Agenda item

To consider Item 11

The Head of Prevention, Response and Resilience advised Members that this particular report focused on the Thames Valley Fire Control Service (TVFCS) and the report was in two parts. The first part was the Integrated Communication Control System contract (ICCS). When the TVFCS went live in April 2015, there were two ICCS contracts with Capita Secure Information Solutions Limited, which had been entered into by Oxfordshire County Council and Royal Berkshire Fire Authority respectively.

However, the TVFCS steady state transition plan recommended that these two contracts be brought into one single contract, with the term running from April 2017 to January 2021.  Within the inter-authority agreement, under clause 17.3 this particular contract should be brought to the respective authorities to agree should an  extension be required. There was an extension to this contract that took it through to March 2022, however this decision was not brought before this Authority or others.  This was an oversight, the reason for which are detailed within the report and assurances have been provided this will not be repeated again.

The Head of Prevention, Response and Resilience advised Members that at the Executive Committee meeting on 17 November 2021, this contract was being novated to Capital SSS Limited and the sale went through to NEC Software Solutions UK Limited on 3 January 2022. Members also took the decision at the Executive Committee meeting on 15 September 2021, for the Vision 4 mobilising contract to be extended by one year from April 2022 to March 2023. This report was looking to align both the Vision 4 mobilising contract and the ICCS contract.

The Head of Prevention, Response and Resilience advised Members that contained within the Inter-Authority agreement was a review clause. This allowed for each Authority, after the fifth anniversary of the TVFCS going live, the opportunity to consider whether it wished to exercise its right to withdraw from the agreement. If the decision was taken to withdraw, the Authority would have to consider the options available.

The Head of Prevention, Response and Resilience advised Members that following the collaborative partnership in establishing TVFCS, there was compelling evidence that had ensured the Authority continued to provide an effective control room function, which was an integral part of its emergency response capability. As well as allowing the Authority to maintain financial efficiencies, alongside improving resilience and performance, which had enhanced the service to both the public and its operational firefighters.

A Member asked about the need to constantly be monitoring the efficiency of the contract in terms of cost savings and cost efficiencies and also what other options were out there, how would officers propose to undertake that review moving forward.

The Head of Prevention, Response and Resilience advised that Officers would bring forward recommendations to the TVFCS Joint Committee in July 2022 setting out whether to further extend the Vision 4 mobilising and ICCS contracts in line with the agreement, or seek to commence a full replacement.

RESOLVED –

1.                  That extending the TVFCS DS3000 Integrated Communication Control System (ICCS) contract for one year, from April 2022 to March 2023 be agreed.

2.                  That Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Fire Authority (the Authority) remains a member and party to the inter authority agreement (IAA) relating to the steady state operation of Thames Valley Fire Control Service (TVFCS) be agreed.

(Councillor Christensen left the meeting)