Scottish Ambulance has awarded Arqiva a five-year, estimated £450,000 preferred supplier agreement for the installation of in-vehicle Tetra radios, mobile telephones and ancillaries for the emergency service’s fleet of 1,400 vehicles.

As well as installing new vehicles with radios, Arqiva will be de-installing radios from decommissioned vehicles and re-fitting them in other vehicles, providing flexibility and cost-effective savings.

Fred Davidson, procurement officer at Scottish Ambulance, commented: “Arqiva was selected for the contract as they demonstrated an ability to provide good quality workmanship coupled with a superior ability to manage logistical challenges with minimal disruption to the operational performance of our vehicle fleet. Combined with their long-standing heritage of working alongside Airwave and other emergency services, this made them the strongest candidate in a competitive tender, and we look forward to working closely with the Arqiva team to ensure the Scottish public continues to have the best service we can provide.”

Andy Norris, government director at Arqiva, added: “We are very pleased to have been selected by Scottish Ambulance for this extensive agreement. We were keen to demonstrate that Arqiva understands how public safety services operate on a day-to-day basis and the demands placed on in-vehicle communications. We are confident that our experience will ensure that we can meet Scottish Ambulance requirements efficiently, expertly and with lower operating costs.”