THE Northumberland fire service has received a £2 million investment to fund an upgraded fire control system.

The cash, approved by Northumberland County Council’s cabinet, will be used to pay for the new system, which will be shared between Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) and Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS).

The new system will provide an “interconnected fire control” call handling and mobilising system.

It means that NFRS and TWFRS will be able to handle calls and mobilise resources on behalf of the other as part of pre-existing resilience agreements. It is anticipated that the new system will be operational by the end of November 2025.

Councillor Gordon Stewart, the chairman of the county’s fire authority, explained the need for the upgrade.

He said: “I think it’s well evidenced that we have got a fantastic fire and rescue service in Northumberland. It is part of the county council and long may that continue.

“There’s no need or desire for it to become part of another authority like the PCC or the combined authority. It works exceptionally well.

“We have a highly trained, well-equipped team from the call handlers to the teams on the ground. This system here is expensive, but it has got to be replaced.

“The other system is outdated. We have a modern county here with very diverse areas.

“Lots of money has been invested in the south east of the county, so we’re tackling new challenges there. We have a very historical county with tourism one of the main industries, and nature is having an impact due to wildfires.

“We’ve got more cars and more housing. We’ve got to look at the systems to replace – if we don’t have this system in place, everything else falls down.”

Other options discussed by the council’s procurement team included joining hubs alongside either Hereford and Worcestershire Fire and Rescue Service or the West Yorkshire hub – but these were deemed unfeasible.