Hi-tech fire response vehicles roll into action

Vans will provide a mobile coordination point for major incidents

New hi-tech vehicles will help to coordinate fire fighters

Nine hi-tech demonstration vehicles have been put in to operation this week which will provide a mobile control base for major catastrophes.

The Enhanced Command Support vehicles will be strategically located around the country, equipped with satellite phones, secure digital radio systems and multiple laptops able to display information from a number of different applications at once.

"These vehicles will mean that command and control of large numbers of these resources at major incidents will be more effectively managed," said fire minister Parmjit Dhanda.

The fire service will also use new software that can examine the geographical environment of an incident and help coordinate a large response team.

One or more of the vehicles will be deployed at any incident requiring 300 or more fire engines to be coordinated, such as the Buncefield oil depot fire in 2005.

They will be located in Cumbria, Devon & Somerset, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Hereford & Worcester, Kent, North Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and Suffolk.

The equipment is part of a wider £1bn investment programme in new control centres and communications equipment for the fire service.