For training on Monday 16 June, members of Hutt Valley Fire Police and Wellington Fire Support both visited the Wellington Fire Communications Centre (Firecom). This was an opportunity to see the 'other end' of the fire turnout process and we had opportunity to chat with the duty shift, and observe some actual inbound 111 calls and brigade responses to a variety of incidents during our short stay.

The Wellington Commcen - colocated with the Police Communications Centre in downtown Wellington - routinely handles radio traffic, 111 calls and brigade dispatch duties for the bottom half of the North Island. It can also take over the Northern (Auckland) Firecom area (Top half of North Island) or the South Island (Christchurch) area in the event of, for example, a power or systems failure at either location. The commcens are built to be mutually supporting.

Image courtesy FP Ingrid Vlieg

The image above shows members of HVFP and WFSU conversing and observing Firecom in action. In the foreground is the station occupied by the Wellington area dispatcher.