The Emergency Fire Control Room is the first point of contact of the Kent Fire and Rescue Service when someone dials 999 and asks for help. The professional Fire Service Control Operators receive the call, establish the nature of the incident, the correct address, mobilise the right appliances and personnel to deal with the emergency and then make sure there is adequate fire cover for the area whilst the incident is resolved. The Control Operators currently work in a purpose built Control Room at the KFRS Headquarters in Tovil, Maidstone, but the senior management of KFRS propose to move the Control Room and associated IT infrastructure to the Police Headquarters Control Room. The reason for this move is a failure by senior management to upgrade the existing facility to maintain a Control Room fit for the 21st Century. This will cost the KFRS year on year and will not provide a better Control Room for the future with the loss of strategic management of this essential part of emergency response.

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