Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority renews long-term deal with Telent

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Telent contract begins in March 2026

Telent has signed a new long-term contract with Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority (MFRA), extending a 25-year working relationship and continuing ICT managed services across the authority’s estate and frontline vehicles.

Telent said the contract began on 1 March 2026 and will run for an initial five-year period, with an option to extend by two years.

The agreement covers End User Services and Networks. It also includes Command and Control Systems, along with Compute and Cloud Services.

The contract applies across MFRA’s offices, stations, control room and frontline vehicles.

Service Level Agreements have been enhanced with new Key Performance Indicators to align with MFRA’s ICT requirements.

The agreement also includes support for MFRA’s future ICT strategy and project requirements.

Telent has previously supported business change projects for MFRA, such as a state-of-the-art operational training centre, along with command and control systems and voice communications infrastructure upgrades.

Telent’s ICT Service Desk remains based within an MFRA building.

The team supports ITIL-based delivery.

The service desk was originally created for MFRA.

It now also supports East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service and provides internal ICT support for Telent nationally.

Telent and MFRA comments on the agreement

Peter Moir, Managing Director, Network Services at Telent, said: “This long-term partnership is built on trust, shared purpose, and delivery without disruption.

“We know what it takes to serve blue-light ICT Services, and we’re proud to continue supporting MFRA with reliable, secure and future-ready services.

“Telent remain focused on providing the technology backbone and services that let frontline teams focus on fire prevention and saving lives.”

Chief Fire Officer Nick Searle, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority, said: “Telent has been a valued partner for more than two decades, and their team has become a trusted extension of ours.

“This contract award reflects the strength of that relationship following a competitive tender process.

“It provides the continuity we rely on, with the flexibility to evolve as our operational needs change.

“Their understanding of our environment and the demands we face remains critical to how we protect communities and respond when it matters most.”

Kev Pilkington, Head of IT Managed Services at Telent, commented: “This contract demonstrates the strength of our longstanding partnership with Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority, built on 25 years of trust and collaboration.

“We remain committed to delivering ICT services that enable MFRA to focus on protecting lives and supporting vital fire prevention work.”

The new agreement was announced ahead of the BAPCO Annual Event in March 2026, where public safety technology will be showcased to the UK’s emergency services.

East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service signs £11 million technology partnership with Telent

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Telent agreement with ESFRS

East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service (ESFRS) has agreed a five-year, £11 million partnership with Telent to support the next phase of its digital transformation programme.

The partnership will cover technology supporting operational response and emergency communications, alongside IT services including critical networks, line of business applications and user devices.

Under the agreement, Telent will act as principal partner as ESFRS moves from a co-located data centre to a cloud-first environment within Microsoft Azure and application vendor provided cloud services.

Kev Pilkington, Head of IT Managed Services at Telent, said: “This contract award demonstrates that long-term transformation is possible when technology partners truly understand their customers’ mission and work collaboratively to achieve it.

“By keeping vital IT systems running 24/7, we help ensure that East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service can focus entirely on what matters most that is protecting lives, property and the communities they serve.”

Cloud-first scope and service resilience

The programme is intended to make critical systems faster, more reliable and more connected, with a focus on maintaining consistent emergency response.

Justine Cadogan, Assistant Director Digital, Technology & Change at ESFRS, said: “Our technology systems are central to how we serve and protect our communities.

“Continuing our partnership with Telent gives us the confidence that our digital infrastructure will remain secure, reliable and fit for the future, supporting our firefighters and staff in delivering the best possible service for the communities of East Sussex.”

The statement said the enhanced infrastructure will strengthen cybersecurity, improve performance and data access and streamline information-sharing across teams.

The agreement also includes co-developing ESFRS’s future IT strategy, with work to consider opportunities in automation and predictive analytics to support planning, coordination and resource management across the Service.

Work delivered since 2016

The award follows a public procurement process and builds on a nine-year partnership between the organisations, dating back to 2016.

The statement said Telent has modernised ESFRS’s IT infrastructure, migrated legacy systems and provided round-the-clock managed services across more than 75 IT service categories.

These categories include station end mobilisation, wired and Wi-Fi network management and end-user support for stations and front-line crews.

It also includes digitising previously manual and paper-based processes for fire safety visits, including a tablet-based application for Site Specific Risk Information visits.

Barry Zielinski, Strategy & Development Director for Network Services at Telent, said: “From an operational perspective, this award ensures our teams can continue providing the dependable, secure infrastructure that the Service’s front-line staff rely on every day.

“Whether it’s maintaining seamless communication between control rooms and crews or ensuring systems are always online, our focus is on enabling ESFRS to continue to deliver a fast, coordinated response across every incident as well as supporting the essential prevention work reducing the need for operational response.”

Telent’s support for Ireland’s fire services reaches decade milestone

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Ireland’s centralised fire service modernisation

Ireland’s fire services, which serve over 5 million residents, operate through 218 fire stations under 27 fire authorities.

Emergency response is coordinated via three Regional Control Centres (RCCs) as part of the Computer-Aided Mobilisation Project (CAMP).

According to Telent, prior to 2015, outdated legacy systems hindered effective communication and coordination.

These regionally independent systems caused delays in resource mobilisation and lacked interoperability.

In 2015, a centralised national model was introduced, supported by standardised GD92 and MG4 communication protocols.

This modernisation aimed to address the inefficiencies of the legacy systems and improve response operations across the country.

Telent’s role in fire alerting system implementation

Telent was selected as the technology partner in 2016 to deploy the National Fire Alerting and Communication System.

This project included upgrading station mobilisation equipment at 218 fire stations and installing Central Communication Processors (CCPs) within the RCCs.

The CCPs enable data integration and streamlined emergency dispatch, improving operational efficiency.

Telent also ensured full interoperability between all fire stations and control centres, standardising emergency response processes nationwide.

24/7 operational support for uninterrupted services

Telent established operational support centres in Dublin and Belfast to provide 24/7 technical assistance.

This ensures rapid resolution of any technical issues, enabling fire services to maintain uninterrupted emergency operations.

By implementing robust technical solutions and support frameworks, Telent has helped improve response times and resource coordination, contributing to the safety of Ireland’s population.

Renewed partnership for continued advancements

The partnership between Telent and Ireland’s fire services has been extended for another five years.

This collaboration will focus on maintaining and advancing the systems already in place.

Telent plans to continue providing first-line technical support and ensuring the reliability of emergency communication systems.

This extension underscores the importance of sustained investment in technology to support life-saving operations.

Telent continues to enhance Ireland’s fire service communications: Summary

Ireland’s fire services, managing 218 stations under 27 authorities, transitioned from outdated legacy systems to a centralised model in 2015.

Telent implemented a National Fire Alerting and Communication System, modernising mobilisation equipment and integrating data for efficient dispatch.

With operational support centres in Dublin and Belfast, Telent ensures 24/7 service continuity.

The renewed five-year partnership aims to maintain and advance these systems, bolstering Ireland’s emergency response capabilities.

Telent profits double with improved project execution

by Control RoomsFeatured News

Improved financial performance for Telent

Telent, a provider of technology solutions to the UK and Ireland’s critical national infrastructure, reported a doubling of its operating profits for the year ending 31 March.

This increase was driven by continuous improvement initiatives across major long-term projects and successful completion of key milestones.

EBITDA from operating activities rose to £27.8 million, up from £14.0 million in the previous year.

The company generated £40.2 million in cash from operating activities.

Turnover slightly decreased to £461.5 million, down from £476.1 million, as the company refocused on more profitable projects.

Telent ended the year with a forward order book worth more than £400 million, reflecting the long-term nature of many of its contracts.

CEO’s remarks on growth and future opportunities

Telent’s CEO, Jo Gretton, commented on the company’s performance: “This was an important year for Telent as the initiatives we have been putting in place to improve our profitability and put the business on a sound footing for growth, have borne fruit.

“We have great opportunities to build on our strong position with existing customers, and develop new areas of activity, and that gives us great confidence about the future of the company.”

Telent supports clients across the UK and Ireland’s critical infrastructure, including Transport for London, emergency services, broadband networks, and traffic systems.

The company has maintained many of these customer relationships for decades.

Major project milestones achieved

Significant progress was made on major projects for Network Rail and National Highways.

The Traction Power Centralised Management System project for Network Rail involved new infrastructure and software for a new traction control power operating system.

Core Factory Acceptance Testing Product Approval was achieved in July 2023, with service entry at Raynes Park in April 2024.

This technology will roll out to 13 of 15 regions, covering the entire electrified rail network in England.

The Highways team migrated 37,000 services to the new National Roads Telecommunications Service network, connecting roadside cameras, signs, signals, and traffic monitoring systems to National Highways Control Centres.

The migration was completed without service degradation.

Telent also replaced 6,065 roadside technology assets, completing the upgrade of 11,880 devices across the network, allowing National Highways to retire their legacy network.

Other notable projects and developments

Telent collaborated with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency on a new network connecting 165 remote radio sites around the UK coastline, replacing legacy infrastructure with full-fibre and microwave technology.

This network facilitates communications between vessels and HM Coastguard Operation Centres.

The company was selected for the Greater Manchester One Network project, creating faster and more resilient data connections to over 1,300 public sites across the city-region.

This includes schools, community centres, fire stations, and traffic control signals.

In higher education, Telent is working on a core IT network upgrade for the University of Bristol, with design work progressing well and a Proof of Concept in testing.

The new network will be built and rolled out during FY25.

Defence market and future projects

Telent has seen significant business development in the defence market, joining various procurement frameworks and partnering with key entities.

This market is identified as a strategic growth area for the company.

Work on the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station in Somerset continues, involving numerous technologies and skills from across Telent and its partners.

This has led to a consultancy contract for the next planned nuclear power station, Sizewell C, with design work expected to start later this year.

Telent also continued its successful partnership with Openreach, delivering all commitments and mobilising new workstreams in the Fibre to the Premises connections space.

This reinforces Telent’s reputation as a reliable partner for large-scale projects.

Telent secures three-year extension for North West 200 communications infrastructure

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Telent continues partnership with North West 200

Event organisers, media broadcast outlets, on-site emergency services personnel and visitors will all continue to have access to reliable connectivity at the largest outdoor sporting event in Ireland for the next three years.

As reported by Telent, the contract extension was awarded to Telent to provide the voice and data communications infrastructure for the North West 200.

Their successful collaboration is set to span two decades.

This year’s motorcycle road race took place from May 6-11, 2024, attracting more than 150,000 visitors and streamed to millions worldwide every year.

Telent installed the equipment at various points around the race circuit and had a team of ten staff on-site to support the event, addressing any additional requirements or potential technical incidents.

Comprehensive technical solutions provided by Telent

Telent delivered the telephony, radio voice communications, timing infrastructure, race clocks and timing screens.

They also provided the off-site TV production company, which livestreamed the event, with a “fibre to the camera” solution.

This included cabling to cameras, radio communications from the off-site producer to the cameramen and commentators via Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) communications, and 4G SIM-based back-up backhaul.

Jo Gretton, CEO at Telent, said: “We are delighted to have secured a three-year extension with North West 200, building on our success together and supporting its technical requirements for the past 18 years.

“Telent plays a crucial role as a trusted partner in supporting critical digital infrastructure, and at this year’s race, I was one of the 150,000 fans in attendance, benefitting from the reliable communications the event had to offer.”

Annual transformation of the greenfield site

The greenfield site is transformed annually into a racetrack, with all communications equipment installed as part of the set-up and removed after the event.

The technical solutions included IP microwave link deployment, IPTV solutions for timing and BBC video distribution, Cisco switch infrastructure, provision of spectator LED screens and messaging, DMR solutions, analogue radio-controlled red lights, IP telephony and safety camera solutions.

Mervyn Whyte MBE, Event Director at North West 200, said: “As we welcomed hundreds of thousands of fans across the globe to this year’s event, a cutting-edge network that promises seamless connectivity, live-streaming and communications is as critical as ever. Telent’s continued support once again proved to be crucial.”

IFSJ comment

The extension of Telent’s contract to provide communications infrastructure for the North West 200 highlights the importance of reliable and robust connectivity at major sporting events.

This partnership, now extending into its second decade, ensures that the event can accommodate the technological demands of organisers, media, emergency services, and visitors alike.

Telent’s role in installing and maintaining the necessary equipment underscores the complexity and scale of providing such services at a large outdoor event.

The annual transformation of the greenfield site into a fully functional racetrack with integrated communication solutions demonstrates the critical role that digital infrastructure plays in modern event management.