Comms system rolled out between fire and rescue control rooms to save vital time

Emergency services in England are set to share information faster during incidents as a new communications system rolls out across fire and rescue services.

The Multi-Agency Incident Transfer (MAIT) standard allows control rooms to send incident details instantly between services through a shared digital platform. By cutting the time it takes to pass on critical information, it is expected to save vital minutes during multi-agency responses.

The system was developed following a recommendation from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, with support from Ordnance Survey data and in collaboration with the public safety organisation British APCO.

MAIT enables incident information to be shared in a consistent, secure format, whether between one or multiple control rooms. The aim is simple: ensure all responding agencies are working from the same, accurate picture as early as possible.

The National Fire Chiefs Council is overseeing the rollout across England’s 44 fire and rescue services, which operate through 34 control rooms. So far, 27 services are live, and most are expected to be using the system by the end of March. Implementation and some initial running costs have been funded by government.

Chair of NFCC Phil Garrigan said: “Fire and rescue services are working alongside other emergency services more than ever before, and one of our priorities has been to make that joint response as smooth as possible. MAIT means control rooms can share information in seconds, not minutes, so every service is working from the same picture from the moment the call comes in. That improves coordination and helps get the right assistance to the public swiftly and safely.”

“MAIT enables fire control rooms to share critical information in fast time with other fire control rooms, and once onboarded, with other emergency services.

“Since going live, it has already been used in a number of operational scenarios, with very positive feedback from fire and rescue services.”

Keith Donnelly, Head of Fire Service Operational Communications at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Other emergency services are now being encouraged to adopt the standard. North Yorkshire Police and HM Coastguard are currently working to introduce MAIT into their control rooms.

“Any process that accelerates communication between emergency services has the potential to save lives. MAIT eases the pressure on control room operators, helps them manage incidents more effectively, and can cut response times by minutes.”

Matt Leat, Deputy Chief Coastguard.

The MAIT contract has been awarded to the AVR Group, which uses shared addressing standards such as Ordnance Survey’s AddressBase Premium and Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN). The system also includes a bespoke gazetteer, helping services understand overlapping geographic responsibilities.

The benefits of MAIT have already been seen in Wales, where it is in use across all emergency services.

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