NEW technology has been blamed for alleged delays in getting fire engines to their destination.

The Fire Brigade Union said there were major failings across Essex at the weekend with firefighters delayed in getting to call-outs.

A new IT system, installed two months ago, has allegedly repeatedly failed to notify fire stations of 999 calls.

Essex Fire and Rescue Service said it had not missed any 999 calls.

Riccardo la Torre, chairman of the Essex FBU, said in an open letter: “Station-based personnel have experienced failures to mobilise, failures in the ‘bells going down’, the complete absence of any ‘tip sheet’ and vital incident information, such as addresses and type of call.

“Fire crews have even been mobilised via the general phone system with the details of incidents they are being mobilised to attend recorded on scraps of paper, resulting in a delayed emergency response to the communities of Essex.”

The union has written to the chairman of Essex Fire Authority, Anthony Hedley, asking for it to intervene, in the interest of public and firefighter safety.

An Essex Fire spokesman said: “During the first phase of the implementation, difficulties with the networking of the system have resulted in a number of system outages and performance issues.

“The underlying cause of these issues has not yet been identified.

“During these periods, 999 calls have continued to be answered and appliances mobilised using alternative methods available to control staff.”