This limits the risk of interference to other
each Brigade to whom they remain responsible. T
users and allows re-use of channels; and
& D licences, which cover the repair and servicing
of radio equipment are issued by the
Height above ground - The height of the aer-
Radiocommunications Agency, and are subject to
ial above ground may have to be limited to
renewal annually on payment of the appropriate
that required to give the required coverage.
fee. During the tendering stage, Brigades should
ensure that private contractors are made aware of
Chief Fire Officers who require additional radio
the requirement for their work to be covered by a
frequencies on any equipment must:
separate T & D licence.
(1) if access to a channel of a neighbouring
Licenses for other frequency bands
brigade is required:
The Police and Fire Comprehensive Radio licence
seek the permission of the relevant Chief Fire
does not authorise use of any frequencies other
Officer, forwarding the approval response to
than those in the Home Office frequency bands. It
RFCPU, for the frequencies and channel to
is, therefore, necessary to apply for a separate
be included on the schedule; and
licence from the Radiocommunications Agency
for each channel. A separate licence fee is
(2) if access to any other Home Office managed
payable for each licence.
channel is required:
Use of Radio Channels in an Emergency
obtain written agreement from RFCPU prior
to implementation.
No automatic right exists for any authority or per-
son(s) to use any frequency not allocated to them.
Local Authority Chief Fire Officers are authorised
However, in specific circumstances, e.g., an emer-
to allow access to VHF and UHF incident channels
gency, or for carrying out tests associated with
(used within their Authorities area) by any mem-
maintenance and repair activity, such authority
ber, of any fire brigade, providing assistance with
may be prior issued in writing or verbally. If an
fires in accordance with Section
2 of the Fire
emergency situation exists, such person(s) must,
Services Act 1947 or to secure the discharge of an
at all times, utilise correct voice procedures
authority's function under Section
12 of the Act,
which specifically ensure that the call sign of the
subject to the conditions set out in Radio
correct licensee is used with specific suffixes
Frequency Policy Statement FPS 16.
allocated to 'approved' external users.
Interference to Home Office Frequency
Licence Schedule
Assignments
The licence schedule consists of a number of pages
The Home Office allocated radio spectrum is used
relating to every base station site used
(one per
exclusively for the assignment of frequencies for use
Communications and Mobilising
7

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

by emergency services, and other Home Office user
both of which are available for Fire Service co-
radio systems. Thus, co-channel interference on the
ordination with the police.
mobile channels is likely to be from another Police
Force or Fire Brigade, as applicable. The bands used
Fire Brigades are authorised to use one VHF sim-
for VHF/UHF links are shared by both Police and
plex channel and three UHF simplex channels for
Fire Brigades and interference could, therefore, be
air/ground use operating within the Home Office
from either. Other users on a radio channel is one of
UHF band. Two of the UHF channels are con-
the factors taken into account when assignments are
tained within the 6 UHF 'Fire Incident" channels,
made. However, during periods of high atmospheric
namely channel 1 or 6.
pressure, co-channel interference from other users at
a considerable distance may be experienced, due to
Brigades may select Channel 1 or 6 for air/ground
enhanced radio propagation.
use but not both. The choice of channel adopted
by each brigade MUST BE notified to RFCPU for
Emergency service radio schemes are often co-
recording on the brigade's radio licence. The third
sited with other privately operated systems. Some
available channel is one allocated to the Police
of these prime sites are heavily used, and there is a
from the National UHF Channel Plan. This chan-
consequent high risk of interference between
nel has been agreed by the Association of Chief
schemes due to the generation of intermodulation
Police Officers (ACPO), primarily to facilitate the
products. Although steps are taken to avoid assign-
safe landing of other emergency services aircraft
ing frequencies that may cause interference to
on roads.
existing channels, the probability of intermodula-
tion interference depends largely upon the stan-
Brigades may occasionally have a need to commu-
dard of engineering at the site.
nicate from air-to-ground or vice versa utilising
the Police VHF or UHF channels. Before doing so,
If interference is suspected of being generated
prior approval of the relevant Chief Constable
from electrical or telecommunications apparatus
must be obtained.
operated by another user, the Radio Investigation
Service should be informed. The RIS have details
All equipment (regardless of channels used) in air-
of all users at each site and are highly experienced
craft must comply with the technical parameters
at solving interference problems. The RIS do not
and approvals as laid down in Radio Frequency
normally levy a charge if the interference is caused
Policy Statement FPS 11.
by another user. However, if the investigation con-
cludes that the interference was caused by a defi-
The Home Office RFCPU recognises that for cer-
ciency within a Police or Fire Brigade's own
tain 'very specialised' radio equipment, it may not
equipment, then a charged may be levied accord-
be practical for manufacturers to submit a produc-
ingly.
tion sample for independent testing. This equip-
ment will usually be low powered and produced in
Where interference is thought to involve another
very small quantities. The risk of interference to
Home Office assigned service, the Home Office
others is, therefore, considered to be very small.
Frequency Management Group should be
Under these circumstances, approval may be
informed immediately. Where no suitable engi-
granted for use of the device in Home Office bands
neering solution is possible, consideration will be
without the need for independent testing, provided
given to the reassignment of one of the services
the manufacturer or supplier submits satisfactory
involved.
written evidence of the performance characteris-
tics to RFCPU.
Air/Ground Communications
1.4 Home Office Communications
The Police are making increasing use of aircraft,
Advisory Panel (HOCAP)
both rotary and fixed wing. The Home Office has
access to two 25kHz bandwidth air/ground assign-
This panel was created as part of the Review of
ments in the military band area of highband VHF,
Radio Communications in the Police and Fire
8

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Service. The recommendations of the review are
A series of HOCAP Guidance Notes has been cir-
now being taken forward in a project known as the
culated to Chief Officers, these are updated
from
Public Safety Radio Communications Project
time-to-timc and circulated as appropriate.
(PSRCP). HOCAP's role is to provide guidance to
Police Forces and Fire Brigades, to assist them in
Site Sharing
making informed decisions when considering
future investment in new radio communications
systems during the PSRCP development pro-
gramme. The principal aim is that this guidance
should ensure that any expenditure incurred repre-
sents good value for money, and that essential
operational needs continue to be met.
HOCAP's terms of reference are:
To provide guidance on the provision of new
or enhanced communications systems for
police forces and fire brigades until the
PSRCP is complete.
To assist brigades in:
(a) achieving value for money;
(b) avoiding wasteful investment;
(c) maintaining standards;
(d) preserving national operating considera-
tions; and
(e) maximising radio spectrum efficiency.
To receive regular information from the
Figure I.I
Shared
Police
and
Fire
Service
Site
Project Board on the progress of the
(Photo: Bedfordshire and Luton Fire & Rescue Service
Development Programme.
To promote the work of the Development
The Home Office VHF bands are used to support
Programme and the PSRCP to forces and
wide-area coverage schemes using dominant
brigades.
radio sites. Such sites are often shared with other
users. These may be other Police forces or Fire
To maintain, update and circulate Guidance
Brigades as well as private users. Often the Police
Notes to forces and brigades.
and Fire Brigade will have several radio channels
covering one part of the operational area. At each
The membership of HOCAP varies depending on
site, therefore, several transmit and receive fre-
which service has requested the meeting and the
quencies from the same and different bands will
nature of the subjects to be discussed.
be in operation.
Chairmanship of the meetings will be either the
Head of Home Office F7 Division or the Head of
The Home Office Frequency Management Group
RFCPLJ, as appropriate. Other members will be the
(FMG) offers a free service which can advise
Project Manager, the Senior Police or Fire Service
Police forces and Fire Brigades on the frequency
Representative, and the Senior Technical
compatibility of site sharing applications. FMG
Representative. In addition, Project Assurance
utilises specialist software to predict the spurious
Team members and specialist staff may be co-
signals that may be generated when several trans-
opted as necessary.
mitters operate on the same site. Some of the spuri-
Communications and Mobilising
9

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ous signals may cause interference to co-sited base
All MG-4 base station transmitters must comply
receivers or to mobiles which may be close to the
with the Radiocommunications Agency Specifi-
site.
cation MPT 1325 and Home Office Specification
MG-4 (Issue 2). Base station aerial heights MUST
When considering site sharing applications,
NOT exceed 10 metres above ground level without
Communications Officers are strongly advised to
the prior approval from RFCPU.
seek assistance from their engineering advisors on
the likely wind loading of the additional aerials and
the resultant overall wind load on the mast. The
overall capacity of the power supply to the site also
needs to be assessed. Further advice can be found
in the relevant Policy Statement on site sharing.
Retained Firefighter Alerter Systems
Fire Alerter systems used by Fire Brigades operate
on a 25kHz bandwidth FM alerter channel in the
VHF highband portion of spectrum.
The Home Office RFCPU allocate the alerter tones
to brigades. The country has been divided into
hexagonal cells 50 km across, with each cell being
divided further into
127 smaller cells with each
smaller cell being 5 km across. Seven codes are
allocated to each smaller cell, making a total of
889 codes. Fire stations are allocated codes on the
basis that the minimum reuse distance is 50kms.
All equipment must be type approved by RFCPU.
Licences allowing Fire Brigades to operate the
above type of alerting system will be withdrawn
after 31 st December 1998. Thereafter, systems will
comply with MG-4.
MG4 Specification Systems
In
1991 a new alerter system specification was
introduced, produced to Home Office Specifica-
tion MG-4 (Issue 2), which employs a recognised
industry standard signalling system know as POC-
SAG (Post Office Code Standardisation Advisory
Group). The transmitters operate at a maximum
output of
25 Watts Effective Radiated Power
(ERP). The system architecture is structured to
provide each brigade with a unique coded address,
together with up to 2000 separate address codes
which may be allocated within the brigade to a sta-
tion, a team or individual as required.
(Radio
Frequency Policy Statement FPS 7 refers)
10

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Communications
and Mobilising
Chapter 2 - Fire Control Centres
The Fire Service Act 1947 Section l(i)(c) requires
rooms, kitchen/rest-room, store rooms, locker-
Fire Authorities to secure the provision of efficient
rooms/toilets, etc. These rooms and facilities
arrangements for dealing with calls for the assis-
should be well designed and within easy access of
tance of the Fire Brigade in case of fire and for
the Control Centre room.
summoning members of the Brigade.
Control personnel performing duties away from the
To meet this duty, fire authorities usually have a
Control Centre may need to be recalled if there is a
continuously staffed mobilising and communica-
sudden spate of calls, or personnel become busy for
tions centre, equipped with computer based
other reasons. Easy access from anywhere within
Command & Control systems to deal with the
the suite will enable personnel to respond quickly.
receipt of emergency calls and the alerting and
despatching of fire service resources within its
Comprehensive guidance on the design of
mobilising area. Although these are considered to
Control Centres was issued in DCOL 8/1997 (in
be the 'core' activities of a Control Centre, many
Scotland as DFM
8/1997)
(FRDG Publication
additional 'non-core' duties are performed by con-
2/97). This is an updated version of Volume 5 of
trol personnel as stipulated by the Chief Fire
the Home Office Guidance usually referred to as
Officer/Fire Master.
'Logica'.
All emergency communications for the Fire
The document includes advice on the Control
Service are channelled through the Control Centre
Centre design & ergonomics, procurement and
which acts as a general communications and infor-
legislation.
mation resource for the Fire Brigade. It is usually
housed in either a Control Suite at Brigade
The recommended Control Centre rank struc-
Headquarters or in a purpose built building within
ture is:
the County.
Fire Control Operator
FCOp
A Control Centre is staffed (in shifts to provide 24
Leading Fire Control Operator
LFCOp
hour cover) by uniformed professionals who,
Senior Fire Control Operator
SFCOp
although employed under different conditions of
Fire Control Officer
FCO
service to Fire Fighters, are an important part of
Group Fire Control Officer
GFCO
the Fire Service.
Principal Fire Control Officer
PFCO
Secondary and tertiary control systems are also
Not all these ranks are represented in every Brigade.
maintained to ensure a continuity of service. There
are no national standards of'efficiency for handling
2.1 Basic Call Handling Procedures
fire calls but many Chief Officers have set their
own standards which are set out in Brigade
The primary function of a Control Centre is to
Orders/Service Instructions or their Citizens Charter.
provide the essential communication link which
enables the provision of emergency firefighting,
In most cases the Control Suite comprises a
rescue and humanitarian services to the public
Control Centre, training room, offices, equipment
when they call for assistance.
Communications and Mobilising
11

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Figure 2.1 Fire
Control Centre.
{Photo: Counts' Durham and
Darlington Fire ami Rescue
Service)
The basic principles of running a Control Centre
It is possible that the caller may be in some per-
have a common theme. However, the responsibili-
sonal danger. It is easy to understand that such cir-
ties and accountability of each rank may vary
cumstances might create a wide range of behav-
depending upon the size of the brigade.
ioural responses on the part of the caller.
The detailed procedures for handling an emer-
Traditionally, Fire Control Operators are taught
gency call differ in each brigade according to its
the appropriate inter-personal skills by a combina-
size and the type of communications and mobilis-
tion of initial training including simulation exer-
ing systems used.
cises and 'on the job' training by experienced per-
sonnel.
Fire Control Operators are trained to elicit infor-
mation from those calling for assistance. This
The first contact an emergency caller has with the
activity requires the identification of the incident
Fire Service is with the Fire Control Operator. The
address and confirmation of the type of emergency
way the operator handles the call is vital and to
for which assistance is required.
this end the operator must be immediately avail-
able to take control of the call. This will enable
Difficulties in obtaining this information may
effective collation of call details to mobilise, and
result if the caller is unduly anxious or excited. A
will indicate to the caller that they are being dealt
Fire Control Operator will still need to bear in
with efficiently.
mind the primary purpose is to obtain information
and will need to use effective call handling skills to
Further information on the training of Control
overcome these difficulties, possibly by calming
Centre personnel is given in the Training
and reassuring the caller. It may be necessary to
Section (Appendix I).
give advice for dealing with the emergency whilst
waiting for fire service attendance.
The responsibilities of each rank within Control
Centres vary from Brigade to Brigade and
Techniques used to achieve this could include a
many of them overlap.
sympathetic approach or perhaps, the adoption of
an authoritative tone. The exact style being depen-
The following list gives examples of skills and
dent upon the Operator's perception of what is
responsibilities within each rank.
appropriate in the circumstances.
12

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Control Operator (Core Skills)
Regulations 1992.
Receive emergency calls.
Comply with the Brigade's Equal
Opportunities Policy and other relevant legis-
Give advice to emergency callers as required.
lation at all times.
Identify and dispatch appropriate fire brigade
Undertake control/watch administration
resources to incidents, (if necessary receiving
duties as required.
guidance from senior ranks).
Leading Fire Control Operator
Be familiar with the location of fire stations
and their station ground.
Duties mirror those of a Fire Control
Operator with the addition of supervisory
Keep officers informed of incidents/occur-
duties.
rences as required.
Assist and support other officers and be
Liaise with other authorities and resources to
responsible to the Watch Officer in respect of
keep them informed of incidents and request
the day-to-day, management of the Control
their assistance if necessary.
centre and development of personnel.
Answer radio messages, relay radio messages
Deputise for a Senior Fire Control Operator
to appliances and officers and act on infor-
in their absence.
mation obtained.
Assume duties as Watch Officer in the
Deputise for Leading Fire Control Operators
absence of a Senior Fire Control Operator
in their absence, subject to Brigade require-
and/or Fire Control Officer, subject to
ments and competence of the Operator.
Brigade requirements and suitability of the
Leading Fire Control Operator.
Test and inspect equipment held in control,
and the secondary control, carrying out such
Participate in the design, programming, run-
first line maintenance as appropriate.
ning and monitoring of training programmes.
Answer non-emergency switchboard calls out
Provide support and guidance to probationary
of office hours and direct/advise callers.
Fire Control Operators and personnel prepar-
ing for examinations.
Answer non-emergency calls from station
personnel and act on information received.
Be familiar with the general command princi-
ples necessary to undertake the variety of
Complete incident statistics.
other such tasks and duties as may be
required, to meet the needs of the Brigade.
Work as part of a team and react appropriate-
ly as instructed and directed by officers.
Senior Fire Control Operator
Ensure that levels of personal conduct are
The tasks listed below may be the responsibility of
maintained in accordance with the standards
a L/FCOp in Brigades that have S/FCOp's as
prescribed in the Fire Service
(Discipline)
Watch Officers.
Regulations
1985 and by accepted Service
Procedures.
In addition to the L/FCOp duties:
Ensure compliance with current Health and
Take charge of Command and Control activi-
Safety Legislation, including Display Screen
ties during the absence of the Watch Officer.
Communications and Mobilising
13

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Assist and support the Watch Officer in
Group Fire Control Officer
respect of the day-to-day management and
development of personnel.
In some cases an FCO or GFCO may also hold
other references within the Brigade. These may
Ensure that all resources have been dis-
include Personnel Officer, Communications
patched correctly.
Officer or, for example, in larger brigades the
Watch Officers may hold the rank of GFCO.
Prepare and carry out watch training pro-
gramme, and maintain training records as
The tasks listed below may be the responsibility of
required by the Fire Control Officer.
an FCO in a brigade which does not employ a
GFCO:
Undertake administrative/project work as
required and assist in the supervision and
Responsible for the overall management of
completion of Control/Watch administrative
the Control Centre, its personnel, equipment
workloads.
and all other resources to ensure the effective,
economic and efficient operation of the
Fire Control Officer
Control Centre, in line with Brigade policies
and procedures.
In addition to the above:
Attend control during a major incident or
Monitor emergency calls and take command
spate conditions, and take strategic command
of the dispatch of all resources.
and provide support as appropriate.
Ensure that fire cover is maintained through-
Keep Control personnel informed of Brigade
out Brigade area, utilising resources from
policies, procedures and standards.
neighbouring Fire Brigades if necessary.
Monitor the welfare and motivation of per-
Ensure compliance with all Brigade
sonnel whilst constantly seeking to promote
Instructions, policies and guidelines.
and improve teamwork and efficiency.
Identify training needs and manage the
Establish an effective working relationship
design, programming, running and monitor-
with Control personnel.
ing of training.
Monitor all Control Centre personnel in
Management of Control/Watch administra-
respect of performance, conditions of service
tion duties including financial responsibilities
and training where appropriate.
as required.
Development and planning of mobilising pro-
Assist and support other officers and be
cedures.
responsible to the Group Fire Control
Officer (if applicable) in respect of the day
Development and planning of control/station
to day management and development of per-
communication systems.
sonnel.
Maintain an efficient and effective Command
This may include conditions of service, sick-
and Control centre within allocated budgets
ness monitoring and welfare issues.
provided.
Assist and support management in the devel-
opment and planning of mobilising strategy.
14

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Principal Fire Control Officer
Fire Service Inspectorate to ensure correct interpre-
tation and to develop a common approach.
The Principal Fire Control Officer rank is usually
used in the larger metropolitan brigades and gen-
HM Fire Service Inspectorate does not currently
erally performs the same role as FCO/GFCO in
recommend a Grade of Service but may do so in
managing the Control Centre. Other brigades may
the future.
introduce the rank to lead special projects or be
head of section for the Centre i.e.,
Additionally, Fire Service Circular October
1975
Command/Control/Communications and IT, or
recommends rank levels for control personnel
perhaps perform the management function of a DO
established by reference to the population within
with
responsibilities
for
Personnel
&
the Brigade area.
Development, Equal Opportunities or Health &
However, in some Brigades the PFCO may be
responsible for developing brigade mobilising pol-
icy as part of the Principal Management Team.
2.2 Control Centre Staffing Levels
Her Majesty's Fire Service Inspectorate (and the
Scottish Office Fire Service Inspectorate) is
charged with the duty of obtaining information on
how fire authorities are performing their functions,
with particular regard to efficiency and effective-
ness. Included in these functions are the brigade
Control Centre and the manner in which it is
staffed and operates.
To assist HM Inspectors and brigades in setting
staffing levels within the Control Centre, a
Staffing Model has been developed. This model
was issued to brigades as DCOL
6/1996
(in
Scotland as DFM 6/1996).
The model is designed to give an indicator of the
number of operators required to handle and
process a given workload to a given Grade of
Service. The model is not intended to take into
account levels of supervision, sickness, training or
control personnel required for projects, etc. It is
used as a means of determining the number of
operators required, from which decisions regard-
ing establishment and officer levels can be made.
HM Inspectors will also use the model to assess
the adequacy of brigade staffing requirements.
Brigade managers are, of course, free to run the
staffing model within their own brigades. However,
the Home Office recommends liaison with HM
Communications and Mobilising
15

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Communications
and Mobilising
Chapter 3 - A brief history of the
'Fire Control Centre'
In
1997 the Fire Service as we know it was 50
Metropolitan Brigades had an advantage over the
years old, over those years a new career has
smaller rural Brigades by nature of their size and
evolved; that of Fire Control Operator.
the population they served. They were far better
equipped financially to exploit the new technology
In the very early days strategic mobilising to fires
that appeared, such as a street fire alarms and fire
was virtually non-existent. During the
1800s,
detectors in commercial premises.
numerous fire insurance companies formed their
won brigades of 'watermen'. Following a call to
In rural areas, private telephones were scarce and
'fire', sometimes several of these Insurance
public telephones were not as plentiful or well sit-
Brigades would send their 'engines' and, on
uated as they are today, and there were no street
arrival, would look for the 'fire mark' to establish
fire alarms. The firemen in rural brigades were
whether the victim was insured and by which
usually part timers who would rely on being called
company. In the free for all that ensued, the
by a 'knocker up' or by the sirens that were
brigades could find themselves working against
installed during the First World War. These sirens
each other instead of working for the common
were still in use well into the 1970s.
good, to the detriment of the public. There was lit-
tle co-ordination of resources or direction of the
With war approaching, the government mounted a
overall situation.
recruitment campaign to encourage men and
women to join the Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS).
Over the next century and a half that was to change
Women were encouraged to join as drivers, or to
significantly.
work in fire stations doing office work or watch-
room duties. Some women opted for motorcycle
One prime innovation which would start the long
training and driving lessons, while the majority
haul to a unified well organised service, was the
learned watchroom procedures and the vital
Metropolitan Fire Brigades Act,
1865. The act
process of mobilising appliances. They all had
covered the City of London and 'all other Parishes
basic firefighting training.
(The AFS became the
and Places for the Time being within the
National Fire Service approximately one year after
Jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Board of Works'.
the war started. It was reformed in
1947 to run
The Act also stated the need 'for the establishment
until the mid sixties.)
of Telegraphic Communication between the sever-
al Stations in which their Fire Engines or Firemen
One of the difficulties of forming a large number
are placed, and between any such Stations and
of small brigades into a National Fire Service was
other parts of the Metropolis'.
that most of the equipment, hose couplings, pump
deliveries and appliances, etc., were all different.
This enabled the receiving and transmitting of loca-
This caused obvious problems when one brigade
tions of fires to all stations connected by the tele-
was called to assist another. There was a desperate
graph system. It was the first indication of mobilis-
need for standardisation.
ing from a source remote from the location of the
fire and, by necessity, carried out by a fireman at
All emergency calls were received at the local
the fire station receiving what was called a 'running
General Post Office (GPO) Telephone exchange,
call'. A situation that exists to the present day.
(at this time telephone exchanges only covered a
Previous page
is blank
17

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Figures 3.1 and 3.2 Posters used during a recruiting campaign in World War II.
small area and there were a great number of them),
National Fire Service to fire brigades maintained
and passed to the Wholetime fire station in that
by the councils of counties'. With brigades under
area where a 'Watchroom' was continuously
the auspices of the County Councils the long
manned, either by a firemen, firewomen or a com-
process of standardisation of all equipment contin-
bination of both.
ued. This included the amalgamation of some fire
station watchrooms into divisional control rooms
After the Second World War, communication was
which, because County Councils were also respon-
still a laborious and lengthy process. Watchrooms
sible for the ambulance service, were sometimes
or Control Rooms in various brigades evolved dif-
shared with ambulance personnel.
ferently, some were staffed by firemen who had a
rota for 'Watchroom' duties while others were
Unfortunately, whilst World War Two had pro-
staffed by firewomen who had served in the
duced some well managed and equipped fire con-
National Fire Service. Many of these women
trol rooms up and down the country under the
stayed on after the war to become the forerunners
NFS, these were thought to be too elaborate for
of today's control operators.
county brigades, and were dispensed with.
In 1947 the Fire Services Act was passed to make
Mobilising was still carried out by the duty
further provision for fire services in Great Britain
watchroom attendant who would take call details,
'to transfer fire-fighting functions from the
dispatch the first attendance and, if necessary,
18 Fire Service Manual

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Figure 3.3 London Fire Brigade Control Room, 1937.
Figure 3.4 London Fire Brigade Wireless
(Photo:LondonFireBrigade)
Control Room at HQ.
( Photo: London Fire Brigade)
Figure 3.5 AFS Fire Women in Watch Room.
Figure 3.6 GPO Telephone Exchange, late 1960s.
(Photo: Kent Fire Brigade)
Note red lightbulb for 999 calls.
(Photo: Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service)
Figure 3.7 Kent Fire Brigade Control Room, I960.
Figure3.8
Control Room using VF System 'A',
1980.
(Photo: Kent Fire Brigade)
( Photo: Kent Fire Brigade)
Communications and Mobilising
19

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

pass the call to a divisional or district control.
attendance (PDA) card for the parish or street to
It was the duty of the watchroom attendant to
determine which appliance/s to send before alert-
record all fire calls, as well as officer and
ing the station/s. These cards were kept in large
appliance movements, in the 'log book'. In fact
'bins' in the control room and if the brigade used
everything was meticulously recorded, usually in
street mobilising there were many hundreds of
beautiful handwriting.
cards.
In some cases, Kent for instance. Brigade controls
Operators prided themselves on their topographi-
were responsible for plotting, logging of all calls
cal knowledge and remembering the attendance
with associated paper work, fire reports, accident
for many areas or special risks, only using the
reports and statistics, but not at any time talking to
PDA cards for confirmation. Fire calls were
the originator of the call.
recorded by hand on individual incident forms
and, in some cases, the old 'log book' was still run-
Improvements in the telephone network had revo-
ning!
lutionised brigades. The introduction of a radio
network was the next step towards improving
At this time, nationally, control staff personnel
brigade-wide communications.
were a mishmash of backgrounds and experience.
Control was thought to be the easy option and
The radio scheme was sometimes shared with the
many operators were firemen who were on the run
Police (provided fire control asked 'nicely' and the
down to retirement, or sick and on light duties.
police were not too busy, the scheme would be
Some brigades started to employ women because
opened to allow for transmission) or, sometimes, the
they couldn't get men to work shift work for the
scheme was shared with another brigade. Police and
low rate of pay. Others, of course, had long estab-
Fire Brigade radio schemes were the responsibility
lished specialised personnel.
of the Home Office Communications Branch, later
the Directorate of Telecommunications, and
The developing use of computers generally in the
remained so for many years.
1970's inevitably led to thoughts of computerised
mobilising. To have finger tip control of all brigade
These early systems, although now construed as
resources, PDA's, call logging, statistics and instant
relatively primitive, were to further enhance the
recall of information seemed very exciting. There
capabilities of the service. Once each Fire Brigade
was talk of 'paperless' control rooms! In fact
had their own private mobile radio networks it
because of this belief many of the consoles
became more practical to operate the radio from
designed at that time had no 'working' space. This
one location. It was one more step towards a single
mistake was rectified next time around.
control.
In
1972 two new courses were introduced at the
Contact with fire stations was made by land line
Fire Service College, one was for Communi-
and 'part timers' or retained firemen were called in
cations Officers, a post usually occupied by an
by housebells or sirens, alerters for retained fire-
operational fire officer, and the other was the very
fighters were not introduced until
1968.
first course especially for Control Room staff, a
Supervisory Officer's course. By 1974, in part due
Control rooms were now capable of reliable con-
to Local Government reorganisation, the concept
tact with stations by means of the 'K system' and
of a central control room for each County was well
subsequently, among others, the VF 'system A' and
established. This was also the year in which Local
private wires, all of which used land lines. These
Area Health Authorities were formed and Fire
mobilising systems were very reliable but rather
Brigades and the Ambulance Service went their
slow, the method used to communicate with the
separate ways.
station or stations required was the human voice,
and all turn-out instructions, with additional infor-
1975 saw the standardisation of Control staff rank
mation if necessary, were repeated. Mobilising
structure and markings, and recruiting was geared
was accomplished by checking the pre-determined
to the special skills required of an operator.
20

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Grampian Fire Brigade was the first to use com-
The Control Centre as the name implies is, by its
puter aided dispatch, closely followed by Greater
very nature, an essential part of any Fire and
Manchester Fire Brigade who went live with a
Rescue Service. Instead of the free for all of the
fully computerised Ferranti Argos system in 1979.
early days, firefighters can rely on being well
By the late 1980's almost all of the Fire Brigades
informed about the incident they are attending,
in the United Kingdom had a computerised mobil-
being kept up to date with all developments as they
ising system although some were more sophisti-
occur, and have the knowledge that requests for
cated than others.
help or assistance will be quickly and efficiently
acted upon.
The number of emergency calls is increasing year
by year, as is the type of emergency. To reflect the
The skill of the operational firefighter together
diverse nature of fires and special services they
with the professionalism of their colleagues in the
now attended, many Fire Brigades have changed
Control Centre, combine to provide
an
efficient
their title to 'Fire and Rescue Service'.
and effective service to the public.
The Home Office Guide to Fire Brigade
Mobilising Systems, known as the 'Logica' report,
was published in
1990 to help Brigades with the
specification, procurement and support of their
second generation mobilising and communication
systems.
Long gone are the days when all that was required
of the watchroom attendant was to wind a handle
for the station to turn out to a fire and hope that
contact was made. The requirements and expecta-
tions of the control room has changed, and the
improvements in communications have enabled a
faster and more effective response.
Nowadays local knowledge is not enough, even
the most experienced Control Centre Operator
could not retain the large quantities information
required by a modern Fire Service. All incidents
and relevant information are logged and stored on
the database of modern computerised mobilising
systems.
An operator now requires keyboard skills and a
knowledge of computers: retrieval and statistical
systems: chemical and hazardous material,
Management Information Systems
(MIS): map-
ping systems and most importantly, call handling
techniques.
An operator also needs to have a basic understand-
ing of the many communication systems, be they
voice or data, that are used in the fire service. In
fact it is becoming increasingly difficult to distin-
guish between Communications, Mobilising and
IT systems.
Communications and Mobilising
21

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Communications
and Mobilising
Chapter 4 - T h e 999/112
emergency service
4.1 BT
The Public Telecommunications Operators (PTOs)
are obliged, under the terms of their licences, to
provide a public emergency call service by means
of which any member of the public may, without
charge, communicate as quickly as practicable
with any of the appropriate local emergency
authorities (EAs) to notify them of an emergency.
The 999 call service provides national coverage in
respect of the four main emergency services, i.e.,
police, ambulance, fire and coastguards. Other ser-
vices can also receive emergency calls via the
police. These organisations are cave rescue, col-
liery rescue, mountain rescue, air/sea rescue, diver
emergency and cardiac units.
Figure 4.1 A BT Operator Assistance Centre.
BT takes approximately
21 million calls each
[Photo:BT)
year, including 2 million mobile 999's and calls
from cable networks. Cable & Wireless (formerly
Mercury) take 2.8 million including mobile and
The trunk reservation facility will be
used
to
cable
company calls, whilst
Kingston
ensure that there will always be at least two cir-
Communication handles 200,000 calls. Requests
cuits reserved for 999/112 calls on a route from a
for police help account for some 55 per cent of
digital local exchange. More importantly, howev-
emergency calls, while the ambulance service
er, this facility allows an additional circuit to be
accounts for 33 per cent and the fire brigades for
reserved for a 999/112 call each time an existing
the majority of the remaining 12 per cent. Some 50
circuit is taken into use for a 999/112 call. All of
per cent of all
999 calls are false calls, where
the circuits in a route are thus, potentially, avail-
callers make no request for an EA, and are safely
able for emergency use. This gives protection in
filtered by BT and Cable & Wireless operators at
disaster situations which cause a sudden surge of
the request of the EAs using agreed procedures.
999/112 calls.
4.1.1 The British Telecom fixed telephone
If it is not possible to route operator traffic to the
system
primary operator centre due to congestion or fail-
ure within the network or evacuation of an
There are fifteen BT Operator Assistance Centres
Operator Assistance Centre, 999/112 traffic will be
(OAC), these are at Aldershot, Aylesbury, Bangor,
routed to an alternative OAC.
Belfast, Blackburn, Bristol, Cambridge, Glasgow,
Hastings, Inverness, Leicester, Newcastle,
The connection of an emergency call involves four
Newport, Thanet and Warrington.
main phases:
Previous page
Communications and Mobilising
23
is blank

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(1) Connection of the caller to the operator via
These routes are:
the 999/112 code;
Primary
(2) Selection by the operator of the required
This is the route that the PTO operator will
Emergency Authority Control Centre
initially use to connect a caller to the EACC
(EACC);
and the EA must provide sufficient capacity
on this route to handle normal 999/112 traffic-
(3) Onward connection of the caller to the
distribution.
EACC; and
EAs will reserve primary routes exclusively
(4) Confirmation that the connection has been
for receiving 999/112 calls.
established with the appropriate EACC and
ability to provide further assistance to the
Secondary
caller or EA when required.
In circumstances where the PTO operator
receives no replyon the primary number after
The operator will monitor the call until the caller
30 seconds, the operator will connect the call
has passed their location and is clearly giving
to a secondary number provided by the EA,
details of the incident. The operator normally
except where call queuing is used. This pro-
holds the call in the system without listening
cedure should only be necessary in instances
(unless there are difficulties) until both the caller
when the EACC has an unusually high level
and EA have cleared the line.
of traffic or a fault in its switchboard or one
of the PTOs' networks.
It is the responsibility of the EA Control Centre
staff to obtain adequate address information
Alternative
from the caller to enable the EACC to locate the
In the event of a major problem which results
incident being reported.
in the primary and secondary routes to an
EACC being unavailable to the PTOs, the EA
4.1.2 Operator call-handling procedures
should provide the PTOs with an alternative
means of taking delivery of the call, ideally at
The action of dialling 999/112 on BT's public tele-
a different EACC for maximum security.
phone network in the UK automatically routes the
caller through to a designated Operator Centre.
To provide adequate security, this alternative
Here, if it is not immediately answered, the call is
number must be served by a different net-
visually and audibly signalled on all operating
work route from that providing the primary
positions and, in addition, a special red light oper-
and secondary routes. EAs would have to
ates to ensure that the call is given immediate
consider, where appropriate, which EA
attention by a BT operator.
Control Centres are used as alternatives to
each other.
To cater for unforeseen circumstances EAs have to
provide three separate routes from the Operator
These routes are agreed between the EA and the
Services Centres to the emergency service. The
BT Emergencies Services Manager. Changes
secondary and alternative routes would normally
arranged by EAs have to be notified directly to
be used in sequence in the event of an unusually
the ESM giving at least two weeks notice.
high level of traffic or a fault on the primary route.
All the routes have to be staffed on a 24 hour
BT will allow a 30 second delay with no reply
basis.
before another route is attempted unless the EA
control centre has a call queuing system, in which
When a PTO operator answers an emergency call
case additional time is allowed. For this reason it is
that has originated from a digital exchange, the full
vital to inform BT if any call queuing system is
national calling line identity number (CLI) will be
installed.
automatically displayed on the operator's VDU.
24

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Figure 4.2 BT emergency call handling system.
(Diagram: BT)
This removes the necessity for an engineering
vate networks. In these cases, the number automat-
trace to identify the calling line if the caller is
ically presented to the PTO operator is usually the
unable to provide this information.
outgoing number of the main switchboard. This
will be the number passed to the EA and may be
The CLI number uses a different mechanism to
different to the number the caller may give if asked
BT's Caller Display and Call Return (1471) ser-
by either the PTO or EA operator.
vice. The number cannot be altered or withheld
by the caller.
There are also some private networks that extend
over several areas. Their 999/1 12 calls could be
Prior to all the PTOs completing their digital net-
fed into the PTO networks in only one of these
works, calls originating from an analogue
areas. This will lead to inevitable problems as they
exchange will not show the full telephone number,
will be presented with a telephone number applic-
though a partial display of the exchange code may
able to this area and, therefore, routed according-
sometimes be obtained. The customer may there-
ly. These will only become apparent at the EACC
fore still need to be asked for their number in order
when the caller is questioned as to their location.
to route the call correctly.
The operator establishes which Emergency
The originating calling information (CLI) will be
Authority is required by answering the call with
used to automatically display details of the appro-
'Emergency, which service?'
priate EACC connect-to numbers.
If the caller needs to be asked for their number this
It is worth noting that an increasing number of
is entered onto the screen.
business customers have DDI systems and/or pri-
Communications and Mobilising
25

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The operator hands the call over by passing the
Exchange area boundaries do not always coincide
Operator Assistance Centre (OAC) name and the
with EA boundaries. Where 'mismatches' exist,
caller's number and listens while the caller passes
careful planning and general agreement between
their location. If this has been given clearly and the
neighbouring Chief Fire Officers/Fire Masters and
call is progressing, the call will be held in the oper-
the BT Emergency Services manager has to be
ator's system
(without listening) until the call is
reached on which EA Control Centre will take the
complete. Operators normally listen throughout in
calls from the whole of the split exchange area in
difficult cases, for example, panicking callers or
question.
where there is a language problem.
The Fixed Network Operators will connect all
If it is necessary to speak to the BT operator again
directly connected customers to the appropriate
it should be possible to call them back onto the line
EACC for the agreed geographical areas wherever
while the call is being listened to. At this stage of
possible. It will be the EA's responsibility to pass
the call there are two options to speak to the BT
information if necessary to another EACC in these
operator.
mismatches cases.
(1) Operators can normally see when the caller
4.1.4 Provision of ex-directory
and the EACC have cleared. If the EACC has
information
the necessary facilities it is possible for EA
operators to cause the word 'Flash' to appear
BT operators will only provide name and address
on the BT screen.
information for numbers from which a recent
999/112 call has been made. All other routine
(2) The operator may be alerted by failure to clear
requests for such information must be made by
the line, although this may take some time if
EAs through BT's Network Special Investigations
the operator is dealing with another call.
Group.
If details of the call are required once the call has
In providing an XD/NC service BT undertakes not
been released, it will be necessary to dial the Operator
to give the number to anyone outside BT including
Assistance Centre number allocated to each Brigade.
EAs. BT has laid down procedures to enable
The allocated number should be used even if the
urgent calls to be connected to XD/NC customers
call was passed via a different OAC.
without revealing the number. EAs requiring such
a connection must contact BT OACs using
100
Every emergency call is recorded both on magnet-
service where the operator will ask a number of
ic tape and on a call printout which shows basic
questions to support the request before connecting.
call details, such as time, telephone number and
address of the call. BT's recording of emergency
4.1.5 Access to tape recordings of
calls is from the time that the call is answered by
Emergency Calls
the BT operator to the time when the call to the EA
is cleared by the caller and the EA, the speech of
BT will record all calls terminating on 999/112 cir-
all parties is recorded. All 999/112 call records are
cuits. Calls are recorded from the time the call is
held for three months.
answered by a BT operator until the EA and caller
clear the line, and the circuit is released.
4.1.3 Mismatches between EA and Fixed
Network Operator Boundaries
Requests from EAs to listen to, to make notes
about, or be given a copy of a recording of a
BT has over 7500 exchanges, each with its own
999/112 call must be referred to the BT Network
code, it is these codes that determine how the call
Special Investigations Group.
is routed. BT exchanges have grown up over the
last 90 years as the cable network has evolved and
These requests must be authorised by the agreed
each has a defined catchment area averaging 4km
level according to the Code of Practice which
in radius.
states:
26

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Content      ..      1       2         ..

 

 

///////////////////////////////////////