Fire service drops plans for new 999 IT system amid contract ‘failure’

The fire service has abandoned plans for a multimillion-pound new IT system for its 999 service amid a dispute with contractors.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said it will not proceed with plans for a new command and control mobilising system, despite a contract being signed in 2018.

It said French IT company Systel has failed to meet agreed milestones and legal proceedings are taking place around the “complex” contractual dispute.

Assistant chief officer Andy Watt said: “Work began with the supplier in 2018 and a project delivery plan was agreed, based on clearly defined milestones within the contract.

“We have taken a very proactive approach to managing the contract and have worked closely to support our supplier to achieve these milestones.

“Despite this, the contractor has not delivered on the agreed project plan or met the milestones.”

He continued: “We have extended all opportunities to our supplier and exhausted all required contractual provisions necessary to assist in the fulfilment of the contract.

“This is a complex contractual issue which is the subject of an ongoing legal process.

“We are therefore limited in the financial and contractual details we can share at this point.

“The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service will continue to provide an emergency response through our current operations control mobilising systems, with back-up systems also in place.

“As a matter of priority we are considering our next steps.”

The SFRS has not revealed the total value of the contract but a report in the Sunday Mail newspaper in September placed it at £10 million.

The newspaper reported a whistleblower as saying there were “major concerns” about the contract.