Thank you for your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
We can confirm that Essex County Fire & Rescue Service does hold the information you have requested.
Questions and final response:
Question 1 – "I would like you to provide me with the details of your contract concerning your MDT software that is used in your appliances to receive mobilization, send statuses, etc. (probably a solution provided by Airbus or 3tc).
The details I am looking for include the supplier, contract start, contract end, total contract value, as well as the number of licenses you currently utilize"
Response
I can confirm that Essex County Fire & Rescue Service does hold this information, however the information is exempt from disclosure to you.
The exemption applicable to the information is: Section 22 Information Intended for Future Publication
Our Transparency website is regularly updated to ensure transparency and accountability.
Essex County Fire & Rescue Service (ECFRS) publish contract information on our Contracts Awarded (essex-fire.gov.uk) webpage quarterly.
Section 22 is a qualified class-based exemption and consideration must be given as to whether there is a public interest in providing the information prior to the anticipated publication.
We are not obliged, under section 22 of the FOIA, to provide information that is intended for future publication.
Section 22 is a qualified exemption, this means that, even if the requested information falls within it, then I must go on to consider whether the public interest in maintaining the exemption is greater than the public interest in disclosing the information at the present time.
Essex County Fire & Rescue Service (ECFRS) recognise there is a strong public interest to demonstrate openness, transparency and accountability with regards to the Freedom of Information legislation particularly in relation to an individual’s right to know.
Factors in favour of disclosure
The efficiency and effectiveness of the Authority Transparency when spending public money.
In favour of non-disclosure
To ensure contract information is available to all who wish to view in accordance with our Publication scheme, premature publication outside of the Publication Scheme could be seen to provide commercial advantage.
Consistency with our Publication Scheme.
Public Interest Balancing Test
As the information is of wider interest to the public, the decision has been made to make the information accessible simultaneously to the public rather than a piecemeal disclosure to a small number of individuals under the FOIA.
Therefore, it is in the wider interest that information is accessible to the public by adhering to our publication scheme.
This is our refusal notice in respect of your request.
The contract information that you are requesting will be published on our Contracts Awarded (essex-fire.gov.uk)in the near future.
We are unable to provide you with a date for publication.
We hope you find this information useful.
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Incident and other data is published on our transparency site. Incident Data (essex- fire.gov.uk).
Please note that the response and data released to you as part of this request will be published on our website http://transparency.essex-fire.gov.uk/.
All requests will be anonymised and no personal information including contact details will be disclosed as part of this process.
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Thank you for your interest in Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, we hope this satisfies your request.
If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the right to apply for an internal review.
Internal review requests should be submitted within two months of the date of your original email and should be sent to informationgovernance@essex-fire.gov.uk or sent to our postal address: Internal Review, Information Governance Team, Kelvedon Park, Rivenhall, Witham, Essex CM8 3HB.
Please ensure you quote the above reference number in all future communications.