The development of new technology solutions to support lifesaving operations will continue thanks to the extension of a contract between Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority (MFRA) and Telent.
The new two-year contract extension takes the current partnership that started in 2001 to 2026 and extends Telent’s management and expansion of vital ICT services for MFRA to 25 years. A recent example of how the ongoing partnership has created technology solutions for operational needs is the development and deployment of the VLS Acoustic evacuation solution that comprises a hand-portable speaker that delivers spoken commands and instructions over a significant range. The VLS solution has applications for high-rise building evacuations and use-cases for many other emergency services and public safety incidents such as flooding and wildfires.
“We are delighted to continue our support of mission critical technology services and enable MFRA to concentrate on its lifesaving day-to-day operations, keeping the communities of Merseyside safe,” said Barry Zielinski, operations and services director at Telent. “The success and longevity of our collaboration with MFRA is down to the partnership approach we have taken throughout the length of our partnership together.”
At the heart of the contract, Telent provides an ITIL service desk for MFRA, handling more than 650 IT Incidents and Requests per month, with 75% of issues fixed by Telent remotely, bringing significant efficiencies to MFRA and their users. The 24/7 service desk ensures there are always Telent staff on-hand to provide immediate support, acting as a single point of contact for all ICT-related issues.
“Community safety and life-saving operations are top priorities for MFRA and ICT services are crucial to the day-to-day running of operations and must be developed, aligned and continually reviewed,” said chief fire officer Phil Garrigan OBE, at Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service. “Telent brings a flexible approach to its service delivery which has proved invaluable to us as we work to keep up with the fast-paced technological changes across the business sphere. Our relationship with Telent means we have a partner that we can rely on in the most demanding of circumstances.”
As part of the extended contract, Telent will provide consultancy and project management to support MFRA’s new £40 million training and development academy. Telent works closely with MFRA to provide technology innovation and solutions, holding innovation forums twice a year as well as ensuring the IT services Telent deliver are aligned to the MFRA organisational strategy. The creation of an Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)-based service catalogue ensures that MFRA can effortlessly meet new technological requirements in a cost-effective way.
