Emergency services digital radio rollout sets scorching pace

Firemen's radios will have better coverage

Digital radios will be installed in each of Scotland’s 1,200 fire-fighting vehicles and eight regional control centres by the first half of 2010, according to supplier Airwave.

The radios have already improved coverage and security compared with analogue radios previously used by UK fire services.

David Wynne, chair of the Chief Fire Officers’ Association Scotland, welcomed the move.

Airwave said it has recently completed the installation of new radio equipment in nearly 6,500 fire and rescue service (FRS) vehicles in Great Britain - around two-thirds of the total 8,440 vehicles.

All 43 police services now use Airwave radios, and many ambulance services are switching to the system.

John Lewis, head of Airwave’s fire and civil resilience division, said: “We’re currently installing Airwave in four vehicles in 16 FRSs every single day, a rate soon to be increased to four vehicles in 18 FRSs.”

The radios in England will eventually link to nine new regional control centres that are due to be fully operating by the end of 2012, replacing 46 legacy control centres. Interim systems will link radios to the legacy control centres until then.