Regional fire control centre set to open in 2011

Despite opposition from the firefighters’ union, it looks like the proposed fire control centre will finally open in May 2011.

There has been widespread condemnation of the centre in south-west of England, which was first announced to go ahead back in 2005, as it is costing taxpayers each day the building is empty.

The Fire Brigades Union now insists that as the government is moving away from regionalisation, the centre is no longer a workable option.

John Drake, of the Fire Brigades Union, explained:

“There are still huge issues over the technology, which I don’t think will be overcome.

“No-one in the fire service other than a handful of senior managers think that these regional centres are a good idea.

“They may be cheaper in the short-term, but we don’t see any benefit coming to the public or firefighters, indeed in the long-term they will be an extra burden on the tax-payer.”

But contractor EADS is set to move forward with the project as it has been given the go ahead by Whitehall.

The opening of the new regional fire control centre would lead to the closure of existing centres in Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire, with the work brought across to the Taunton-based centre by March 2012.