Ref: FOI/22030
RE: FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 REQUEST
I am writing to confirm that the West Midlands Fire Service has now completed its search for the information you requested further to your freedom of information request.
Please find below a summary of our findings.
Request
All or some of the information provided previously has expired, I require an update on the questions below.
See my request below:
Contract 1 - contact centre/call centre contracts
Please send me the following information for each provider:
1. Incumbent Supplier: For each of the contract(s) please can you provide me with the supplier of the contract.
Reply
This information is exempt under section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 as this information is reasonably accessible to the requestor. The information can be found on West Midlands Fire Service website at the following link:
https://www.wmfs.net/foi/21055-telephony-systems-contract/
Request
2. Annual Average Spend: the annual average (over 3 years) spends for each supplier
Reply
This information is exempt under section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 as this information is reasonably accessible to the requestor. The information can be found on West Midlands Fire Service website at the following link:
https://www.wmfs.net/about-us/documents/)
Request
3. Contract Expiry: the date of when the contract expires.
4. Contract Review: the date of when the contract will be reviewed.
5. Contract Description: a brief description of the services provided of the overall contract.
Reply
This information is exempt under section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 as this information is reasonably accessible to the requestor. The information can be found on West Midlands Fire Service website at the following link:
https://www.wmfs.net/foi/21055-telephony-systems-contract/
Request
6. Contact Details: The person from within the organisation responsible for the contract. Please provide me with their full name, actual job title, contact number and direct email address.
Reply
With regards for the contact details of responsible persons, WMFS operates a single point of contact policy and callers are directed via HQ general contacts on 0330 058 9000. The call will be directed to the person with responsibility for the specific service. There is a direct email address for suppliers making sales enquires email: procurement.enquires@wmfs.net. Furthermore, guidance from the Information Commissioner’s Office is as follows:
· The presumption is in favour of protecting privacy, so the release of personal information will only be fair if there is a genuine reason to disclose. This involves a three-stage test. A public authority will generally have to satisfy itself that:
· There is a legitimate interest in disclosure;
· The legitimate interest can only be met, or fully met, by the disclosure of information which identifies individuals (i.e. the disclosure is necessary to that purpose); and, the disclosure would not involve unwarranted detriment to the individual’s privacy or other rights and legitimate interests.
· You can find out more about FOI exemptions from the Information Commissioner's Office. This will explain which one or more of the FOI exemptions applies, and tell you how to appeal if you disagree with our decision.
Request
7. Number of Agents; please provide me with the total number of contact centre agents.
Reply
Fire Control plus home fire safety operators, which is currently 64.
Request
8. Number of Sites; please can you provide me with the number of sites the contact centre covers.
Reply
1
Request
9. Manufacturer of the contact centre: Who is the manufacturer of the contact centre system that you operate?
Reply
Unify OpenScape
Request
10. Busy Periods: Please state the month(s) which the contact centre is at its highest/busiest during the year. This can be based upon the number of calls. Your provider may be able to tell you quicker. E.g., JAN-MAR, APR, JUNE.
Reply
Our busiest month for incoming calls in the last 12 months was September 2021 with 1027 calls.
Request
11. Do you use Microsoft Exchange 2003 as your email server? If not, then which product do you use?
Reply
As a major emergency service provider, you will appreciate that we must ensure that the security of our personnel is appropriately protected. Releasing detailed information about our physical Security risk assessment of the Services building(s)/estate(s) in response to your request and other similar requests under Freedom of Information has wider implications that we must consider. By this we mean that disclosing this information may prejudice our ability to maintain our own and national security. We believe that maintaining security and ensuring public safety in a national and local context takes precedence over this request.
We accept that this type of information is of interest to commercial companies and to researchers but believe that it is not in the greater public good to release detailed information.
We do not imply that release of this information alone would necessarily be immediately detrimental but taken with other information we consider that it could have an adverse effect on our capability, effectiveness, and security. Given the current security climate in the UK we recognise the necessity to take a precautionary approach. In this situation we have also taken account of whether the release of this information, could, if put together with other available information, cause damage. After consideration we concluded that this type of information cannot be divorced from its context and looked at in isolation. In some circumstances, releasing this information could give rise to prejudice that would not otherwise have existed, because, taken together with other information requested, it could disclose a composite of information which is more sensitive than its individual parts taken separately.
We are therefore refusing your request under Freedom of Information exemptions, s24 National Security, s38 Health and Safety.
In taking this decision we have taken note of the Centre for Protecting the National Infrastructure Guidance on disclosure of sensitive information, which states
“…. that national security is paramount and should be considered carefully in any government or commercial decision to release or disseminate information to the public”.
This guidance continues to state that careful consideration must be given before disclosing ‘precise information which exposes an organisation’s physical security to the threat of an attack’.
Some of these exemptions are subject to the public interest test. This means that we must consider whether the public interest in releasing the information outweighs the public interest in refusing to disclose. We have considered that it is in the interest of the majority of the public to protect the physical security of our estates from harm, in order to support us to ensure public safety and safety of our staff. We have also decided that the likelihood of a security threat does not need to be immediate as the impact would, in an emergency situation, be potentially serious.
We also considered whether release of this information is in the public interest in terms of explaining our decisions, ensuring accountability, or providing transparency into our handling of public finances. We have concluded that the detail of this information is not necessary to meet the public interest or reassure public concerns. As a result, we have decided that the public interest is better served by not disclosing this detailed information.”
Request
12. Number of email users: Approximate number of email users across the organisations.
Reply
2000
Request
Please add any further comments attached to this contract if there are any changes coming to the organisation with regards to contact centres.
The second part of my request relates to the use inbound network services contracts which could relate to one of the following:
1. 0800, 0845, 0870, 0844, 0300 number
2. Routing of calls
3. Caller Identifier
4. Caller Profile- linking caller details with caller records
5. Interactive voice response (IVR)
Reply
This information is exempt under section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 as this information is reasonably accessible to the requestor. The information can be found on West Midlands Fire Service website at the following link:
https://www.wmfs.net/foi/21055-telephony-systems-contract/
Request
For contract relating to the above please can you provide me with?
1. Incumbent Supplier: For each of the contract(s) please can you provide me with the supplier of the contract.
Reply
This information is exempt under section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 as this information is reasonably accessible to the requestor. The information can be found on West Midlands Fire Service website at the following link:
https://www.wmfs.net/foi/21055-telephony-systems-contract/
Request
2. Annual Average Spend: the annual average (over 3 years) spends for each supplier
Reply
3. Contract Expiry: the date of when the contract expires.
4. Contract Review: the date of when the contract will be reviewed.
5. Contract Description: a brief description of the services provided of the overall contract.
Reply
This information is exempt under section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 as this information is reasonably accessible to the requestor. The information can be found on West Midlands Fire Service website at the following link:
https://www.wmfs.net/about-us/documents/
Request
6. Contact Details: The person from within the organisation responsible for the contract. Please provide me with their full name, actual job title, contact number and direct email address.
Reply
With regards for the contact details of responsible persons, WMFS operates a single point of contact policy and callers are directed via HQ general contacts on 0330 058 9000. The call will be directed to the person with responsibility for the specific service. There is a direct email address for suppliers making sales enquires email: procurement.enquires@wmfs.net. Furthermore, guidance from the Information Commissioner’s Office is as follows:
· The presumption is in favour of protecting privacy, so the release of personal information will only be fair if there is a genuine reason to disclose. This involves a three-stage test. A public authority will generally have to satisfy itself that:
· There is a legitimate interest in disclosure;
· The legitimate interest can only be met, or fully met, by the disclosure of information which identifies individuals (i.e. the disclosure is necessary to that purpose); and, the disclosure would not involve unwarranted detriment to the individual’s privacy or other rights and legitimate interests.
· You can find out more about FOI exemptions from the Information Commissioner's Office. This will explain which one or more of the FOI exemptions applies, and tell you how to appeal if you disagree with our decision.
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.
