Take the fullest details of the incident in a calming but controlling manner
Give life saving advice if a caller is trapped by fire by utilising ‘Stay on the line’ techniques if appropriate
Start a computerised incident log
Mobilise the appropriate resources to the incident
Inform the Brigade’s Duty Officers as necessary
Liaise with other emergency services and agencies
Maintain a log of all resources committed to the incident, including details of who is crew commander and how many fire fighters are on each appliance
Ensure that adequate numbers of fire cover appliances are distributed across the Island in case of concurrent incidents
Co-ordinate the rescue/fire fighting effort if on multiple fronts
Monitor the situation and dispatch additional resources if requested or if prudent
Handle other 999 calls at the same time
Use databases to retrieve information on chemicals or hazards stored on premises to keep the fire fighters as safe and informed as possible
Keep a record of available appliances in case of additional incidents
Dispatch the Fire Investigation Team, Brigade Photographer or Building Inspector (if appropriate)
Plus, we also do other things not immediately connected with 999 emergencies:
Handle calls, out of hours, for the Council’s Highways Department
Act as a switchboard for calls to Newport Fire Station, Community Fire Safety, Brigade Workshops and Stores
Store the Accident Book and complete all the necessary paperwork if a fire fighter is injured
Record defective equipment and building faults, and call out the Duty Workshops Fitter to fix urgent mechanical problems
Manage replenishment of food/water packs carried on fire appliances
Take details of special events happening at the Stations around the Island and produce a Diary for distribution throughout the Brigade
Distribute the weekly listing of road closures throughout the Brigade
Brief the Duty Officer and Senior Duty Officer each morning
Make sure the Archive voice recording of 999 calls is kept
Continually train to make sure our knowledge is up to date and that we know where the best sources of information are
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Question:
Where will our Regional Control Centres be?
Answer
: Our new Regional Control Centre will be based in Kites Croft, Fareham, Hampshire.
Question:
Who is funding the new Regional Control Centre?
Answer
:The initial start up costs will be funded by the CLG. Once each Fire Service's calls cut over into the new Regional Control Centre, the Local Authority will start to contribute towards the running costs of the Regional Control Centre.
Question:
How will a Control Room Operator in Hampshire know where I am if I make a 999 call?
Answer
:Mapping technology will allow the Control Room Operator to see the caller's location on a map.
Question:
What will happen to the 999 calls if the Regional Control Centre is busy?
Answer
:Any calls that cannot be answered by the Regional Control Centre in Fareham will be passed to the nearest available Regional Control Centre, which will be able to mobilise fire appliances to incidents on the Isle of Wight.
Question:
Will our Regional Control Centre take 999 calls for any other Fire Services?
Answer
:Yes. Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex, Kent, Surrey, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Royal Berkshire.
