Beds FRS: Next-gen turnout system transforms Bedfordshire’s fire mobilisation
A State-of-the-art mobilisation system has gone live at Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service to improve reliability, speed and resilience.
The Service completed the major upgrade to its station end equipment across all 14 of its fire stations, replacing legacy turnout equipment.
The install marks the full retirement of systems that, in some cases, had been in place for more than 40 years. The new solution, delivered by technology partner Telent, introduces a fully modernised multitone mobilisation system with a range of new features designed specifically for operational environments.
Station Commander Mike King, who was part of the project team, said: “This has been one of the most significant behind-the-scenes upgrades we’ve undertaken. We chose Telent for their experience and ability to deliver a system that fits the practical needs of our crews. The added resilience—particularly the tertiary bearer—and the usability of the i-console are game changers. It means our teams can respond faster and more reliably, even during major technical disruptions.”
The new system includes upgraded infrastructure and peripherals at every station, including:
- New cabling, internal and external lighting, and high-quality speakers
- Modern tannoy systems and microphones at wholetime stations
- Introduction of the i-console, a multifunction touchscreen that displays incident information and allows manual activation of alerts
- Repeater screens in mess decks to improve visibility of incident alerts, colour-coded by urgency
- Longer-life battery backup now supporting more components, ensuring continued operation during power failures
- Enhanced data and diagnostics to support performance tracking and maintenance
A key feature of the system is its layered approach to resilience. The primary network operates over the BFRS data system, but a 4G-based secondary bearer ensures continuity in the event of local or planned outages. The tertiary solution goes a step further, automatically activating all station peripherals—including screens and printers—even if both the main network and 4G backup fail. This removes the need for crews to be placed on "radio watch" during outages and ensures full mobilisation continues without disruption.
The new equipment is also more energy efficient, and several sites have received external aerials to improve connectivity in areas with poor signal coverage.
As part of the project, BFRS has also established a dedicated off-network test environment, known informally as "Station 15." This allows new software versions and features to be trialled in a live-like environment without risk to active operations.
The project was delivered through close coordination between operational crews, control room staff, ICT specialists, and Telent engineers. The rollout required stations to run legacy and new systems in parallel during the transition period, with meticulous planning to avoid operational impact.
The new system is supported under a 24/7/365 contract with Telent, ensuring high availability and rapid issue resolution. The system also offers detailed monitoring capabilities, allowing station managers and control room staff to track performance and identify areas for improvement.
This investment is part of BFRS’s broader strategy to modernise its infrastructure and maintain the highest standards of emergency response for communities across Bedfordshire.