Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service has been celebrating a very special team this week – Fire Control.
Every year, those working in emergency despatch control rooms up and down the country, are celebrated for the work they do, 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. This year, #ControlRoomWeek has been 23 – 29 October.
What happens when one of our control room operators receives a 999 call? The first thing they do is quickly establish the situation and location and request a despatch from the local crews, all which is done in seconds. Once they have determined the basics, they begin to gather as much information as possible for the responding crews. If more than just the Fire service is required to attend, they immediately inform the Police and Ambulance services. This is all while remaining on the phone with the caller, keeping them calm and providing as much survival advice as possible. Only once the control room operator received confirmation from the services on the scene that the person(s) is safe, do they end the call.
In the last twelve months, Control Room operatives have answered 5,148 calls, with the busiest day being the 12th of August, when the crews handled 37 calls in one day. Control Room Station Manager, Amanda Swinden, said: “I am delighted to be able to celebrate International Control Room Week with the crews here. It's an excellent initiative and highlights the valuable work that the Control Teams carry out throughout the year. They really are ‘Heroes in a Headset’.”
Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Fire & Rescue and Community Safety, Councillor Andy Crump recognised the service that control room operatives provide to the county by saying:
“The crews in fire control are an extremely important part of our Fire & Rescue Service. They work tirelessly behind the scenes and may not always be recognised for the vital role they play in keeping our county safe. International Control Room Week is an excellent opportunity to share their stories with our residents, so they can have a better understanding of what the crews do each day, such as ensuring help is despatched effectively and providing essential advice and reassurance to callers in their time of need.
“Thank you to the team for everything you do.”
The team has been sharing photos, videos, and interesting facts through social media to mark the occasion and provide a better understanding of their essential role. They have also been inviting Warwickshire’s residents to get in touch with any questions or feedback and have welcomed visitors to the fire control room including students of Rugby College and Sophie Hilleary, Warwickshire’s High Sheriff. She had this to say about the visit:
“I had the honour this week of visiting the Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Control Room to celebrate International Control Room Week and met some of our Fire Control Operators. They are the first point of contact for every fire emergency 999 call from the public. With their knowledge and experience they provide vital communications between the incident and ensuring a swift appropriate response. Unseen by the public, they save lives every day. I would like to sincerely thank them for their service and dedication”.
Ben Brook, Chief Fire Officer, Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service said:
“When you need us most in an emergency, our brilliant fire control operators will answer your call. They do so much more than this though. 24/7, 365 days a year they ensure our people and fire engines are in the right place at the right time, they send the right people and equipment to incidents, they receive information from the scene of the emergency, provide survival advice to callers and I could continue! Our fire control operators are exceptional people taking lifesaving actions every day!”
As part of the celebration, Warwickshire Fire Service Control joined up with the students at Rugby College’s Public Services Course, who had the opportunity to watch live as 999 calls came in, as well as getting a presentation all about the work that the crews do. The course tutor, Georgia Morton, had this to say about the experience:
“This opportunity provided students at Rugby College with a tangible experience that they will remember throughout life enabling them to gain first-hand knowledge from the "shop floor" - this engagement and interaction is invaluable for students wanting to move into future careers in the Uniformed Protective Services".
The videos and information shared throughout the week can be found on the WFRS Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts.