The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has awarded Motorola Solutions a £31.7 million contract to provide a new mobilising system, ensuring the continued efficiency and safety of the service’s operations.

According to the official contract award notice, this procurement was completed without a formal competitive tender due to the urgent need for a replacement system before the current contract expires at the end of 2025. The notice highlights that several previous procurement attempts were unsuccessful, leaving insufficient time for a fresh competition.

An earlier tender specified that the new system should be based on a commercial off-the-shelf solution capable of handling 999 emergency calls, mobilising response teams, and providing essential management and reporting systems. Other critical functions include call recording and staff training capabilities.

Concerns Over Existing Systems

The decision to expedite this contract follows growing concerns about the reliability of SFRS’s current mobilising systems, which are spread across three control rooms. A report by HM Fire Service Inspectorate in April 2023 described the existing systems as outdated and vulnerable.

One of the key challenges identified was the old systems’ inability to support the transition from the Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) to a fully digital network, including the upcoming Emergency Services Network. This transition requires the new solution to be fully operational by the end of 2025.

The contract with Motorola Solutions is expected to ensure that SFRS can meet these challenges, modernising its mobilising system to support Scotland’s emergency response capabilities effectively.