High Peak 1 Four New Firefighter Control Operators Join Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire’s Joint Control Team
Written by Kane Smith on 04/11/2025
Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service (DFRS) and Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service have welcomed four new Firefighter Control Operators to their Joint Fire Control Room, strengthening the team responsible for managing 999 emergency calls and mobilising crews across both counties.
DFRS and NFRS welcome four new Firefighter Control Operators. Credit: Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service
The new recruits — Leanne Heath, Lauren Clowes, Charley Kirk, and Freddie Norris (pictured left to right) — are currently undertaking an eight-week intensive training programme designed to equip them with the practical skills and knowledge needed to perform this vital role.
The Joint Control Team plays a crucial part in emergency response operations, handling calls, deploying resources, and providing reassurance to callers in often distressing situations.
Call handlers are a vital part of our emergency response. When you’re on the phone, time is critical. You need to quickly gather and process information while also offering reassurance to the caller — often in highly distressing circumstances.The initial training familiarises the recruits with our joint fire control mobilising system, the wide range of incident types that firefighters attend, the many stations across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, and the different specialist fire and rescue vehicles in operation.It’s such an essential and complex role, and we’re pleased to welcome Leanne, Lauren, Charley, and Freddie to the team.
The recruits joined the team just as the Joint Control Room marked International Control Room Week (27 October – 2 November 2025) — an annual event celebrating the life-saving work of control room staff across the emergency services.
To commemorate the week, the team organised a ‘Bakes and Bikes’ charity challenge in memory of the late retired Chief Fire Officer Gavin Tomlinson and late serving Chief Fire Officer Rob Taylor. With support from the new recruits, the team’s different watches sold homemade cakes and cycled a combined 380 miles — the equivalent distance between all fire stations in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.
Thanks to generous donations, the challenge has already raised over £1,000, with the final total to be shared between The Fire Fighters Charity and Pancreatic Cancer UK when the JustGiving campaign closes on Sunday 9 November.
Both Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service and Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service have congratulated the Joint Control Team on their fundraising success and look forward to celebrating the new recruits’ pass out ceremony later this year.
