I've had first hand experience of an 999 call where the call handler had no local knowledge - they insisted I was on a beach with the same name 20miles away, fortunately I knew I was right and convinced them I was right. I my case it turned out to be a false alarm (RNLI were firing flares as part of a practice at night) but lives could have been lost. But I guess it boils down to cost saving before anything else....

Jay, I imagine many of us will remember the move especially when we're seeing headlines on this site along the lines of "call out delays cause fire misery". And where will those be that defended the move be then! Just because it's happening does not make it right.

They are moveing our fire control Centre to
Warrington, Why stop there why not India like others have done ,its just as looney,

I see some arguments but absolutely NOT the local knowledge one! However, it's happening, nobody will ever even remember a year on - that's the way it is. Move on.

Having read about Westmidlands and Surrey Police asking Private Security firms such as G4S for tenders 'to partrol streets' all emergency services as we know them will ultimatly be amalgamated, centralise and out sourced in the name of cost cutting and profits for shareholders.

Ambulance control room for Cumbria is in Preston, Fire control will be in Cheshire,Police control will be next, just lets hope it will still be in this country.

If common sense ruled, one control room for Amb/Fire/Police in each region would have saved millions and kept the public safer with invaluable local geographic knowledge.

In all this cost cutting directed by the Government there are winners in the profit making Private sector and their shareholders at the expense of redundancys, minimum pay workers and safety for [what used to be the 'Great']British public.

Jay, have worked in emergency planning, I have worked in control rooms, and this 'cost cutting' will end in misery for some people. There's already evidence that similar moves by other control centres has resulted in serious problems, ths move will be no different. The decision makers should think more about the people they are there to protect than saving a few quid.

So after the government failed to accomplish regional control rooms, with hundreds of millions spent, a region thinks it can implement the technology to achieve this.
Jay, sadly you are very wrong. The only reason Cumbria County Council is doing this is because its being funded by central government. Where do you think central government gets the money from? That's right they hot it from your taxes, you will soon be paying more money, for at best the some level of service. And as soon as that central government incentive to support this is gone, local government foots the while bill.

Why is Cumbria not merging or working closer with the Police? That way costs could be efficiently shared, command and control functions could be shared, the two HQs are soon to be next to each other, local knowledge would be maintained, there are other partnership agreements and sharing of buildings already taking place. Cumbria Fire and Police work together more often than Cumbria Fire and Cheshire fire.

Also .. no offence, but a Maryport accent is totally different to a Carlisle/Barrow Accent ...

No, Me and Disgusted - The money for the new Control Centre is now committed. It's happening. Say a Cumbrian person reports a fire whilst on holiday in Cornwall? Or a person from Somerset on holiday in Cumbria reports a RTC or fire? Also, I had a job in the Control Room some years ago and I am not a local person! Sorry - your arguments do not hold water. The move was inevitable, it will not cost lives and it will save money.

'it will make use of the Warrington building' - says it all really. If you have an empty building then we should make every effort to use it regardless of cost, jobs and efficiency. the building was empty for a very good reason.