Ref: FOI/21055

RE: FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 REQUEST

West Midlands Fire Service has now completed its search for the information requested on 4th May 2021.

Please find below a summary of our findings.

Request.

Telephony

Q1 .Can you please provide the contract start and renewal date for the Fire & rescue services current corporate telephony system(s) within the contract(s)?

Q1.a – If a separate telephony system is used to receive non-emergency and/or 999 calls within the Fire & rescue services control rooms, can you also please provide contract start and renewal dates for this system also?

Q1.b Can you please indicate what options there are for extending the existing contracts beyond the renewal dates?

Q1.c Can you please provide annual support prices paid for each telephony system contract?

Q1.d Can you please provide the suppliers name(s) of each telephony system contract?

Q.e Can you please indicate what options there are for extending the existing contracts beyond the renewal dates?

Reply

Q1 . 31st May 2021 to 30th May 2022

Q1.a 31st May 2021 to 30th May 2022

Q1.b None

Q1.c This information is exempt under section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 as this information is reasonably accessible to the requestor. Information concerning finical payments can be found on West Midlands Fire Service website at the following link:

https://www.wmfs.net/about-us/documents/

Q1.d. Maintel

Q1e. None – The tender process will start approx. in April 2022.

Request

Command and Control

Q2 Can you please provide the contract start and renewal date for the Fire & rescue services current command and control system used for incident management and resource deployment?

Q1.a Can you please indicate what options there are for extending the existing command and control contract beyond the renewal date?

Q2.b Can you please provide annual support prices paid for the command and control system contract?

Q2.c Can you please provide the supplier’s name for the current command and control system contract?

Reply

Q2. Rolling annual contract

Q1.a Rolling annual contract

Q2.b This information is exempt under section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 as this information is reasonably accessible to the requestor. Information concerning finical payments can be found on West Midlands Fire Service website at the following link:

https://www.wmfs.net/about-us/documents/

Please scroll towards the bottom of the page and there you will find transparency reports for corresponding years which are downloadable.

Q2.c Capita SSS

Request

Integrated Communications and Control System (ICCS)

Q3 Can you please provide the contract start and renewal date for the Fire & rescue services ICCS?

Q3.a Can you please indicate what options there are for extending the existing ICCS contract beyond the renewal date?

Q3.b Can you please provide annual support prices paid for the ICCS contract?

Q3.c Can you please provide the supplier’s name for the current ICCS contract?

Q3.d Has the force already contracted with an existing ICCS supplier to provide ESN-related services and if so, please provide contract start and renewal dates for these services?

Reply

Q3    Rolling contract

Q3.a Rolling contract

Q3.b This information is exempt under section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 as this information is reasonably accessible to the requestor. Information concerning finical payments can be found on West Midlands Fire Service website at the following link:

https://www.wmfs.net/about-us/documents/

Please scroll towards the bottom of the page and there you will find transparency reports for corresponding years which are downloadable.

Q3.c Capita SSS

Q3.d Yes. In line with the ESN timetable.

Request

Contact Management System (CRM system)

Q5 Can you please provide the contract start and renewal date for the Fire & rescue services Contact Management System used to record contact from members of the public with the Fire & rescue services control rooms?

Q5.a Can you please indicate what options there are for extending the existing Contact Management contract beyond the renewal date?

Q5.b Can you please provide annual support prices paid for the Contact Management System contract?

Q5.c Can you please provide the supplier’s name for the current Contact Management System contract?

Reply

Q5    N/A

Q5.a N/A

Q5.b N/A

Q5.c N/A

Request

Geographic Information system (GIS)

Q6 Can you please provide the contract start and renewal date for the Fire & rescue services GIS System used within the Fire & rescue services control rooms for incident/contact management?

Q6.a Can you please indicate what options there are for extending the existing GIS System contract beyond the renewal date?

Q6.b Can you please provide annual support prices paid for the GIS contract?

Q6.c Can you please provide the supplier’s name for the current GIS contract?

Reply

Q6.   Rolling annual contract

Q6.a Rolling annual contract

Q2.b This information is exempt under section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 as this information is reasonably accessible to the requestor. Information concerning finical payments can be found on West Midlands Fire Service website at the following link:

https://www.wmfs.net/about-us/documents/

Please scroll towards the bottom of the page and there you will find a transparency report for corresponding years which are downloadable.

Q6.c Capita SSS

Request

Gazetteer System

Q7 Can you please provide the contract start and renewal date for the Fire & rescue services Gazetteer System used within the Fire & rescue services control rooms for address verification of incidents and contacts?

Q7.a Can you please indicate what options there are for extending the existing Gazetteer System contract beyond the renewal date?

Q7.b Can you please provide annual support prices paid for the Gazetteer System contract?

Q7.c Can you please provide the supplier’s name for the current Gazetteer System contract?

Reply

This is an inhouse system, therefore:

Q5    N/A

Q5.a N/A

Q5.b N/A

Q5.c N/A

Request

Force Control Rooms

Q8  For each of the Fire & rescue services Control Rooms, please provide the following information:

Q8.a.      Address (including postcode)Q8.b.

Whether the control room is:

1. always operationally manned (i.e. 24/7)
2. only operationally manned during major incidents (i.e. Gold Command)

iii.      only operationally manned when a live control room is evacuated (i.e. Fallback)

Q8.C.      Whether the control room is used to routinely:

1. answer non-emergency calls (i.e. general enquiry call centre)
2. answer emergency calls (i.e. 999 call takers)

iii.      dispatch officers and manage the responses to incidents (i.e. dispatcher.

Q8.d. Can you please provide a breakdown of the number of client workstations used within each control room for:

1. answer non-emergency calls (i.e. general enquiry call centre)
2. answer emergency calls (i.e. 999 call takers)

iii.      dispatch officers and manage the responses to incidents (i.e. dispatcher.

Q8.e. Can you please provide the number of command and control clients that are browser-based (if applicable)?

Q8.f. Can you please provide the number of command and control mobile data clients that are in use, either via a browser-based application and/or APP installed on mobile device?

Reply

Q8  For each of the Fire & rescue services Control Rooms, please provide the following information:

Q8.a.      Address (including postcode)

WMFS HQ, Vauxhall Road, Birmingham B7 4HW

Q8.b.      Whether the control room is:

1. Yes
2. No

iii.   No

Q8.C.      Whether the control room is used to routinely:

1. Yes
2. Yes

iii. Yes

Q8.d. Can you please provide a breakdown of the number client workstations used within each control room for:

1. 12
2. 12

iii.12

There are 12 workstations within the control room. Each workstation and the operator manage all of the above 3 areas. We do not split different activities across the different workstations.

If you have any queries about this freedom of information request, please contact us.  Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

For service complaints, issues or comments regarding this request please contact The Public Relations Department, West Midlands Fire Service, 99 Vauxhall Road, Birmingham, B7 4HW

Further information concerning Freedom of Information requests can be found on the Information Commissioner website at either the following link: https://ico.org.uk/ or at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, SK9 5AF.