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Covering the entire spectrum of the Emergency Services
December 2014
www.emergencyservicestimes.com
Volume 15 | 6
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ESTCONTENTS | 1
IN EVERY ISSUE
19
COMMENT
3
NEWS
4
COMPANY PROFILES
30| 51
PEOPLE
52
PROFILE
15
EVENTS
10
PRODUCTS
57
LAST WORDS
60
IN THIS ISSUE 58
COLLABORATION
12
As the winners of the Fire Transformation Fund are announced, we take a look at the multi-agency projects that will benefit from the £75m fund and a new report from the Emergency Services Collaboration Working Group gives the most accurate picture yet of the collaborative projects between blue light services in England and Waless
ESS2014 REVIEW
18
The Emergency Services Show 2014 welcomed a record
05
number of both exhibitors and visitors to Birmingham in September – find out more about the UK’s leading multi-agency event and see if you feature in our photo round-up
13
2014 REVIEW
22
From the floods in Eastern Europe to the Commonwealth Games, 2014 has been a busy year for the UK’s emergency services. This year also saw
51
the culmination of JESIP, with a large-scale multi-agency exercise in Merseyside, and the Fire Service College welcomed the world’s extrication experts for October’s World Rescue Challengee
COMMUNICATIONS 26
32
Progress update on the Emergency Services Network, it’s been a busy year for Airwave, the benefits of unified communications plus the potential for more use of SMS messaging in the drive for responsive emergency communications
CBRN
43
Arco chosen by the UK Government to supply PPE in the fight against the spread of Ebola, a new focus on the role of responders as the Home Office reviews the 2006 CBRN Model Response and MAIAT heralds a new era of CBRN response
EMERGENCY LIGHTING 28
www.emergencyservicestimes.com
54
A round up of the brightest and best hands free and hands on lighting available to the UK’s first responders
December 2014
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2 | ESTA-Z
Companies Company Name
Page No
Company Name
Page No
Company Name
Page No
Company Name
Page No
3 .................................................................................................................35
Dorset Police ..................................................................................................4
MEL Secure Systems..................................................................................58
Scot Seats.......................................................................................................4
Airmax .............................................................................................................4
East Midlands Ambulance Service ............................................................52
Mercedes-Benz .............................................................................................9
Scott Safety.....................................................................................................4
Airwave Solutions Ltd .......................................................................5, 32, 34
East of England Ambulance Service .........................................................52
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service ........................................................26
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service................................................4, 6, 24, 25
Ambition 2015 .............................................................................................10
EE .................................................................................................................35
Merseyside Police........................................................................................26
Scottish Government ..................................................................................24
Ambulance Services Charity.........................................................................5
Egress Software Technologies.....................................................................5
Metropolitan Police .....................................................................................41
Search Systems Ltd.......................................................................................6
Arco...............................................................................................................43
The Emergency Services Show.................................................................18
Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service............................................5
Serco.............................................................................................................60
Arqiva ........................................................................................................5, 34
Environment Agency......................................................................20, 26, 47
Ministry of Defence .....................................................................................26
Sevenoaks Town Council............................................................................60
Association of Ambulance Chief Executives.............................................12
EP Barrus Ltd .................................................................................................6
National Ambulance Resilience Unit .........................................................47
Severn Area Rescue Association...............................................................12
Association of Chief Police Officers ................................................4, 12, 51
EPC ...............................................................................................................10
National Association of Police Fleet Managers........................................51
Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service...................................................52, 60
Association of Police and Crime Commissioners..............................12, 13
Excelerate Technology ..................................................................................9
National Police Chiefs' Council.....................................................................4
SkyWatch NI ...................................................................................................6
AutoSock......................................................................................................58
The Fire Service College ......................................................................20, 28
National Search and Rescue Dog Association.........................................30
SMH ..............................................................................................................49
Bell Truck and Van..........................................................................................9
FloodSax.......................................................................................................57
Nightsearcher Ltd........................................................................................55
South Central Ambulance Service.............................................................12
Boomerang ..................................................................................................38
Foreign and Commonwealth Office ..........................................................22
North Wales Fire and Rescue Service .........................................................5
South East Coast Ambulance Service.......................................................15
British Association of Women in Policing..................................................52
Getac UK................................................................................................29, 58
North West Ambulance Service...........................................................26, 52
South Wales Fire and Rescue Service.......................................................52
British Nuclear Medicine Society...............................................................20
GGP Systems.................................................................................................6
Northamptonshire County Council..............................................................6
South Western Ambulance Service .............................................................5
British Transport Police.........................................................................26, 33
Glasgow City Council ..................................................................................24
Northern General Hospital............................................................................4
South Yorkshire Police ................................................................................52
Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service..............................................52
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service .........................................41
Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service..................................................6
SP Services............................................................................................18, 49
Cabinet Office ...........................................................................10, 18, 22, 51
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service...................................................12, 28
Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service..................................................9
Spectra Group..............................................................................................58
Cardiac Science .............................................................................................4
Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service...................................12
Nottinghamshire Police........................................................................52, 60
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service......................................................12
CBS Automotive ..........................................................................................58
Hertfordshire Constabulary....................................................................3, 13
O2 Telefonica.........................................................................................30, 35
States of Jersey Police...................................................................................5
CFOA National Resilience Ltd .......................................................18, 26, 44
HIAL.................................................................................................................5
PageOne.......................................................................................................37
Steroplast .....................................................................................................59
Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service.............................................................52
Home Office........................................................................13, 34, 44, 45, 51
Páramo............................................................................................................6
Stirling Group...............................................................................................18
Chief Fire Officers' Association........................................................5, 12, 13
Humber RIBS .................................................................................................4
Peli Products ................................................................................................55
Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service................................................................18
City of London Police.....................................................................................5
Humberside Fire and Rescue Service.......................................................28
PETZL...........................................................................................................54
Suffolk Police..................................................................................................6
Civica...............................................................................................................4
Inmarsat........................................................................................................58
PGI...................................................................................................................6
Supacat Group.............................................................................................52
Civil Air Patrol .................................................................................................6
Intrinsic..........................................................................................................41
Physio Control..............................................................................................18
Supply UK.......................................................................................................4
Civil Contingencies Secretariat ..................................................................22
ISG Infrasys.....................................................................................................4
Plymouth City Council ...................................................................................6
UK ISAR........................................................................................................22
College of Paramedics................................................................................15
ITURRI Group.................................................................................................5
Police National CBRN Centre ....................................................................47
United Kingdom Rescue Organisation......................................................28
Cornerstone Telecommunications Infrastructure Ltd..............................35
Iveco Magirus .................................................................................................9
Police Scotland............................................................................4, 24, 25, 32
VectorCommand .........................................................................................20
Counter Terror Expo 2015..........................................................................10
Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Programme ...................26, 45
Police Service of Northern Ireland...............................................................6
Vimpex Limited ............................................................................................28
County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service ......................12
LED Lenser ..................................................................................................54
Project CATO................................................................................................48
Vodafone.......................................................................................................35
Crown Commercial Service........................................................................51
Ledco Ltd......................................................................................................54
Public Health England ..........................................................................20, 47
Warwickshire Police ....................................................................................52
cybX ..............................................................................................................60
Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service.......................................................22
R3 Safety and Rescue ...................................................................................6
West Mercia and Warwickshire Police.......................................................18
Department for Communities and
Liverpool City Council .................................................................................26
Raymarine.......................................................................................................4
West Mercia Police ......................................................................................12
Local Government ................................................3, 5, 12, 13, 22, 44, 51
Local Government Association.....................................................................5
RBS..................................................................................................................5
West Midlands Ambulance Service ...................................................6, 9, 47
Department for International Development .......................................22, 43
London Ambulance Service .........................................................................9
Rio de Janeiro Fire Department ...................................................................9
West Yorkshire Police ....................................................................................5
Department of Health ...........................................................................13, 44
Lyon Equipment...........................................................................................54
Rosenbauer UK ...........................................................................................18
Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Authority.............................................................4
Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service .........................................................12
MacNeillie & Sons..........................................................................................9
Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service ...................................................9
World Health Organisation ...................................................................43, 49
Derbyshire Police.........................................................................................12
Magnum .......................................................................................................52
Royal National Lifeboat Institution .............................................................52
World Rescue Organisation........................................................................28
Disaster Action.............................................................................................59
MBNL Ltd .....................................................................................................35
Safequip..........................................................................................................6
YESSS Electrical ............................................................................................4
Dorset Fire and Rescue Authority................................................................4
McKinsey & Company.................................................................................60
Samsung Electronics.....................................................................................5
Yorkshire Ambulance Service ....................................................................52
Company Name
Company Name
Company Name
Advertisers Company Name
Page No
Page No
Page No
Page No
Steroplast .....................................................................................................42
Airwave Solutions ..........................................................................................7
Excelerate Technology Ltd.............................................................33, 41, 45
Mercedes-Benz..........................................................................................IFC
AMBITION 2015..........................................................................................35
The Fire Service College.............................................................................21
Nightsearcher Ltd........................................................................................56
Amputees in Action .....................................................................................25
Getac UK ......................................................................................................29
O2 ...........................................................................................................FC, 39
AutoSock......................................................................................................50
Goliath Footwear (YDS Boots) ..................................................................14
Primetech UK Ltd ........................................................................................27
Technical Absorbents..................................................................................50
British APCO ..............................................................................................IBC
G-TEQ...........................................................................................................50
RSG Engineering Limited...........................................................................54
Vimpex Limited ............................................................................................29
British Red Cross .........................................................................................46
HAAGEN Fire Training Products................................................................17
RUD Chains..................................................................................................14
EE .................................................................................................................11
Life Connections 2015................................................................................40
SMH ..............................................................................................................46
EPC ...............................................................................................................36
Lyon Equipment Limited.............................................................................53
SP Services (UK) Ltd ..............................................................................OBC
Strongs Plastic Products Ltd ......................................................................17
WH Bence (Coachworks) Ltd.......................................................................8
www.emergencyservicestimes.com
The Will-Burt Company...............................................................................56
December 2014
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ESTCOMMENT | 3
ISSN 1472-1090 Date: December 2014
Editor: David J. Holden MEng(Hons) Twitter: @999editor davidholden@brodenmedia.com Advertisement Manager: David Brown davidbrown@brodenmedia.com Advertisement Sales: Carol Fox carolfox@brodenmedia.com Office & Events Manager: Lesley Stevenson lesleystevenson@brodenmedia.com Marketing Manager: Emma Nicholls emmanicholls@brodenmedia.com Circulation: Christine Knoll admin@hpcpublishing.com
Joint Managing Directors: David Brown David Holden Published by
Robert Denholm House, Bletchingley Road Nutfield, Surrey RH1 4HW Tel: 01737 824010 Fax: 01737 824011 e-mail: davidbrown@brodenmedia.com www: brodenmedia.com Distribution: EMERGENCY SERVICES TIMES is free of charge to officers and managers who are buyers or specifiers actively involved in the procurement of equipment or services within the emergency response industry and based in the UK and Irish Republic. All other categories of reader are invited to subscribe at £130.00 to UK addresses and £165.00 overseas. Single copy price £25.00 including post and packing. The articles within Emergency Services Times are copyright and are the property of the publisher Broden Media Limited and cannot be reproduced in any media form without permission of the publisher. Application should be made in writing. Reprints of articles and advertisements are available, allow 28 days for delivery. PDF pages are available by email at £20.00 (+VAT) per page (€32.50, $33). Prices on application to the publisher. Printed by Manor Creative Tel: 01323 514400 Studio work by Friskywhiska Design Tel: 01947 811333 Mobile: 07976 917411 charlotte@friskywhiska.co.uk
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Drive towards improved collaboration gaining momentum Words: David Lloyd, Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire. Collaboration in the emergency services is of course nothing new, whether it is across police force or fire and rescue service geographical boundaries, between local councils, NHS trusts, private providers or the third sector. What is different now is the pressure that the financial crisis has placed on funding, the increased political will and the myriad operational reviews that have highlighted how we must do better at integrating our emergency response. The Emergency Services Collaboration Working Group was formed in September this year with funding from the Department of Health, the Home Office and the Department for Communities and Local Government. By providing strategic leadership, coordination and an overview across England and Wales, the group aims to improve emergency service collaboration. It is important to state what the working group is not about. It is not about dictating solutions to services, facilitating takeovers or mergers. It is instead focused on creating a collaborative ‘architecture’ and supportive environment whereby local services that are looking to work together can do so easily and quickly.
“I believe that through collaboration, local accountability is preserved where it matters.” This ‘architecture’ will be created by identifying the common barriers to collaboration; in doing this the group will help the sector overcome them and unlock opportunities for further local and national collaboration. The group will approach this in a number of ways in 2014/15: • Firstly, the group has published an overview of the current collaboration in England and Wales collated by the Home Office (see page 13). The report, called Emergency Services Collaboration – The Current Picture, provides some fantastic examples of where services have come together to put the needs of the public at the heart of
David Lloyd is the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire. His office provides support to the Emergency Services Collaboration Working Group and he sits on it representing the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners.
what they do and save money. Examples include implementing a Multi-Agency Information Transfer system (or MAIT) to allow control rooms to notify each other of an incident in a matter of seconds rather than their current average of four minutes, or showing how police forces are ‘coresponding’ with paramedics and mental health professionals to deliver a better service and reduce demand. For the first time, through this publication services can look at what is occurring in other parts of the country and judge whether it could work for them. • Secondly, the group has set up a peer-to-peer collaboration network for emergency service managers to share ideas, project documentation and learning. This will help services to quickly adopt new and existing examples of collaboration and help to reduce the risk of duplicating work or reinventing of the wheel. For more information e-mail: info@999collaboration.org.uk. • And thirdly, the group is commissioning independent research into some of the projects highlighted in the overview publication that, at first glance, would appear to provide the widest scope for improving outcomes for the public and saving money. Our aim is that this research will provide a firm evidence base for what actually works. It will also provide the opportunity to canvass service leaders across the sector on what they believe to be the common barriers and the key enablers to further collaboration. From a personal point of view and as a Police and Crime Commissioner, I believe that through collaboration, local accountability is preserved where it matters. December 2014
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4 | ESTNEWS Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Authority has joined Dorset Fire and Rescue Authority in agreeing to a merger between the two services. The plan, which has been in development since December 2013, has received funding from the Government’s Fire Transformation Fund to support the work. The intention is that a new Combined Fire Authority would come in to existence on 1 April 2016. www.wiltsfire.gov.uk www.dorsetfire.gov.uk
Civica has secured new contracts for its market-leading fleet management systems with both the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Police Scotland. Both independently chose Civica’s Tranman software to manage their large national fleets. Both organisations will be using Tranman’s innovative touchscreen technology in their workshops spread across Scotland, allowing data to be easily input by technicians directly into the system, giving the central teams visibility of current availability and costs immediately. www.civica.co.uk
Companies can now hire Cardiac Science’s Powerheart® G5 Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) as part of an extensive range of health and safety equipment from Supply UK. Available now from Supply UK’s Survey & Laser business network, the scheme provides an accessible and affordable way for businesses to access life-saving technology. www.supplyuk.co.uk www.cardiacscience.co.uk
In a major upgrade to its operational, incident analysis and driver training system Dorset Police will be extending the installation of the Airmax Telematics based fleet management system across the majority of its operational fleet. The Airmax system combines CAN bus and ESCAN data with 1m accuracy GPS location data. www.airmaxgroup.com
Scott Safety, a Tyco business, has acquired privately-held ISG Infrasys, a world leader in the design of thermal imaging cameras. The combination of ISG and Scott makes Tyco one of the largest global suppliers of hand-held thermal imaging cameras, and further enhances Scott Safety’s world-class portfolio of high-quality life safety products. www.scottsafety.com www.isgfire.com
www.emergencyservicestimes.com
President steps down as ACPO Hospital says replacement body announced YESSS to ice warning system
The National Police Chiefs’ Council will replace the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) in the new year following a Chief Constables’ Council meeting on 17 October, where chief constables took key decisions on the development of a new body that will coordinate operational policing at the national level. ACPO will continue to provide national coordination and leadership until the new body is constituted. The new coordinating body, which will be hosted by the Metropolitan Police, will help police cut crime and keep the public safe, by joining up the operational response to the most serious and strategic threats. Focusing on operational delivery and developing national approaches on issues such as finance, technology and human resources, it will work closely with the College of Policing, which is responsible for developing professional standards. ACPO’s core role of bringing together the expertise of police leadership to coordinate operational policing and agree national approaches in the public interest will be transferred into the body. The aim is to develop a modernised and improved coordinating body that will be sustainable and effective in supporting policing in delivering at the national level for the public. ACPO President Sir Hugh Orde said, “Chief constables have met this week to make key decisions about how a new body coordinating operational policing at the national level will operate. It is right that the leaders of the service take these decisions and this is an exciting new
chapter in police leaders’ work. It is essential that this process takes place seamlessly and with as little disruption to operational policing as possible. “To help create this seamlessness, I have decided to step down as President of ACPO around the end of the year in order to allow chief officers to elect a leader who will lead the new body. I have made this decision after a lot of thought and after five years of having the immense privilege of leading a team of dedicated, talented and tireless chief officers whose passion for protecting their communities has been unabated in the face of changing modes of crime, seismic shifts in the policing landscape and the impact of austerity on the service. “I want to thank my colleagues all for their support and comradeship, along with all those others that I have served with in 37 years as an officer.” www.acpo.police.uk
ACPO President Sir Hugh Orde, who has announced his decision to step down.
A new temperature-sensitive alerting system, available exclusively from Wakefield-based wholesaler, YESSS Electrical, has been installed by Northern General Hospital as part of a winter weather warning pilot.
Roger Bowen, Senior Estates Manager, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, holding the PATeye.
The PATeye ice detection system uses solar powered cats’ eyes-style road stud lighting to detect icy road temperatures. Once the road temperature drops to 0°C or below the blue LEDs in the stud start to flash – alerting drivers of the possibility of ice formation. YESSS has supplied the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust with a total of 10 temperature sensitive solar-powered studs, which have been installed at the Northern General Hospital’s main Barnsley Road site entrance, in a trial that is due to last until 31 March. The system will be used by Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in conjunction with the Met Office Open Road weather forecast information systems to make an informed decision regarding the amount of salt to be spread on the road. www.yesss.co.uk
Dorset Police unveils new marine boat Dorset Police has a new boat, which will be used by officers from the Marine Section. It is staffed by two police constables, assisted by specially trained officers from across the force, and can seat up to four people, with the capability to carry a total of eight. Humber RIBS has sponsored the craft, which replaces the force’s existing marine boat, and provided it to Dorset Police at a significantly reduced rate. The company is one of the market leaders in the production of high-quality and highly capable RIBS that meet the demand of Dorset’s challenging waters. The craft is a Humber Ocean Pro 7.5m ACPO-coded RIB and is powered by twin counter rotating 140 Suzuki engines that encompasses Lean Burn Fuel Control, which will reduce the
force’s fuel usage and carbon footprint. Dorset Police engaged with a number of other specialist suppliers who have provided equipment at a discounted rate as part of their commitment to support policing in the county: Raymarine supplied the advanced navigation and electronic systems; and Scot Seats provided the shock mitigation seating, which can be adjusted to suit individual officers. The Marine Section is based at Poole Quay and is responsible for policing the 89-miles of coastline in Dorset out to the territorial limit of 12 miles. This includes the busy and popular Weymouth and Christchurch harbours, the smaller fishing ports of West Bay, Lyme Regis and Swanage and the world’s second largest natural harbour at Poole.
The craft is a Humber Ocean Pro 7.5m ACPOcoded RIB.
Paul Chick MBE, Head of Transport Services for Dorset Police, said, “Without the collaborative working between all parties we would not have had the budget to procure this fabulous craft that fully meets the needs of our marine section and ultimately the public we serve.” www.dorset.police.uk
December 2014
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ESTNEWS | 5
Report highlights progress made by fire and rescue services in control room collaboration
Peter Dartford, President of CFOA.
A recently published report describes how an increasing number of fire and rescue services in England are making use of modern technology to improve
the way they handle and respond to 999 calls. The improvements are being made as part of the ‘Future Control Room Services Scheme’. Under the scheme, which is a collaboration between the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG), the Local Government Association, and the Chief Fire Officers’ Association (CFOA), fire authorities were invited to bid for funding to upgrade or replace their control rooms, mobilising and communications equipment. CLG has recently published its latest update, which details the progress that the services are making. The scheme has led to many fire authorities adopting innovative approaches, which include: joint control rooms where one ‘regional’ control
room handles the calls for several fire authorities; control room collaborations, where authorities have linked their systems to enable them to support each other during large scale events such as widespread flooding; and multi-agency arrangements, where the police and fire services share control room buildings and other facilities. Peter Dartford, President of CFOA, said, “I welcome the continuation of this excellent work, which will ultimately enable all fire authorities in England to deliver improvements to their mobilising arrangements, which are aimed at enhancing the safety of the public, firefighters and other emergency responders alike.” www.cfoa.org.uk
Encryption solution aids sensitive data sharing North Wales Fire and Rescue Service (NWFRS) has adopted the use of Egress Switch by Egress Software Technologies, a leading provider of encryption solutions to blue light organisations. Employing approximately 1000 staff members, NWFRS attends over 3200 fires, 500 road traffic collisions and 500 other emergency incidents every year, in addition to delivering initiatives to schools, businesses and local communities to promote fire safety and prevention. Carrying out this crucial work involves collaborating with a network of external third parties and NWFRS consequently adopted Egress Switch to meet the increasing need for staff to ex-
change electronic information securely with other emergency services, local authorities and agency partners. Sarah Roberts, Head of ICT at NWFRS, said, “We have seen real benefits throughout the organisation as a result of our usage of Switch. NWFRS Control Room staff also use Egress Switch Secure File Transfer to exchange voice recordings and information about incidents securely with law enforcement agencies. “Moreover, as the only CESG CPAcertified product for sharing Foundation Level data over the internet, Switch Secure Email enables NWFRS staff to share OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE emergency planning information as part of the North Wales Local Resilience Fo-
rum – a multi-agency partnership made up of representatives from local public services, including emergency services, local authorities, NHS, Environment Agency (part of Natural Resources Wales) and other Category 1 responders,” continues Sarah Roberts. “NWFRS also uses Switch to secure confidential employee data. The HR department, for instance, secures the sensitive information shared with our Occupational Health Service provider, while our Finance department is able to securely exchange payroll information relating to NWFRS employees with Conwy County Council.” www.egress.com www.nwales-fireservice.org.uk
West Yorkshire Police buys 4000 Samsung mobile devices for frontline officers Samsung Electronics has partnered with West Yorkshire Police to help the force lead the way in one of the biggest technological advancements in modern policing. Four thousand Samsung Galaxy Note 3 devices are being issued to frontline officers and staff, replacing traditional pocket notebooks. The mobile devices contain oline ‘apps’, which allow officers torecord a crimewithout having to return to a station,
www.emergencyservicestimes.com
reducing admin and spending more time on the front line. West Yorkshire Police Assistant Chief Constable Andy Battle said, “This initiative will exploit technology to maximise
the capability and effectiveness of policing at the frontline. It will potentially lead to 7000 frontline officers and staff using the devices. As a result of this project, there will be an increase in the amount of time they are able to spend on the streets, dealing with crime and public safety. “We continue to look for ways to revolutionise the way we do business, creating efficiency savings that will ultimately benefit the communities we serve long into the future.” www.westyorkshire.police.uk
Arqiva has won a contract to install and de-install communications equipment for vehicles belonging to the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service. Under the terms of the contract, which will be carried out by Arqiva’s Secure Solutions business, the company will install and de-install radios, MDT and pump bay voice terminals from different types of vehicles such as officers’ cars, 4x4s, vans and fire appliances. www.arqiva.com/secure-solutions www.mawwfire.gov.uk
An agreement signed between RBS and the City of London Police will see financial experts from the bank provide specialist advice and guidance to tackle the most complex and challenging financial crimes facing the UK under the force’s new Corporate Volunteer Consultancy Scheme. www.cityoflondon.police.uk
Benbecula and Stornoway airports have each received two new fire tenders in the first phase of a £7m roll out of 20 new high tech fire appliances by airport operator HIAL. ITURRI Group, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of rescue and fire fighting vehicles, was commissioned to build the new appliances, which will include a mix of 4x4 and 6x6 vehicles. www.hial.co.uk
Police officers in Jersey are benefiting from 30 new Body Worn Video (BWV) cameras thanks to cash confiscated from criminals. The cameras, and the infrastructure that is needed to run them, which cost almost £33,000, have been bought with money from the Criminal Confiscation Fund. www.jersey.police.uk
The Ambulance Services Charity (TASC), formerly the ASBF, has announced the acquisition of its first national headquarters in Coventry, West Midlands. The new headquarters will enable TASC to expand the range of support and other services it offers, through the recruitment of a small team led by Charity Director Lorna Birse-Stewart. http://asbf.co.uk
Airwave has secured a contract with the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust to provide TETRA Messenger to their community responder groups. The trust has purchased 850 devices and is in the process of rolling them out to responder groups across the South West. A total of 455 devices are currently in use, with the remaining units to be issued before the end of the year. www.airwavesolutions.co.uk
December 2014
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6 | ESTNEWS R3 Safety and Rescue has announced EP Barrus Ltd as its outboard engine sponsor, with the company’s fleet of swiftwater and flood rescue training boats all running Mariner outboards, supplied through the EP Barrus’ Special Products Division. www.r3sar.com
Safequip has been appointed the UK distributor for COBRA fire fighting hoods from the USA. PGI’s COBRA hoods are the premier brand of flame resistant hoods in the industry, and are specified at thousands of end user companies globally. Millions of COBRA knit hoods have been manufactured for a variety of industries, including the fire and rescue service and tactical policing. www.safequip.co.uk
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service control rooms at Dumfries and Johnstone have successfully merged meaning emergency 999 calls for the Dumfries and Galloway area are now being answered at Johnstone Control. www.firescotland.gov.uk
Building work has commenced at Woodbridge Fire Station near Ipswich to carry out improvements and facilitate sharing the station with Suffolk Police. It is anticipated that the project will be completed in April/May 2015. www.suffolk.gov.uk
West Midlands Ambulance Service is set to invest millions of pounds into providing a bigger ambulance base in Stoke on Trent as the current building is no longer big enough for the current requirements. The new, purpose built building is likely to cost in the region of £3m. www.wmas.nhs.uk
Plymouth City Council is using a Geographic Information System (GIS) from GGP Systems to help produce emergency planning maps. The council’s Civil Protection Unit has created the mapping for a range of exercises relating to a major incident in the city such as flooding, terrorist attacks or even a nuclear accident. www.ggpsystems.co.uk
Northamptonshire County Council has been awarded a £300,000 EU grant to coordinate a two-year international project to provide emergency accommodation in the event of a mass evacuation. The project will run from January 2015 to December 2016 and will bring together more than 50 European experts through a series of workshops, the first of which will be hosted in Northamptonshire. www.northamptonshire.gov.uk
www.emergencyservicestimes.com
UAVs deployed in dangerous building search SkyWatch NI, the local division of the UK based Civil Air Patrol, undertook the search of a property in Cookstown, Northern Ireland on 3 November at the request of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) search team, using an unmanned aerial vehicle and a tracked vehicle. The system was on loan from local company Search Systems Ltd, a specialist in camera deployment for emergency services. Following a fire at the premises in Cookstown, County Tyrone, the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service declared the building unsafe to enter. To ensure no-one remained in the building following the fire, Sky Watch were asked to provide an aerial view into the upstairs of the property and to the rear of the building. Deploying a quadcopter fitted with a
live video feed, Sky Watch volunteers were able to quickly establish the condition of the building internally and provide PSNI officers on the ground with a direct view of the internal layout and level of damage by the fire via video fed to the ground station and multiple iPads. This was followed up by a more detailed search using the tracked vehicle, once again providing police search
team members with a live video to establish the building was unoccupied at the time of the fire. The ability to search the building from a height and internally, reduced the risk to the police search teams and dogs. The reduced search time also allowed local officers to close the scene and return to normal duties. www.searchsystems.eu
Initiative launched to help mental health patients in crisis results in fewer A&E visits A multi-agency initiative, which sees a police officer, paramedic and mental health nurse respond to 999 calls where people need mental health care, has been rolled out across the Black Country following the success of a pilot in Birmingham. Since the triage scheme was launched in Birmingham in January 2014 over 2000 patients have benefited from the scheme, resulting in fewer A&E attendances and detainments under the Mental Health Act by the police. The Black Country scheme, which launched on 12 November, is jointly funded by Black Country NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) in Dudley, Sandwell and West Birmingham, Walsall and Wolverhampton. Nick Henry, Black Country General Manager, said, “This is a great initiative to improve the service response to this
patient group, allowing us to work closely with our colleagues and most importantly improve the patients experience in their hour of need. The dedicated team helps to free up ambulance crews to respond to other 999 calls enabling the service to provide the right care, to the right patients at the right time. The scheme is a great success and is an excellent example of how partnership working can make a real difference to patients.” Chief Inspector Sean Russell, who has overseen the trial, said, “Around 20 percent of police demand is due to mental health issues. In the past we’ve not worked alongside the ambulance service or mental health providers…and it’s meant too many people ending up in police custody and essentially being criminalised for being unwell. It’s also meant many hours of police time have been wasted.
“This scheme is a cultural shift; we share more information and work closely together. It’s led to marked improvements in the treatment given to members of the public who need our help, a significant cut in the use of police stations as places of safety to almost zero, and a reduction in demand on the police and healthcare system. I’m confident the triage scheme will prove as successful in the Black Country as it’s been in Birmingham and Solihull.” Dr Avi Suri, Mental Health Lead for Walsall CCG and Local GP, said, “Many mental health patients who call 999 or 111 are taken straight to A&E, which is often not the best place for them. The new crisis car means they will benefit from immediate treatment and support to reach the right service.” www.wmas.nhs.uk
Páramo jackets for mountain rescue teams Páramo has recently supplied jackets to every mountain rescue team in the country, building on decades of supplying outdoor instructors, mountain guides, emergency services and British Antarctic Survey among others. Páramo makes waterproofs that professionals reach for to keep out the elements and stay dry.
Used day after day in extreme conditions, unique directional waterproofs keep users dry and comfortable whether moving or stationary. Conventional breathable waterproofs can leave you clammy, moving only a small amount of the sweat produced when you’re active. Páramo’s directional fabrics dy-
namically push moisture away to keep you warmer, drier and in complete comfort. Mountain Rescue volunteer Tim Bird said, “As a mountaineering instructor and member of a busy mountain rescue team, I’ve learned from experience to trust my Páramo gear and wear it in the confidence it will protect me in the most demanding conditions.” www.paramo.co.uk
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ESTNEWS | 9
ICU Sprinter for the Northumberland hills
Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service’s new Incident Support Unit is based on a 5.0-tonne Sprinter 519 CDI, supplied by dealer Bell Truck and Van.
The long-bodied, V6-engined van was converted for command and control operations by specialist MacNeillie, and is fitted with the latest
communications technology. A genuine, factory-built option, rather than an aftermarket conversion, the Sprinter 4x4 sits higher than its standard counterpart. It employs rear-wheel drive for road use, but all-wheel drive can be selected when venturing off road. ICT equipment supplied by Excelerate Technology for installation in the vehicle includes a roof-mounted, foldable satellite dish and a camera mounted on a retractable 6m mast. MacNeillie also fitted M1-compliant swivelling seats, a 10kVA generator and stabiliser legs to ensure continuity of satellite signal during operations. An awning and external hatch through which a 40in screen can be viewed, means the area beside the vehicle can be used for briefings. www.northumberland.gov.uk
VAT relief for emergency response charities From April 2015 all charities who work as part of the emergency response service will be able to claim refunds on VAT following Chancellor George Osborne’s announcement in his Autumn Statement. The announcement, made on 3 December, gives the air ambulance charities a VAT saving of approximately £10m over the next five years enabling them to invest further in their life-saving work.
The Chancellor also announced an allocation of £1m to Great Western Air Ambulance, £1.5m to Kent Surrey Sussex Air Ambulance Trust and a further £5m being made available to all air ambulance charities. Both Mountain Rescue England and Wales (MREW) and the British Cave Rescue Council have worked closely with the RNLI, the UK Search and Rescue Volunteers Working Group and the Charity Tax Group to achieve
this result. It will benefit all charities that carry out search and rescue operations and, therefore, all the people they assist. Mike France, Chairman of MREW, said, “It is great to have the recognition in central government of the valuable work done by volunteer rescue services and also of the generosity of our many supporters.” www.mountain.rescue.org.uk
New Volvo for life saving care team A charity that helps the ambulance service to provide care to the seriously ill is responding to 999 calls in a new car. The Central Accident Resuscitation and Emergency (CARE) Team is a charity made up of volunteer doctors and nurses who provide advanced pre-hospital medical care to the seriously injured and critically unwell patients. Every weekend, the team’s doctors and nurses volunteer their time and skills to respond to critically ill patients. Working alongside staff from the West Midlands Ambulance Service, the team is sent to patients who have been seriously injured in road traffic collisions, industrial incidents, shootings, stabbings as well as those suffering serious medical problems. The volunteers bring additional skills, equipment, drugs and surgical procedures to the patient, which all helps to save lives and improve patient outcomes.
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After two years of fundraising, the team recently reached its goal and bought an ex-demonstration Volvo XC70 for £25,000. The charity will
need to raise £10,000 a year to keep it maintained and fuelled. www.wmcareteam.com
West Midlands Ambulance Service Fleet Services Team won the Public Sector and Bluelight category at the recent Fleet Van Awards. Now in their seventh year, the Fleet Van Awards are the benchmark awards for the light commercial vehicle industry, with awards for manufacturers, fleet operators and suppliers. www.wmas.nhs.uk
The Rio de Janeiro Fire Department from Brazil were named ‘2014 International Firefighting Team of the Year’ as they received first place at the international Conrad Dietrich Magirus Award ceremony in Ulm, Germany. The Absam Fire Department from Austria were second, with third place going to the Lampedusa Fire Department in Italy. www.world-of-firefighters.com
London Ambulance Service’s Cycle Response Unit (CRU) has taken to social media to give Londoners a glimpse into the life of a cycling first responder. Tom Lynch, Cycle Response Unit manager, hopes @LAS_CycleTeam, CRU’s Twitter account, will enable two-way communication between the medics and the public. www.londonambulance.nhs.uk
Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) has installed potentially lifesaving defibrillators on every frontline fire appliance and at all of its fire stations across the county. The Automated External Defibrillators, known as AEDs, were put in place and training delivered to all RBFRS operational staff and a large proportion of support staff in a phased programme over the last three months. www.rbfrs.co.uk
Medical and safety technology company Dräger celebrated its 125th anniversary year recently with a special event for customers, business partners and staff from across the United Kingdom and Ireland. Guests gathered at the National Motorcycle Museum in Solihull on 19 November to share in the company’s special celebrations. www.draeger.com
Nissan has more than doubled the size of its team of public sector electric vehicle fleet specialists amid rising demand for its market-leading Nissan LEAF car and e-NV200 electric van. The new-look team will work with public sector fleet operators, managers and drivers to offer expert advice and support on everything from total cost of ownership to charging infrastructure. www.nissan.co.uk/fleet
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10 | ESTEVENTS
EPC seminar encourages Diary dates best practice in resilience in 2015 A highly thought-provoking seminar, from the Cabinet Office EPC, stretches beyond blue light services collaboration, to bring together the widest multi-agency resilience community in the UK. Multi-Agency Approach to Disasters and Emergencies: From Recommendation to Embedded Practice, is a two-day seminar, which takes place from 22-23 July 2015. The question of how to turn lessons identified within inquiries into ‘embedded practice’ has been deliberated over by emergency management professionals for decades. Essential for all multi-agency partners this will give delegates the opportunity to hear from individuals involved in the Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Programme (JESIP), share the latest practice and highlight the lessons learnt moving forward.
The programme features representation from key agencies, including discussions from keynote speaker Paul Sledzik, Head of Family Assistance for the National Transport Safety Board (NTSB), speaker slots from key members of JESIP and led by Dr Rob MacFarlane, Assistant Director of Training and Doctrine for the Cabinet Office. This seminar is a great opportunity for private and public sector organisations to share the very latest practice on operating within a ‘JESIP’ era. It is a unique forum in which responders can share challenges on interoperability and learn about up to the minute developments.
www.epcollege.com/learninglessons
3 March Professional Clothing Show – Meet the Buyer London Marriott Hotel, Regent’s Park www.professionalclothingshow.com
4-5 March Critical Infrastructure Protection and Resilience Europe The Hague, Netherlands www.cipre-expo.com
10-12 March Security and Policing 2015 FIVE Farnborough, Hampshire www.securityandpolicing.co.uk
31 March – 1 April British APCO 2015 Manchester Central www.bapco.co.uk
14-16 April Rescue 3 Technical Rescue Conference Llangollen, North Wales www.rescue3europe.com
21-22 April Counter Terror Expo 2015 Olympia, London www.counterterrorexpo.com
21-22 April Ambition 2015 Olympia, London www.ambitionexpouk.com
24 April Sky Tech Conference & Exhibition 2015 Business Design Centre, London www.skytechevent.com
8-13 June Interschutz 2015 Hannover, Germany www.interschutz.de
New-look Ambition heads for Olympia in April Ambition, the show that started life as an event mainly for the NHS ambulance service, has now grown and developed into an event for anybody involved in the worldwide emergency preparedness, resilience and response (EPRR) community. The new-look event will host its 5th edition at London’s Olympia from 21-22 April 2015, alongside the established Counter Terror Expo and Forensic Europe Expo events. Ambition provides EPRR professionals from the wider emergency services, Government departments, the NHS, councils, local resilience forums and specialist agencies with the unique opportunity to meet and debate the latest challenges facing the EPRR community today. The free-to-attend two-day conference is packed with presentations and discussions based around the current main issues facing the EPRR community, featuring high level speakers who are genuine experts in their field. For visitors and delegates, this is an international event in the heart of London – an ideal opportunity to see the latest products and services, meet colleagues old and
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new, network formally and informally and really have a say in the shape of future policies and initiatives. The event is CPD accredited too. Event Manager David Thompson says, “Ambition has a brand new floor plan for 2015, bringing us further into the main hall with CTX to accommodate the growing nature of the show. This also allows for the conference area to remain within the hall, meaning everyone will be in one place for the duration of the event with lots of new networking initiatives.” The Ambition conference area is also bigger than ever, allowing over 200 visitors to attend the Emergency Planning Response and Resilience themed conference stream, which will be completely free to attend. Already, the new-look show has attracted a host of leading industry exhibitors, including BMW, BCAS Biomedical Services, DS Medical, Keytracker, Magnum Services, Masimo, Rescue and Medical, Respirex and Tytek Medical, to name just a few.
www.ambitionexpouk.com/est
9-10 June NAPFM The Emergency Fleet Exhibition The International Centre, Telford www.napfmevent.org.uk
8-9 July Ambulex 2015 Ricoh Arena, Coventry www.ambulex.com
23-27 August International Association of Women Police 53rd Annual Training Conference Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff www.iawp2015.org
15-18 September DSEI 2015 Excel, London www.dsei.co.uk
23-24 September The Emergency Services Show 2015 The NEC, Birmingham www.emergencyuk.com
21-22 October Life Connections 2015 Kettering Conference Centre www.lifeconnections.uk.com
27-30 October A+A 2015 Düsselfdorf, Germany www.aplusa.de
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12 | ESTCOLLABORATION
Multi-agency projects backed by Fire Transformation Fund Fire Minister Penny Mordaunt announced on 17 October the winners of a £75m fund, which will improve frontline services and save taxpayers over £300m. The Fire Transformation Fund, announced last March, is giving the funds to fire and rescue authorities to help ensure better and more efficient frontline services for the public. In total, 37 projects from across the country will get funding. Further collaboration
Fire Minister Penny Mordaunt MP.
Announcing the winning bids, Fire Minster Penny Mordaunt said, “Fire services have done an amazing job over the last few years in reducing demand on their emergency services; there are fewer fires and deaths. But this means the service needs to adapt – to meet new demands and to ensure it is working in the most efficient way. That’s why we’ve set up the Fire Transformation Fund. “One of the things that I found encouraging was the high number of bids looking to promote greater collaboration with other emergency services through sharing stations and services, sharing of back office functions, and joining up on service delivery. This is exactly the sort of innovation that is needed across the public sector and I look forward to seeing how these projects progress.” A selection of the winning bids is highlighted below.
Police and fire HQ Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service (DFRS) has been awarded £1.5m to support the proposed joint police and fire and rescue service headquarters for the county. DFRS and Derbyshire Police are looking to co-locate in a purpose built building on the Butterley Hall site at Ripley. The new joint headquarters, which is expected to be complete by late 2016, will aid better collaboration and deliver more effective and efficient ways of working. This funding, along with the sale of the fire and rescue service’s existing HQ, at Burton Road, Littleover, Derby, will go a long way towards meeting the service’s share of the capital cost of the project. Derbyshire Police is submitting a similar bid to the Home Office.
‘Quad service’ station Funding of £3.78m has been awarded to emergency services in Durham to build a unique station, which is set to be the first of its kind in the country. County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service will use this award to build a joint emergency services station to house fire and rescue, police and ambulance services as well as the region’s mountain rescue team. This ‘quad service’ station, as it has been dubbed, would be the first to be built in the country.
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Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) has secured £4m in funding for two projects: £2.6m will be used to provide a new joint fire and police service headquarters, as well as co-location of both services at some fire stations and progression of fleet maintenance partnerships with other public services; a further £1.39m will be used to explore how HFRS can transform its on-call services, using early-intervention vehicles to deal with smaller incidents. There will also be further collaboration with South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) to attend more medical emergencies, building on the success of the co-responder scheme where retained firefighters support SCAS in providing a first response.
Financial efficiencies Hereford and Worcester Fire Authority has been successful in attracting £4.2m of funding for two projects, which seek to improve services and create future financial efficiencies. The first project, which has been awarded £1.89m, is to move the fire and rescue service headquarters from its present location on the outskirts of Worcester to join West Mercia Police at its headquarters at Hindlip, near Worcester. This move should foster a closer working relationship between the two blue light services as well as producing on going savings from the co-location of HQs.
“This is exactly the sort of innovation that is needed across the public sector and I look forward to seeing how these projects progress.” The second project, which has attracted £2.38m of funding, is to create a new Wyre Forest blue light hub, which would relocate the existing three fire stations in the Wyre Forest area into a new purpose-built centrally located station. It is also anticipated that this new facility would have space for police and ambulance colleagues as well as providing a new location for Severn Area Rescue Association. It is anticipated that this initiative will provide custombuilt facilities for all partners to better coordinate and deliver essential safety services as well as changing the way in which fire cover is provided in the area.
Tri-service centre Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service will use part of its £5.14m grant to create a tri-service neighbourhood centre in Biddulph for blue light organisations.
Each partner will have a specific area to work in and there will also be a shared space to allow the different organisations to liaise with each other and provide a strong multi-agency approach, which will benefit the local community. The rest of the funding will build a new facility at the fire station in Stafford. It will include a life-skills centre, which will be predominantly used by school children, and will also act as a hub where various partners can work closely together on prevention and protection programmes.
Cross-emergency service collaboration Hertfordshire’s PCC David Lloyd, who represents the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners on the Emergency Services Collaboration Working Group, said, “I welcome this support for cross-emergency service collaboration from the Fire Transformation Fund. Finding new and innovative ways of working together is the best way we can deliver more effective and more efficient emergency services for the public in the long term. “There is a great deal of successful cross-service collaboration projects throughout the UK, some of which have already been supported by the Police Innovation Fund. It is excellent to see more Government support, which will help drive further progress in new and exciting areas.” Chief Fire Officers’ Association President, Peter Dartford, said, “The funding awards recognise the collaborative transformational approach that fire and rescue services are taking, both internally and in association with other emergency services and local authorities, to mitigate the effects of increasing financial pressures.” Martin Flaherty OBE, Managing Director of the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives, said, “The ambulance service remains keen to examine all areas of potential blue light collaboration that will genuinely deliver benefits to patients and the public. Therefore the announcement of the Fire Transformation Fund projects can only be a positive step towards that aim. “We will be carefully monitoring the progress of the initiatives that involve the ambulance service and hope they are proved successful, so that they may become a standard-bearer for future positive collaborations.” Chief Constable Lynne Owens, who is the Association of Chief Police Officers’ (ACPO) lead for collaboration, said, “The police are working closely with our emergency service colleagues to identify opportunities to collaborate. This is an important agenda and ensures that we serve the public in the most efficient and effective way.”
www.gov.uk
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ESTCOLLABORATION | 13
Collaboration projects highlighted in Government report The Emergency Services Collaboration Working Group has published an overview report that gives the most accurate picture yet of the current collaborative projects between blue light services in England and Wales. The working group, which includes senior leaders from all the emergency services, has published the report compiled and produced by central Government, which provides a detailed overview of the most significant collaboration projects between emergency services in 2014. The working group was formed in September this year with funding from three Government departments in order to support and drive closer working between the emergency services and as a means to share best practice among services and their governing authorities. This overview report, called ‘Emergency Services Collaboration – The Current Picture’, will provide a baseline for the working group to commission research into those areas of collaboration that appear to provide the potential for improving services. The research will provide a firm evidence base for those services wishing to pursue their own transformational projects and for future policy development. PCC for Hertfordshire David Lloyd.
“By reporting on and sharing the details of these projects, we can learn how similar schemes can benefit similar organisations in different parts of the UK.”
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Home Secretary Theresa May.
National overview
Force for change
David Lloyd, who represents the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) on the group and whose office oversees the working group, said, “This excellent report gives a thorough national picture of the collaboration projects that exist between the emergency services today. “There are many innovative schemes included in the report which show how the blue light services can work successfully together in order to improve the services they provide to the public while ensuring value for the taxpayers’ pound. “I am particularly pleased to see the myriad different ways police forces up and down the country are working closely with their partner organisations to meet the challenging financial environment they find themselves in. “By reporting on and sharing the details of these projects, we can learn how similar schemes can benefit similar organisations in different parts of the UK.” Peter Dartford, President of the Chief Fire Officers’ Association and a member of the group, added, “Emergency services have a very strong track record of collaboration and innovative partnership working and this report highlights just some of that. “The Emergency Services Collaboration Working Group will now look at how we can facilitate further transformation, and build on our existing success to meet the further challenges that await us.” The working group itself was established with support from the Department of Health, the DCLG and the Home Office to provide strategic leadership, coordination and overview on a national level to improve emergency service collaboration. It comprises senior leaders from across the emergency services and will act as a national driver for innovation and best practice.
The Home Secretary praised David Lloyd on 18 November as an example of a Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) who is leading change in the police service. Speaking at the annual general meeting of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCCs) in Harrogate, Home Secretary Theresa May said that PCCs were providing accountable local leadership, engaging with communities, driving forward change and contributing positively to debate on national policy. On the subject of collaboration, she recognised Commissioner Lloyd’s work in setting up a national group that seeks to support blue light services in this area. Addressing the conference, which included PCCs from across the country, she said, “Many of you are also pursuing collaboration between forces and with other emergency services to deliver more effective services and better value for money for the taxpayer. “I am grateful to David Lloyd the Commissioner in Hertfordshire for leading the cross Emergency Services Collaboration Working Group – which has been jointly funded by all three emergency services departments – for taking this agenda forward.” Commissioner Lloyd said, “I’m glad that the Home Secretary highlighted the work of this group as collaboration between the emergency services is a means by which we can improve the service delivered to the public while also meeting the financial challenges that we face. “The working group has been set up to provide the necessary leadership and support to help collaboration projects happen more efficiently and with fewer obstacles in their way. The funding from three government departments and the recognition today from the Home Secretary shows how important the work of this group is.”
http://apccs.police.uk
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Feature heading
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ESTPROFILE| 15
Could an integrated UK fire and ambulance service offer the best of both worlds? What are the possibilities for integration of ambulance and fire and rescue services in the UK? Professor Andy Newton, Consultant Paramedic and Director of Clinical Operations at South East Coast Ambulance NHS Foundation Trust, Visiting Professor at the University of Surrey and Chairman of the College of Paramedics, shares his thoughts. For some patients a shorter response time and the associated earlier opportunity to provide life-saving interventions, such as early defibrillation, translates into saving lives. There is however much variation in the quality and productivity of the fire and rescue services that carry out this sort of work; some are effective in the role and some are less so. In the US, for example, many fire chiefs recognised a long time ago that their organisations were becoming medical response services with the capacity to occasionally fight fires or effect rescues. As a result some organisations adapted to the medical role, but others were less enthusiastic and consequently less effective. Full-scale integration of fire and ambulance services can be presented as being at one end of a spectrum of possible future models, but in the round I feel that it would seem reasonable to suggest that fire and rescue services can play a more active role in responding to certain medical emergencies.
Andy Newton
Emergency Services Times (EST): Why might closer integration of the ambulance and fire and rescue services in the UK seem like a good idea? Andy Newton (AN): Demand for ambulance services has increased by over 160 percent in the last 20 years and continues to accelerate. Demand in respect to calls to the fire and rescue service is dropping away dramatically, partly as a function of effective fire prevention strategies, legislation and public education campaigns that might, incidentally, have application to healthcare. It would therefore seem logical to use some of the latent capacity and indeed some of the expertise from the fire and rescue services to meet the challenges facing ambulance services; particularly in respect of providing rapid response to our most seriously ill patients. EST: Has much integration happened in other countries? AN: There are many different approaches internationally. Fire and ambulance services operating together in a conjoined integrated model are actually quite common across the world – in Europe, in North America and elsewhere – but this model is by no means universal. In many other parts of the world, fire and rescue services are providing what is often called ‘co-response,’ which means they are attending some medical emergencies in order to shorten the response time.
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EST: So it’s something of a historical accident that in the UK our ambulance and fire and rescue services continue to be so separate? AN: It’s less of a historical accident and more a product of the design, development and governance of our institutions. Since 1974 the ambulance service has been a part of the National Health Service, so it has made the journey from primarily a transport-oriented operation, with a limited first-aid capability to a full-blown health care organisation. This journey dates back to the arrival of the NHS in 1948, or indeed arguably even well before this date. Full provision was made for ambulance services in the 1946 act and wartime provision was essentially state led, so we had a specific health need and state establishment of a separate public sector ambulance service much earlier than in many other countries. Demand for fire services was primarily addressed through local government. It is fair to say that between 1948 and 1974 some fire services did actually have a role in the provision of ambulance services, but it was not regarded as particularly successful marriage and ceased completely in the years preceding 1974. EST: How does the current political will towards further collaboration fit alongside the continuing pressures on the public purse? AN: The current, albeit somewhat lacklustre focus among politicians regarding the integration agenda seems to make sense, but is probably insufficient at present to engender major change. Nevertheless, it cannot have escaped politicians’ attention that there isn’t the money available to keep
expanding the ambulance services; and fire and rescue services will continue to suffer cuts unless they find gainful employment through new and/or extended roles. As a result it seems unlikely that there is scope for any further large-scale investment in ambulance services in the immediate future. Although as the ambulance service expand their role into mobile healthcare, rather than just emergency services, it is likely that a small amount of additional funding will flow to further this agenda. The pace of this is largely locally determined now, through Clinical Commissioning Groups, CCG, who are quite key in determining how this aspect of service evolution plays out.
“There isn’t the money available to keep expanding the ambulance services; and fire and rescue services will continue to suffer cuts unless they find gainful employment through new and/or extended roles.” Just as ambulance services are becoming focused on the mobile health care agenda there is perhaps more space for fire and rescue services, which are well designed to respond quickly to life-threatening situations including emergency medical response, to be co-opted for the purpose of augmenting patient care, if there is a will to do so. EST: Are the advantages purely financial or do they go beyond that? AN: While there are likely to be clear financial benefits, there is certainly an opportunity to improve patient care and it is this aspect of the debate that personally excites me the most. There is also a good body of scientific evidence within the medical literature internationally that shows that well-conceived and motivated fire and rescue services operating to a co-responding model are able to bring early defibrillation to patients and this capability improves patient outcome.
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16 | ESTPROFILE EST: Do integrated fire and ambulance services work better? AN: The answer is Yes and No. There are examples of integrated fire and ambulance services internationally that are truly dreadful and well below what would be acceptable in the UK NHS; and others that are outstanding, with performance, in terms of patient outcomes that is superior to what is currently achieved by the UK ambulance service in some respects. Ultimately what differentiates the two is funding and more importantly the quality of leadership and system design. EST: Are there particularly good and bad examples of fire and ambulance working together? AN: There are a few very good examples where fire and ambulance have integrated into a clinically effective model, such as Seattle & King County in the United States and in Helsinki. Melbourne has a good example of a non-integrated, ie the two services offer a distinctly separate service model, but where the fire and rescue service provides co-responding services that are harmonised by the ambulance service. Seattle offers an example of a highly integrated model that superficially at least looks like a fire and rescue service, and indeed retains a capability to fight fires and effect rescues, but it is an extremely effective medical response organisation. It is patient care that it spends most of its time delivering. Washington DC and some other areas, such as Chicago, Detroit and others have integrated fire and ambulance services, but have not achieved the same level of positive outcomes for patients and are generally much less well regarded. EST: Would you therefore suggest that, in the UK, we should follow the Seattle model? AN: Seattle and the surrounding areas of that city are designed around patient need. It is therefore a very patient-focused and impressively clinically-focused operation, where the whole culture exudes quality and professionalism. That’s not necessarily the case with other organisations. The paramedic education in Seattle is of the highest quality. It is exceptionally prestigious to be a paramedic in that system. It’s considered to be the pinnacle of professional achievement. It has also benefited from outstanding medical, paramedic and fire and rescue service leadership over many years. Seattle is therefore probably an extreme example of what can be achieved with the right leadership, right system design and the right people, who are all committed to excellence. It is an organisation that has particularly strong links with local public health leaders and has a strong track record in clinical research. I think it would be quite difficult to replicate, but perhaps not impossible. The only way to test the question would be to develop a pilot scheme on the Seattle model, but this would be quite a complex enterprise in the context of the UK and could probably only happen with the highest level of political support. EST: What are the biggest obstacles to implementing this vision in the UK? AN: There are many obstacles to achieving integration, although it has to be acknowledged that, gradually, examples of ambulance, fire and police integration are emerging, albeit at a relatively small scale, around the UK. There are fundamental differences in the cultures of fire and ambulance services in particular and it has to be
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said a degree of apathy, scepticism and antipathy to the idea of creating an integrated model and such a change is therefore likely to be resisted in many quarters. Previously there has been some discussion as to whether ambulance services were the emergency arm of health or part of public safety. These discussions continue in other countries like the US, whereas in the UK it is absolutely clear for now that the ambulance service is very much part of the NHS and wider health community, and ever more integrated with the many NHS services. Another differentiating feature of the ambulance service is its workforce of paramedics, who registered as health professionals 14 years ago, with all that this entails. While not suggesting that the fire and rescue service is anything but professional, firefighters come from a very different tradition and it cannot be taken as read that they would all be willing to engage in health care activities. Firefighters have not been subjected to changes to their legal or professional status, nor are they subjected to the standards of conduct, performance and ethics that paramedics are now required to conform to as a function of professional regulation. None of these factors is a show stopper, but they would all need close attention if large scale integration were to be seriously considered.
“Ultimately, only durable and focused political will can create the conditions for meaningful change/integration delivered at scale.” One other important variable is that the very nature of the ambulance service is changing as they are becoming deliverers of mobile healthcare, for patients with urgent and undifferentiated health care needs, with arguably a consequent de-emphasis upon hyper acute emergency cases. These trends, which are leading to an even higher level of integration of the ambulance service and the wider NHS, risk placing more cultural ‘blue water’ between fire and ambulance and could be seen as leading away from the path of closer emergency services integration. These observations do not necessarily rule out closer working relationships with fire or, one should acknowledge, police to meet the needs of the most seriously ill, particularly in terms of an initial response, but they do need to be considered. EST: Should the ambulance service take over the fire and rescue service or should the fire and rescue service take over the ambulance service? AN: That is quite an emotive question and it does not necessarily follow for the circumstances we find ourselves in today that either organisation should take over the other. I’m not suggesting either, nor would I reject the idea out of hand, as one of a series of potential options. What I am suggesting is that it makes sense to have a closer working relationship where some of the latent capacity that the fire and rescue service could be used to support the needs of some patients. This could be a first step to potential further integration later on. Ultimately, your
question can only be resolved through political decisions taken at Westminster and in the other assemblies and parliaments of the United Kingdom and in the context of a well-conceived strategic approach. EST: Is the fact that there are only 10 regional ambulance services and 46 fire and rescue services a further barrier? AN: Probably, yes, but I don’t think anyone really knows what the optimum size of the ambulance service or the optimum size of the fire and rescue service should be, but 46 fire and rescue services does seem rather excessive to me. The simple transaction costs of dealing with so many organisations makes any change more difficult and complicated than it could be. The number of emergency control centres for all these emergency services seems particularly difficult to justify. Some degree of rationalisation is probably therefore beneficial and for that matter necessary. But these are organisational questions that haven’t really been addressed to date in a scientific way, and without clear political direction it is unlikely they ever will be addressed. EST: Is there an opportunity for fire and ambulance service control centres to be merged to save money? AN: The idea of regional emergency control centres does seem logical to me. Fire calls could certainly be easily accommodated within any ambulance control centre today. My gut feeling is that this is an area that is ripe for further discussion, particularly considering the economies of scale that could result. Equally, however, I am aware that for many in the emergency services this is a sensitive issue. EST: How far would you go in adopting the recommendations of Tobias Ellwood’s All-Party Parliamentary Group report on Improving Efficiency, Interoperability and Resilience of our Blue Light Services? Should there be a single national emergency response service? AN: It’s an ambitious idea and if total integration is the political direction of travel then a new organisation might be easier to develop that a simple merger. For this reason I wouldn’t reject any option out of hand, but it remains a ‘wild card’ at one end of a continuum of possibilities. To explore the question further the most logical approach would be to conduct a detailed option appraisal to see what benefits might be derived and more specifically what the costs/benefits are and what the anticipated cost savings might be. EST: What sort of timescale are you thinking for change of this sort of type? Do you see it as a gradual thing? AN: If left to individual organisations progress will be very slow and patchy. It is likely that there may be some ‘watering down’ of ‘integration’ in favour of the more palatable [for some] and eminently more ‘ignorable,’ interpretable, and obtuse ‘collaboration,’ but there has already been some movement locally around the country at the shallow end of the agenda, which should be recognised. Ultimately, only durable and focused political will can create the conditions for meaningful change/integration delivered at scale. We can probably judge the level of political interest and appetite for this, if any, by what happens in the run up to next year’s election and, more specifically, if anything appears in forthcoming party manifestos and while I wouldn’t rule out some movement in this area, neither would I bet the farm on it. EST
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The Emergency Services Show – where collaboration meets innovation The Emergency Services Show 2014, held at the NEC in Birmingham from 24-25 September, attracted a record 5680 visitors. This represents the eighth consecutive year-on-year increase in visitor growth and a six percent increase since the event relocated to the NEC last year. Aimed at all emergency services and their partner agencies involved in emergency response, planning and recovery, The Emergency Services Show 2014 (ESS) offered visitors more opportunities than ever before to learn new skills and broaden their knowledge, with the introduction of two free seminar programmes and a series of co-located meetings and seminars hosted by key industry bodies.
Workshops and demos The show also offered live demonstrations of rescue techniques, equipment and vehicles and free training opportunities. Networking was cited by both visitors and exhibitors alike as a key benefit of attending. John Halfpenny, Policing Skills Trainer, Learning and Development, West Mercia and Warwickshire Police, described the show as, “an invaluable and enjoyable chance to network and appreciate the challenges, strengths and capabilities of partner agencies in the emergency services and support organisations and responders.” This view was echoed by Tim Lewis, Capability Officer, CFOA National Resilience, exhibiting in the Emergency Response Zone. He said, “We are here to get our name out there and catch up with partner agencies. It’s also useful for us to be here to network and see new equipment ourselves.” Physio Control also hosted workshops and found that every session was sold out, despite having added extra
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seating. Sam Amena, Marketing Product Specialist, Physio Control, said, “We were very impressed with the size of the show… We are here to educate people and that has been very well received.”
The Emergency Services Show returns to the NEC in Birmingham from 23-24 September 2015.
communicate. Anneka Lowe, Marketing Manager, SP Services, said, “Footfall on our stand was fantastic throughout the show and we’ve seen a great mix of people from across all the emergency services: everyone from paramedics and first responders to procurement professionals. Our retail store proved very popular with good sales across both days.” Oliver North, Managing Director of Rosenbauer UK, said, “The Emergency Services Show is the main platform in the UK to establish new innovations and concepts to our excellent fire and rescue services. This year provided that perfect platform as Rosenbauer begins its firm, specific and strategic focus on the British fire market.”
Best use of limited time With over 400 exhibitors, The Emergency Services Show is a one-stop shop for the latest kit, services and expertise. Des Harker, PPE Manager, Suffolk Fire Service, found, “an abundance of suppliers with new or innovative equipment that we can buy now or think about to meet our future requirements.” Kevan Whitehead, Director of Fire & Rescue, Stirling Group, Dubai, confirmed, “Within two days I met most of my current suppliers and met a few potential future suppliers. From an R&D perspective – absolutely the best use of my limited time.” Exhibitors reported strong interest and quality leads, whether they had a product to sell or a message to
All the right people Luana Avagliano, Head of the Resilience Direct team at the Cabinet Office, said, “The Emergency Services Show proved a great opportunity for us to meet with all our stakeholders and show off our new system. We’ve met all the right people here and had a fantastic response to the service.”
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ESS welcomes Indian radiological safety experts to UK This year’s Emergency Services Show was visited by a group of Indian experts who have, between them, responded to the November 2008 terrorist attacks on Mumbai, treated casualties from an accidental release of radiological material at the Mayapuri scrapyard in New Delhi in April 2010, helped to prepare India for a possible CBRN incident at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, and set up major CBRN training centres in Gwalior and New Delhi. The group visited live demonstrations by the Fire Service College and saw training simulations, software and equipment in use by a number of UK agencies including the Fire Service College and VectorCommand.
Shared expertise The group was hosted by RUSI as part of a Foreign and Commonwealth Office-funded project to create a UK-India Bilateral Expert Knowledge Exchange Network on Radiological Safety and Security in the Healthcare Sector. The project aims to bring together experts from both countries to improve awareness of the risks associated with radiological material used in hospitals and medical research, to prevent it from being stolen for malicious use or damaged during natural disasters such as earthquakes, fires and floods. It builds on previous FCO-funded research work undertaken by RUSI, which has included reports on CBR materials security in India undertaken with the Observer Research Foundation, an Indian think tank, and Symbiosis School of Biomedical Science in Pune, near Mumbai.
RUSI researchers visited the UK hospitals and attended The Emergency Services Show with a delegation of Indian experts including: the Network’s Chair, Professor Arun Malhotra of the Dr Ram Manhohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow India (third from left in the group photo); Mr Pratap Karguppikar, former Chief Fire Officer of Mumbai Fire Brigade and advisor to Government of India Expert Committees; Maj Gen (Dr) JK Bansal, formerly of the National Disaster Management Agency; and Dr Angeli Qwatra, Chair of the disaster preparedness NGO Philanthrope. During a four-day visit to Birmingham they also visited the Nuclear Medicine and Radiopharmacology Departments at City Hospital Birmingham and Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham. Previously, RUSI and a team of UK experts had visited New Delhi in 2013 to see arrangements at Indian hospitals, and Professor Malhotra had visited London in April 2014 to attend the NHS Ambition conference. He also visited Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust to see their arrangements for receiving contaminated casualties and for dealing with a CBRN incident occurring at the hospital site.
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During a four-day visit to Birmingham they also visited the Nuclear Medicine and Radiopharmacology Departments at City Hospital Birmingham and Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham. Private workshop A private workshop held alongside the ESS brought together the Indian experts with UK counterparts from organisations including Public Health England, the Environment Agency, the British Nuclear Medicine Society, NHS Resilience, the Fire Service College and other agencies to discuss approaches to radiological security and safety in their respective countries and to plan future activities for the network in India and the UK. The workshop suggested that there are potential additional roles for fire safety engineers and building surveyors in increasing awareness of radiological safety and security challenges during routine building safety inspections and even during the planning phases of new buildings where material will be in use. Similarly, awareness needs to be raised of the dangers of not following proper procedures when disposing of potentially
dangerous material at the end of its working life. The next phase of the project will see Jennifer Cole, Senior Research Fellow in Resilience and Emergency Management at RUSI, who is leading the project from the UK side, travel to India with a small group of UK experts in December 2014 to see procedures and equipment in use at Indian facilities, and live drills by the National Disaster Management Agency and the Mumbai Fire Service. A second workshop will also be held in India at that time, following which some members of the network will present on its aims and activities so far at the Society of Nuclear Medicine of India conference in Kolkata from 11-14 December 2014. Going forward, the network is looking to expand its membership in the UK and India, and to look at opportunities for expanding to include other countries with expanding medical and higher education sectors. For further information on the project, contact Jennifer Cole – e-mail: jenniferc@rusi.org.
www.rusi.org
The group visited live demonstrations by the Fire Service College
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Under water and overwhelmed – responding to the floods in Eastern Europe Torrential rain followed by floods and high temperatures presented physical challenges to the UK ISAR team who were requested to assist in Bosnia and Herzegovina... to say nothing of the risk from displaced mines... and a snake. Words: Sean Moore, UK ISAR National Coordinator & Ashley Hildred, Lincolnshire FRS ISAR Team. Eastern Europe suffered some of the worst flooding events on record during May 2014, and was reported to have experienced three months of rainfall in three days across the Balkan States (BBC, 2014). This unprecedented amount of rain overwhelmed the local authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and consequently a request for international assistance was issued via the EU Emergency Response and Coordination Centre (ERCC) based in Brussels. The Civil Contingencies Secretariat of the Cabinet Office is the lead Government department for all matters regarding the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, and requested support from the fire and rescue service, in collaboration with the Department for International Development (DFID), Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Range of equipment The United Kingdom International Search and Rescue team (UK ISAR) responded on 17 May with a team of 33 personnel and a range of flood response equipment. This equipment included four inflatable boats with engines, navigation and communications equipment, water rescue personal protective equipment, and a welfare and support cache allowing the team to be fully self-sufficient for up to 10 days. The team landed in Sarajevo, and were met by staff from the British Embassy who arranged further logistical
Three months of rainfall fell in three days in Bosnia in May.
support including transport to the affected North East region of the country avoiding routes affected by landslides, flooding and any areas where potential landmines may have been disturbed. The team also had the difficulty of managing the equipment, which arrived on a separate flight and to a different airport. However, support from the Hungarian Army allowed the team and equipment to successfully arrive in the most affected areas and to integrate fully into the national and international response mechanisms.
team and perform a rescue from a nearby property for a local resident that required urgent medical assistance. This task was achieved successfully. After liaising with the Local Emergency Management Agency (LEMA), the UK ISAR team developed a strategy to achieve the taskings they had been given, and operations began at first light on 19 May.
“Residents moved their cattle up to first floor balconies to avoid the flood waters.”
Assisting with repairs to infrastructure.
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A reconnaissance team was mobilised ahead of the main team to identify the worst affected areas, and a suitable venue to establish a base of operations was set up within an unaffected school hall in the town of Bijeljina. During the set-up of the base of operations on the evening of 18 May, the presence of the UK ISAR team prompted an immediate request to deploy a boat
Vulnerable residents are carried to safety.
Welfare important Many of the UK ISAR personnel had been involved in various flooding operations within the UK over the last few years, but the scale of the flooding across the North East region of Bosnia and Herzegovina was worse than
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Deployments to disaster areas
Saving the bacon
most had experienced previously. One positive aspect, however, was the cessation of the rain prior to the arrival of the team, and as a consequence floodwaters were reported to be receding. The weather did still pose a different problem as the temperatures averaged 35°C for the duration of the deployment, therefore welfare became very important with rehydration and crew rotation key factors due to operating in dry suits for extended periods in the heat.
“The scale of the flooding across the North East region of Bosnia and Herzegovina was worse than most of the team had experienced previously.”
Restoring power The second and third day of operations saw the team given a new set of priorities by the LEMA to assist electrical engineers to access electrical sub-stations, water pumping stations and the main electricity pylons in an attempt to restore power to the region. This was one of the key objectives for the LEMA as with the restoration of electrical power communities could begin assisting themselves as well as start the huge operation of pumping water out of the affected towns. The team used a number of crews over the two days to travel hours over vast quantities of water allowing the electrical engineers to repair the damaged installations. One of the final tasks once the power lines had all been traced and repaired was to re-route the cabling at the main sub-station. This objective was slightly delayed by the surprise appearance of a snake that decided the sanctuary of the boat was more appealing than the floodwaters. After a
UK ISAR has been an integral part of the UK Government’s response to overseas disasters since the team’s inauguration in 1992. During its 22-year history, the team has gained experience and developed a capability to deploy highly skilled and motivated, resourceful and dedicated firefighters who have repeatedly demonstrated an ability to deploy at short notice to some of the world’s worst disasters. Some of those include the tsunami in Japan (March 2011), and the destructive earthquakes in Christchurch, New Zealand (Feb 2011), Haiti (Jan 2010), Indonesia (Sep 2009) and Pakistan (Oct 2005).
calamitous 30 seconds of UK ISAR personnel and local engineers shuffling around the two rescue boats, the snake was finally ejected and the focus once again turned to the electric cabling and the restoration of power, which was achieved shortly afterwards. The recovery effort within the region as well as across the neighbouring countries of Croatia and Serbia will take a very long time and an enormous amount of effort to return to normality. As a team we are very proud to have once again been able to make a difference to extremely vulnerable communities and individuals during their greatest hours of need, and very humbled by the enormous level of gratitude shown.
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Operations and humanitarian support Due to the scale of the flooding, the UK team were tasked with providing emergency operations over an area of approximately 30sqkm in support of the overwhelmed local emergency response agencies. They were the only international team operating across a series of rural communities who rely on crops and cattle for their livelihoods. This led to some interesting sights not normally encountered when operating in the UK, with residents moving their cattle up to first floor balconies to avoid the floodwaters! The first two days of operations were extremely busy with crews using rescue boats to access vulnerable people and communities, and resulted in the rescue of 45 persons and the evacuation of a further 58 persons. The UK team was also able to provide additional humanitarian support by delivering food, water, medicines, cattle feed and the provision of manual labour to rescue stranded livestock; greatly assisted by a number of local volunteers who came forward to act as interpreters.
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The Team.
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Scotland welcomes the world to the Commonwealth Games The Commonwealth Games were held between 23 July and 3 August in what was the largest multi-sporting and cultural event ever to be held in Scotland. The size and scale of the events occurring across Scotland during the Games resulted in the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) dedicating a full-time team to undertake all aspects of planning and service delivery. Words: Paul Stewart, Area Manager, Project Lead Officer, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. The Commonwealth Games formed the centrepiece of a year-long programme of activity in which Scotland ‘welcomed the world’. In addition to the Commonwealth Games the 2014 Ryder Cup took place at Gleneagles in Perthshire from 23-28 September resulting in an extremely busy summer period for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS). The SFRS worked closely with Scottish Government, Glasgow 2014 [Organising Committee], Commonwealth Games Scotland and Glasgow City Council in providing a safe, secure and peaceful Games. Over 1.2 million tickets were sold for sporting competition covering 17 sports and five para-sports, the largest integrated para-sport programme in the history of the Games. Sporting competition was undertaken in 14 venues and in total, 261 medal events took place with 1385 medals available to be won. Scotland played host to approximately 6500 of the world’s top athletes and officials, with participating countries representing 71 nations and territories and over two billion citizens from across the Commonwealth. Although the Games were primarily located in Glasgow, sporting events were also held at the Commonwealth Pool in Edinburgh and at the Barry Buddon Shooting range in Carnoustie; making this a truly national event.
“The SFRS worked closely with Scottish Government, Glasgow 2014, Commonwealth Games Scotland and Glasgow City Council in providing a safe, secure and peaceful Games.” Planning Executive members of Police Scotland chaired the ‘Security Directorate’ in tandem with, and reporting to, the Security Committee group chaired by Scottish Government. Thereafter the Security Directorate evolved to become the ‘Gold Group’, approximately four weeks prior to the Games commencing. The SFRS were represented at all governance levels with the dedicated ‘Project Team’ members working closely with numerous partner agencies. The ‘Games Executive’ and all functional departments of the Organising Committee operated under the
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banner of a number of ‘drivers’ and ‘enablers’, which directed and underpinned the work of the numerous departments and functions. Relative to the number of functions, departments, planning groups and committees; the demand for SFRS representation at a broad range of meetings was significant. Internally the SFRS allocated work streams to key organisational departments and managed all aspects via dedicated ‘project leads’ within the full-time project team, these included: • Operational Planning – command, control and communication; multi-agency response plans; SFRS venue operating plans; event and venue impact assessments; operational resources; and specialist resources • Prevention and Protection – legislative fire safety; operational reassurance visits; during performance
•
inspections; community fire safety engagement Training and Exercising – Commonwealth Strategic Safety and Security Risk Assessment (CoSSSRA); SFRS training needs analysis; internal and external exercising programmes.
Games time delivery A Multi-Agency Coordination Centre, SFRS Games Support Room and Event Control Rooms at all Commonwealth Games venues were resourced using staff trained to operate in each discipline. A dedicated Loggist and a member of Operations Control staff supported SFRS Silver Commanders within the MultiAgency Coordination Centre. The three-person team managed the flow of information to and from the coordination centre and ensured Gold Commanders were briefed appropriately.
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EST2014 REVIEW | 25 Operations Support Centre personnel and flexi-duty managers staffed the Games Support Room. Venue Event Control Rooms were staffed by operational personnel of varying responsibility levels, dependant on the ‘risk category’ placed on individual venues.
Increased resources Venues requiring an on-site fire fighting capability were identified as the Athletes Village [24-hour cover], Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre Precinct, National Stadium (Hampden Park) and Barry Buddon Shooting Range at Carnoustie. This decision was based on all or some of the following factors: the high profile nature of the sporting events, venue demographics, risks identified within each of the locations, high number of spectators attending or the impact the event overlay had on the surrounding road network. In addition, the SFRS increased the resource levels within Glasgow City by the provision of three additional fire appliances for each day of competition. This capability was allocated to attend ‘Games related venues only’ and was in addition to the service’s business as usual resources. Specialist resources were also identified as being required for a variety of disciplines including urban search and rescue; water rescue, line rescue and detection, identification and monitoring (DIM) capabilities.
briefing of staff, resource requirements, accreditation and the transport of personnel to allocated work locations within Games venues. The role and function of the Logistics Centre was pivotal in ensuring the service’s commitments were adequately met. As an example, on the weekend of 26/27 July the SFRS Logistics Centre processed 172 Accreditation Passes, allocated 47 Venue briefing packs, deployed 291 staff on three different shift patterns and facilitated 63 journeys to and from Commonwealth Games venues. Other Games time resources included the involvement of SFRS Corporate Communications, fleet services, IT and administration staff in support of the wider aspects of service delivery. Many members of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service were directly involved in various elements of the Games as part of their ‘day job’. However, the level of staff commitment to become involved in the actual delivery of the Games and to playing an active part in providing a public safety role on behalf of the
Planning for the event included numerous multi-agency training exercises.
organisation was in truth, outstanding! A total of 576 staff from across the service volunteered their time to work out with normal working hours.
Summary The total number of incidents attended by Glasgow Community Fire Stations from the period of the Games commencing on 23 July until the finish date on 3 August (12 day period) was 648, an average of 54 incidents per day. The total number of operational incidents attended by the SFRS, to Games related venues, during the Games time delivery period was 55. The challenges faced, experience gained and extensive multi-agency engagement has seen the SFRS both ‘learn lessons’ and gather many ‘legacy benefits’ from the organisations involvement in such a large scale event.
Logistics Centre The management, distribution and logistics involved in ensuring the SFRS met all commitments during the Games were facilitated via a dedicated ‘Logistics Centre’. The centre managed and coordinated the
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Area Manager Paul Stewart.
The production of a comprehensive report on the SFRS involvement in the Games is available on request – please e-mail: paul.stewart@firescotland.gov.uk
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Joint response to a major incident tested at multi-agency exercise Exercises are vital to ensure that the plans in place to tackle a major incident are robust. Codenamed Joint Endeavour, a 14-hour long multi-agency exercise designed to test the initial joint response of all three emergency services was held in Merseyside in September. Words: Catharine Fleming, Business Development & Communications Manager, CFOA National Resilience Ltd (CNR). It is a quiet morning on the outskirts of Liverpool. All that can be heard is the gathering sound of an approaching train and a dog barking in a garden nearby. But suddenly there is the screech of metal, an impact crash, explosion, fire and smoke – and then screaming. The developing scene is appalling. A commuter train has derailed with two carriages upturned and strewn across a busy road. Crashed cars are on fire, their occupants trapped. Buildings have collapsed, gas pipes have been severed, water mains ruptured, and a bus has careered into a school. Bodies are scattered across a large area. It could not be any worse. Within minutes there is the sound of the sirens of the first blue light services to arrive at this huge and complex scene of devastation. But while ‘we’ (media and VIPs) are observers, positioned high on a viewing platform overlooking the training ground where this ‘disaster’ has been created and will be played out over the coming hours, these first responders have no idea what type or scale of incident awaits them. Welcome to Exercise Joint Endeavour!
Plan and purpose Joint Endeavour was the National Validation Exercise of the Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Programme (JESIP), and involved 850 participants (including actors playing casualties). Planned over a period of two years, it was devised to test the JESIP doctrine, which was established to address the public enquiry findings from a number of major incident reports, including the London bombings of 2005 and the Derrick Bird shootings in Cumbria in 2010. JESIP’s overarching aim is to improve the ways in which police, fire and rescue, and ambulance services work together in the early stages of a major or complex incident in order to save as many lives as possible.
Photo: Tony Thomas, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service.
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Therefore, this exercise was designed to test the following objectives: • How effectively the emergency services co-locate command functions in order to support joint working • Whether relevant information is effectively communicated across the emergency services throughout the incident • The effective coordination of emergency service activity • Whether collectively and individually the three emergency services effectively manage risks associated with the incident • Whether a common situational awareness is shared across the emergency services in response to an incident • The overall effectiveness of the response from the perspective of the victims of the emergency. So far, JESIP classroom training has involved 10,000 priority service commanders, and a further 16,000 emergency services personnel and other responder organisations have received training via e-learning packages and presentations.
“JESIP’s overarching aim is to improve the ways in which police, fire and rescue, and ambulance services work together.” Heavily involved in the organisation of this exercise, Dan Stephens, Chief Fire Officer of Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service and Chair of the National Resilience Board, said, “Exercise Joint Endeavour simulated the significant challenge faced by emergency service personnel when a major incident occurs. The exercise required all three emergency services to work closely together to manage hazards and effect numerous rescues. “Exercises like this are invaluable, as they allow our specialist teams to put their skills and knowledge to the test under highly realistic conditions in an environment where effective coordination with other emergency services and agencies is essential.” Exercise Joint Endeavour involved officers and staff from Merseyside Police, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service and North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust, and partner organisations including Liverpool City Council, British Transport Police, the Ministry of Defence and the Environment Agency.
Photo: Tony Thomas, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service.
Steve Wheaton, JESIP Assistant Senior Responsible Officer, said, “We are grateful to the agencies on Merseyside for agreeing to host this massive event. It will mark the culmination of the first phase of JESIP, which has seen the creation of a unique joint training programme, bringing together personnel from the three blue light services, and other responder organisations, solely to improve even further the service they give to the public in situations of crisis.” Exercise Joint Endeavour will prove a vital learning opportunity, with the review of outcomes informing future developments in improved joint working of the emergency services.
www.fireresilience.org.uk www.jesip.org.uk
NRAT’s role and role-play CFOA National Resilience Ltd (CNR) enables the fire and rescue service to respond to ‘serious’, ‘significant’ or ‘catastrophic’ national incidents. It does this by providing strategic advice and assurance to Government that the National Resilience Capabilities are able to deal with these threats to the safety and security of England and Wales, as well as to assist with incidents overseas when requested. Each of the Capabilities comprises specialised vehicles, equipment and personnel, and through a managed programme of training and exercising, the National Resilience Assurance Team (NRAT) ensures that the Capabilities are in a state of operational readiness when required to deploy.
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UK teams triumph at World Rescue Challenge 2014 Thirty extrication and 22 trauma teams from 20 countries came together from 9-12 October to participate in what is widely recognised as a premier global rescue event. The Fire Service College (FSC), Moreton in Marsh, supported by the United Kingdom Rescue Organisation (UKRO), hosted the 2014 World Rescue Challenge (WRC), which is operated by the World Rescue Organisation (WRO) and is now in its 15th year. Humberside and Hampshire
The WRO exists solely to save lives and reduce injuries and the World Rescue Challenge provides the opportunity for the sharing of expertise globally. Teams benefit by learning and sharing with each other the different skills, knowledge and understanding, which they then take away with them to put into practice for the benefit of the public that they serve worldwide.” Dan Zinge, Vice Chair of the WRO said, “A key element of the WRC event is the importance and value in coming together as a global rescue team. The real winners are the public who will ultimately benefit from the expertise and training, along with the practice and shared learning that this event has facilitated.” Each of the teams had previously been through a selection process within their own country and represented the best of the best, as they competed for the many trophies and the 2014 World title. Jez Smith, FSC Managing Director, said, “The FSC was delighted to host this year’s WRC and is proud to have had the opportunity to support this important event, it was a fascinating event to watch. Hosting the WRC also presented the FSC with a fantastic opportunity to open its doors to the public, to give them the opportunity to observe professional rescue teams in action.” The FSC event management team worked extremely hard to deliver the challenge in a record breaking short time frame; they, along with other FSC staff, joined colleagues from the UKRO and WRO to deliver a first rate challenge.
There was tough competition among all of the teams, but congratulations go to Humberside Fire and Rescue Service, who were overall Trauma winners and also to Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, who won the Overall Extrication Challenge. At the WRC Closing Ceremony, the challenge baton was handed over to Carlos Castro, Deputy Mayor from the city of Lisbon, which will be hosting 2015 WRC. The Lisbon team was very successful at this year’s event, which bodes well for an exciting competition next year.
“The unique facilities available at the Fire Service College provided the perfect environment to hold an excellent event and deliver WRO objectives.”
Steve continued, “The WRO is a unique organisation, which is contributing to the United Nations ‘Decade of Action’ to reduce the number of people killed and injured as a result of road traffic collisions. Its work within the UN’s post-crash response pillar has seen the WRO contribute to the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration (UNRSC) group.”
WRO restructure The World Rescue Organisation continues to go from strength to strength, and has recently restructured with the introduction of an executive committee, comprising: the Chair, Steve Apter, UK; Vice Chair, Dan Zinge, USA; Secretary Cameron Black, UK; Declan Cassidy, Treasurer, Republic of Ireland (ROI); and Mick Rogers, ROI who took on the new post of Director of Operations at this year’s WRO AGM. The WRO is an executive member of the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) where it works alongside colleagues from other NGOs, civil society and industry. In the coming years the WRC will travel to Portugal (2015), Brazil (2016), Romania (2017) and South Africa (2018). Organisations wishing to become involved with the WRO should contact the secretary at secretary@wrescue.org.
www.wrescue.org CFO Steve Apter, Chair of the WRO, said, “The World Rescue Organisation is committed to continue to strive hard to ensure that the trauma and extrication standards are not only maintained, but are continually improved. The unique facilities available at the Fire Service College provided the perfect environment to hold an excellent event and deliver WRO objectives.” He went on to thank Jez, the FSC team and all WRO member organisations for their help and assistance in the run up to, and during the challenge; he expressed a special thanks to the many countries, which provided assessors, logistics and technical staff, who helped make the event such as success.
Vimpex support for extrication champions Vimpex, a specialist supplier of emergency services equipment for 20 years, is delighted once again to have supported world champions Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service with supply of equipment and resources during training and the event itself. The team used the popular Pacific A7A helmet and Vimpex extrication gloves as well as Makita rescue tools – all supplied by Vimpex. Hampshire’s Extrication Team Leader Lee Havey, who took the title of Best Overall World Extrication Team Leader, said, “It is absolutely fantastic to take away the winner's title from the World Extrication Challenge. We are very confident in our firefighters’ abilities when they attend road traffic collisions and now that we have been crowned world
www.emergencyservicestimes.com
champions, it just shows that what we do, we do very well.” Vimpex has worked with Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service for several years; supplying their innovative USAR team with the Ogura battery-powered hydraulic rescue tools as well as supporting their various extrication teams. Vimpex’s established portfolio of products includes Paratech’s range of stabilisation, air lifting and forcible entry kit; FX-1 Max fire fighting gloves; TNT hydraulic rescue tools; Ogura battery-powered hydraulics; Pacific paramedic, rescue and fire fighting helmets and ISG thermal imaging cameras. www.rescuetools.co.uk
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ESTADVERTORIAL | 29
A tablet for every operative? There is a technology revolution coming to the blue light sector, and it’s vital that emergency services start planning for it now. Words: Peter Molyneux, President of Getac UK. That revolution is the Emergency Services Mobile Communication Programme (ESMCP), which launches in 2016. In its simplest form, essentially it is a dedicated, nationwide 4G mobile broadband network for the use of emergency services personnel. It should be immediately clear what this means for the emergency services sector: in addition to significantly improved connectivity for voice communications this network can be used for the transmission of vital data across the country, including documents, pictures and video. Firefighters will be able to access up-to-date plans of buildings to risk assess the site; ambulance operators can retrieve and exchange vital patient data sharing images to confirm the best course of treatment; while police can retrieve criminal data to determine best action for the public protection. And that is just the beginning of the potential benefits to the public.
Increased capabilities The possibilities will dramatically increase the capabilities of the blue light sector – but only if operatives have the means with which to access the network and access that data in a reliable and consistent method. That means procurers in the emergency sector will face a unique challenge over the next 12 months – the possibility of having to equip every single operative with a personal mobile device. In the police alone, that theoretically means bringing online 240,000 tablets – each of which will need to be rugged enough to survive without the need for constant replacement, and secure enough so that should such a device end up in the wrong hands, it cannot be used for criminal purposes. Therefore, it is crucial that procurement plans start now – it is vital that operatives get the right device, that offers reliability and a competitive total cost of ownership for its lifetime use. For instance, imagine the headaches that would be caused by ordering a quarter of a million low-cost tablets and finding a fifth of those need replacing after six months because they simply cannot survive the rigours of the job in the field? Making the wrong decision could prove very expensive and lead to a potentially life threatening situation.
Start planning now Good advice and an understanding of the true lifetime costs are essential. As both a specialist designer and manufacturer of rugged mobile devices, Getac is expertly placed to provide the right advice needed for a successful project. Our devices, such as the thin and light T800 8in Windows tablet, use the very latest technology, while being fully rugged to provide the best reliability in the field. On the software front, we have strategic relationships with the best software encryption companies in the business. Our rugged Z710 Android tablet is protected with Becrypt’s Titan encryption, while our Windows-based tablets – including the T800 and F110 – are supported with accreditations from MDM providers such as AirWatch and SOTI. We have a unique understanding into what a rugged device will truly cost over its lifetime, thanks to more than 25 years of experience dedicated to developing and supplying rugged computer solutions to the market. We share our experience to ensure the best product, configuration, deployment and support and services for the success of a project throughout its lifetime. Understanding the objectives of the project and working closely with the customer is fundamental. The ESMCP is a huge opportunity, and those who start planning now will be best placed to perform their public duties to the very highest level.
www.getac.co.uk If you would like to discuss any aspect of your rugged computing requirements, call 01952 207 221, e-mail: Sales-Getac-UK@getac.com or visit www.getac.co.uk
www.emergencyservicestimes.com
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30 | ESTCOMPANY PROFILE
Community safety in the digital world The Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme (ESMCP), which was announced in summer 2013, has set telecommunications suppliers a number of unique challenges to bring the latest communication solutions to the emergency services as a whole. Billy D’Arcy, Managing Director, Public Sector Business at O2 Telefonica, discusses the next generation of emergency services (ES) communications and why O2 is so committed to developing a trusted partnership with the UK government. Bill D’Arcy (BD): I passionately believe in our key strategic objective, ‘Community safety in the digital world’. The Emergency Services Network programme (ESN) is an opportunity to upgrade public service delivery; the UK needs a secure and resilient ES network that enables users to work to their full potential, while also providing cost efficiencies for the Government. This task is O2’s mission-critical target. The ES are going through significant transformation with reforms being made in the way they operate and all of this in the shadow of reduced government spending. In addition, the way that the ES must respond to emergencies or crises is changing all the time. Emergency Services Times (EST): Why is the public sector and specifically emergency services so important for O2 in the UK? BD: We’re no stranger to the public sector and have vast experience in the world of critical communications. We’re a massive advocate for digital services and we feel we’re best placed to work with the government on new technologies and infrastructure. We recently won a bid to deliver communications services for the central and south UK regions as part of the Smart Meter Implementation Programme. Additionally we work with the Ministry of Justice as a vital part of the Prisoner Tagging consortium.
The same technology can supply lifesaving informatics to paramedics and ambulance staff and allow fire and rescue service commanders to coordinate responses to major incidents. It is O2’s duty as a communications technology provider to respond to these evolving changes.
Billy D’Arcy, Managing Director, Public Sector Business at O2 Telefonica
For example, by using 4G technology, the police can free up thousands of man-hours by streamlining administration, allowing officers to get out ‘on the beat’ and help and protect the general public. Let’s take one specific example; O2’s advanced 4G technology will allow body worn video to be streamed live to senior police officers and emergency control rooms and will do much to keep ES and the general public safe. This could be an invaluable tool in a large number of emergency or criminal scenarios. And we can roll out O2’s highly effective Bluelight Managed Video, with wearable cameras for monitoring and recording activity while on duty right now.
EST: What do you mean by that statement? BD: Only a couple of summers ago there was social unrest across the country; social networks accessed via mobile devices were used to organise where rioters should assemble and what areas would be looted next. Information was being shared with large groups of individuals so they could avoid concentrations of police officers. Police officers often found their tactical moves were being ‘second-guessed’ by the rioters who had a constant stream of intelligence being supplied to them via smartphones. In addition, ambulance staff and fire brigade personnel found themselves faced with hostile and angry crowds with little backup. The lessons of this unrest have been learnt and O2 is uniquely placed to help all the ES improve their response and keep ES staff and members of public safe from harm. Also, O2 has always been recognised as a company that embraces and invests in the community in the UK. That goes for the emergency services community too. O2 is proud to sponsor a number of voluntary ‘First
“O2 has always been recognised as a company that embraces and invests in the community in the UK. That goes for the emergency services community too.” EST: Why is the change necessary, particularly when other public services are suffering from cutbacks? Was the investment really required? BD: The men and women of all the emergency services protect us and care for us 24/7, 365 days a year and O2 is committed to listening and learning from ES members of every rank and position. These same men and women are currently using a communications system that is nowhere near as powerful as the 4G network that O2’s 24 million customers rely on every day. That has to be addressed so that ES members can keep themselves and the general public safe. The switch to the next generation mobile network will give all the emergency services a powerful increase in the capabilities and capacity of their communications systems and help them to meet and exceed agreed performance targets.
www.emergencyservicestimes.com
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ESTCOMPANY PROFILE | 31 Responder’ organisations that support the ES and give vital and lifesaving support on the ES frontline. One example of these partnerships is with the National Search and Rescue Dog Association (NSARDA). NSARDA is voluntary organisation that supports the emergency services in finding and rescuing missing people in all scenarios and all weathers. O2 is proud to support them with equipment and digital expertise so that they in turn help improve community safety. As Harold Burrows MBE, Chairman of NSARDA, said “The simple truth is that there’s a vulnerable person out there and it’s up to us and the dogs to find them. The emergency services rely on us to assist them and we have to be ready, whenever the call comes.” EST: Doesn’t the switch from what is effectively a private ES wireless network on to a ‘consumer network’ have some challenges? BD: The consumer market is just one of our business sectors. We take security very seriously for all of our customer segments and we build in substantial resilience, redundancy and diversity across our network. Every day, more than 24 million O2 customers make over 120 million phone calls on our customers network, while sending over 150 million text messages and transmitting over 240 terabytes of data. Supporting these customers is a massive
www.emergencyservicestimes.com
obligation, and we invest over half a billion pounds a year to keep our network evolving at all times. We were the first mobile operator to achieve the CAS(T) accreditation for Public Services Network contracts. That is an endorsement of the secure nature of our network and our responsible approach to business. In times of emergency activity, our network has to support both the ES and the general public. The company sees that as a commitment that we will not shirk from. O2’s expertise in the UK marketplace is well known with the company’s technology and services being used by organisations such as Network Rail and Transport for London. Also numerous central and local Government bodies and some 27 regional police services have chosen O2 technology. O2’s parent company, Telefonica, has a proven heritage with European Emergency Services including running 911 and 999 services. O2 is the number one network in the UK because we have worked harder than anyone else to attain and then expand that position. We have an unsurpassed record of delivering for our customers – we listen to them and respond to their needs and create partnerships. We have done the same in the enterprise as well as in the UK local and central government sector. Remember ES staff are also consumer customers! The UK emergency services deserve to be continuously supported with the very best technology on the strongest and most secure network in the UK. And we know we will deliver.
News.o2.co.uk/O2ESN
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Connecting up the technology to deliver the best tools for the job It’s been a busy year for Airwave and we’ve worked on a number of high-profile planned events, over and above ensuring 365/24/7 service for our customers. For the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, the NATO 2014 Summit in Wales and the Invictus Games at London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park we provided seamless support built on the tried and tested processes developed over more than a decade of supporting the emergency services. Words: Richard Bobbett, CEO, Airwave. Police Scotland managed the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games – one of the biggest and best attended Games ever – and Airwave worked closely with them to ensure that their requirements were met. As with the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, we sent a team to the police muster site in Glasgow to ensure that they – together with their mutual aid colleagues – had all the information and support they needed. The key is to be there as part of the team. We prepared for the NATO 2014 Summit as we would for any other planned event: we have done this before so are pretty well known by the countries involved. They know that Airwave is the dedicated network for the emergency services. It’s about working with the customer to understand their requirements and then to plan – for coverage, capacity and ongoing network management.
NATO 2014 Summit numbers •
150 visiting dignitaries – including an unprecedented 67 heads of state
•
10,000 staff
•
2000 media
•
1500 police officers from Gwent and South Wales
•
8000 police from other British forces providing mutual aid
•
600+ police motorbikes
For events like this our network management centres and the police control rooms are absolutely lock stepped – and we work with our customers on the solid foundation of more than a decade’s experience of their needs. Working together is about building that knowledge and experience into operational procedures. That’s why these major events go so well – we’ve done them time and again in close partnership with our customers.
www.emergencyservicestimes.com
Taking Airwave expertise abroad Airwave’s Emergency Services Network (ESN) is world renowned and we are proud to have been invited to advise other countries about critical communications. In Germany we work for the Bundesanstalt für den Digitalfunk der Behörden und Organisationen mit Sicherheitsaufgaben (BDBOS) – the government agency overseeing the design and build of the new nationwide TETRA emergency services network. Based in Berlin we have 50 engineers supporting the BDBOS in terms of network design, processes and procedures, and sharing experiences. The Middle East is a newer venture for us. Our office in Dubai opened earlier this year as we felt it was important to make a commitment to the region. Our offering in the Middle East will mirror our approach in Great Britain and we look forward to working with our customers to deliver capabilities that will enable them to take advantage of new voice and data technologies both today and well into the future.
Heightened security risk If I look back across the year, one of the things that have changed is the security threat level in Great Britain and the palpable nervousness from the emergency services you can feel, particularly when walking around London. The targets have become more apparent to be the emergency services themselves, the military and their personnel. The nature of the threat is changing – so the nature of response has to change accordingly. What this does highlight is the need for instant communications by the emergency services – unencumbered by network issues. Our customers have to be able to press that emergency button and know they will get a response. As we see the direct threat to our emergency services increase, it becomes paramount for that facility to be available. We can’t predict when and where that increased capability is needed. For example if you look at some of the most significant policing challenges in recent years – April Jones in Wales, Raoul Moat in Northumberland, and Derrick Bird in Cumbria – they all had one thing in common: the events took place in remote areas where
Richard Bobbett, CEO, Airwave.
you would least expect them to happen. This highlights the fact that no matter where a police officer, paramedic or firefighter is in Great Britain, they are completely dependent on highly secure, highly resilient, always-on communications. To protect the communities they serve the emergency services need to be given the right tools to do their job.
“No matter where a police officer, paramedic or firefighter is in Great Britain, they are completely dependent on highly secure, highly resilient, always-on communications.” Doing more with less We certainly support the call of doing more with less, and we are working with our customers to improve their core efficiencies and effectiveness. An example is Airwave’s Pronto suite of mobile applications, which enables police officers to do their job better and more effectively. Pronto was originally developed to replace the police officer’s paper notebook – the device provides a permanent detailed searchable log, which is electronically archived and eliminates errors caused by the repeated copying of information, or unreadable handwriting. Data is captured just once on the device and then replicated on the arrest sheets, crime files and case files – throughout the Criminal Justice System. In
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ESTCOMMUNICATIONS | 33 addition, the integrated camera can provide timestamped photographic evidence.There is also direct access from Pronto to social media sites such as Twitter, which has become a useful tool to communicate with the public and is being adopted by more and more forces. For example, British Transport Police has reported an increase in non-verbal communications with their customers who are using social media to communicate with them about issues on public transport. Pronto also has great potential for the fire and rescue and ambulance services – not necessarily in the same format as the police, but delivering the same capability – capturing and processing content, delivering greater automation, greater accuracy, and lower cost.
“The future will be about using technology to improve the effectiveness and capability of our emergency services.” This technology is being used by police forces today – a quarter of all police forces in Great Britain use Pronto. However, while Pronto is an essential tool and adds real value, ultimately its capabilities fall into the definition of business critical – not mission critical. So if I’m an officer who can’t transmit a witness statement for the next three minutes because the mobile network is busy, it’s not going to make a difference, it will be sent eventually. However, my emergency button – my ability to instantly dispatch officers to a scene, is a life or death missioncritical requirement.
officer, firefighter or paramedic has instant communications wherever they are, and whenever they need it. There are lots of low-cost technologies that can be used today that will drive the future of the emergency services, such as body worn cameras. How can we use video better today? Why not link the emergency button on the radio to a body-worn camera, so events can be visually recorded?
Maintaining vital communications in the future Using technology to increase capability is absolutely the right thing to do – long-term evolution (LTE) will make communications quicker and smarter, but today LTE is not mission critical. It’s about understanding what is mission critical and what functions can be categorised as business critical. The future will be about using technology to improve the effectiveness and capability of our emergency services. But I do believe that there remain a number of must haves. You have to maintain vital communications: your mission-critical communications must be done in a way that enables you to guarantee that your police
www.emergencyservicestimes.com
Connecting up technology The future is about connecting up technology – not about throwing it away. It’s about making the most effective use of everything you have at your disposal. LTE will be part of the future and it is more than likely that it will be able to replace the mission-critical voice services that TETRA delivers today, but it can’t do that at the present time.
The question then is, in the future, what type of LTE network do you have? TETRA delivers mission-critical voice, and in Great Britain there is a dedicated network for the use of the emergency services so availability and coverage for them is guaranteed. A shared network would of course be cheaper, but that’s like comparing a bus with a car. Going on a bus with 50 other people is cheaper than driving your own car, but you are constrained by the bus route and timetable, which isn’t dedicated to you and your specific requirements. In your own car, you can go anywhere, any time. I believe that our emergency services deserve to have their own guaranteed network and coverage. If you examine the major events that have taken place more recently you will realise just how critical effective communications is. We have learnt the lessons in Great Britain and are really proud that we have something in place that delivers a world-class service. In these heightened threat levels we must not compromise the safety of the emergency services and the public. What’s in the future for Airwave? We will continue to drive innovation into our sector. We are at the forefront of delivering new technologies to the benefit of a sector that we wholly understand. I am determined that we will maintain that momentum.
www.airwavesolutions.co.uk
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Progress with the Emergency Services Network The UK Home Office is procuring a replacement mobile communications service for the three emergency services across England, Scotland and Wales. Called the Emergency Services Network (ESN), this will be replacing the current TETRA based service provided by Airwave Solutions Ltd. Contract award is expected mid 2015 with the ESN going live from 2017. The ESN will deliver integrated critical voice and broadband data services using a mobile communications network capable of providing the police, fire and rescue, and ambulance services with GB-wide coverage, resilience, security and public safety functionality. Words: Guy Kenyon, Kenyon Consulting. Up to 300,000 users across 44 police services, 50 fire and rescue authorities, 13 ambulance trusts, National Crime Agency, National Police Air Service and three nonHome Office police services will initially be serviced by the ESN. When compared with Guy Kenyon, Kenyon Consulting the Airwave Sharer List – which runs to 40 pages – it can also be seen that a wide variety of NHS, local government and utility users from over 400 other organisations will also be able to use the network. The total number of users for the ESN could, potentially, include up to six million across the whole public sector. The indicated total contract value is shown in the OJEU notice as between £550m-£1220m (excluding VAT). Unlike the previous TETRA-based service, which was awarded in 2000 to a single contractor, ultimately Airwave Solutions Ltd, this procurement has been divided into four separate lots with some specific rules regarding who can bid and win each lot.
Four specific lots Lot 1 is for a Delivery Partner to support the transition of existing Airwave customers and new users from their legacy mobile communications services to the ESN. Support will include cross-lot integration programme management, training support services, cross-lot test assurance as well as vehicle installation design and assurance. The duration of this contract is for five and a half to seven years and the value may be up to £95m. The Delivery Partner is only required for the initial transition period. Lot 2 is for a User Services provider to provide a managed service for all ESN users and provide end-toend systems integration for the ESN, including public safety communications services (including developing and operating public safety applications), providing the necessary infrastructure, user device management, customer support and service management of up to 300,000 subscriber accounts. The duration of this contract is for six to eight years and the value may be up to £245m. In the longer term the Lot 2 activity could, potentially, be taken in house. There are a number of established suppliers who already provide 24/7 operational communications support to the emergency services. One of these could be well placed for this contract.
www.emergencyservicestimes.com
Lot 3 is for a Mobile Services provider to enable the delivery of mobile voice and data network services to the ESN users. This provider will be responsible for an enhanced mobile communications service with highly available full coverage in the Lot 3 area, including some in-building coverage, extended coverage over the Lot 4 infrastructure, technical interfaces to Lots 2 and 4 and provision of additional optional services. The duration of this contract is for five and a half to seven years and value may be up to £530m. In the longer term, the intention is to employ multiple network airtime providers for this service. Lot 4 is for an Extension Services provider who will deliver coverage beyond the Lot 3 network and will act as a neutral host providing a highly available communications network in Lot 4 areas to enable the selected Lot 3 supplier to extend their coverage. The duration of this contract is for up to 15 years and the value may be up to £350m. In terms of carrier technology, the US FirstNet programme is showing the way with emergency services communications being delivered over LTE networks. While no technology preference has been declared for the ESN, it is clear that Lot 3 bidders who are rolling out LTE/4G services will offer this technology as the bearer for ESN services. Emergency services will require broadband capability to deliver secure voice, still and moving image services and only LTE – with Release 12 and Release 13 functionality – can support this. R12 and R13 will specify additional Public Protection and Disaster Recovery
(PP&DR) functionality that will support fast call set up, group calling, PTT operation, direct mode and vehicle/mobile cell rebroadcast. These capabilities are also being incorporated into 5G specifications being drafted now through ITU Working Party 5D and EU Horizon 2020 projects METIS and the 5G PPP.
“Security of communications and the infrastructure used to provide it is obviously a primary requirement for the ESN.” Importance of coverage Coverage is obviously very important for emergency services communications, particularly in extreme rural areas and inside buildings in urban areas. Coverage has received a great deal of attention of late with ‘not spots’, ‘partial not spots’, roaming and site sharing all in the news. Not spots are areas without coverage by any network and Arqiva was awarded the Mobile
Home Office plans next stage of engagement with suppliers The Home Office announced on 19 November it would be engaging with suppliers on detailed requirements for the new Emergency Services Network (ESN) – the enhanced, flexible and affordable communication system for the emergency services. A Prior Information Notice (PIN) has been published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) stating that the department will engage suppliers regarding four separate parts of the contract for the new ESN: user devices, air-to-ground service and devices, vehicle installation and control room upgrades.
Mike Penning, Minister of State for Policing, Criminal Justice and Victims, said, “A modernised communications network is vital to help the emergency services protect the public and save lives. We are on track to deliver this critical part of our national infrastructure by 2017. “We have seen strong interest in providing the new emergency services network and its supporting elements. I am confident that the organisations we select will create a communications network that is the best in the world.”
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ESTCOMMUNICATIONS | 35 Infrastructure Project (£150m) in 2013 to cover 60 such locations with new, shared sites. This is the approach that Lot 4 adopts. Recently, the concept of ‘roaming’ across network providers has been promoted as a mechanism for dealing with ‘partial not spots’ in areas where coverage is lacking from a subscriber’s contracted network operator. The concept of different operators sharing base sites and even masts is not new. Cornerstone Telecommunications Infrastructure Ltd is a JV (joint venture) of Vodafone and O2 and MBNL Ltd is a JV of EE and 3. Arqiva is a provider to both MBNL and Cornerstone. Several of the key players for Lots 3 and 4 can therefore be easily identified based on the activities described. In the UK the ESN will operate using spectrum already allocated to the mobile network operators while the US has allocated specific PP&DR spectrum at 700MHz. This band is currently used for digital TV transmission in the UK and will not be cleared for reuse until after 2020. The spectrum used by TETRA systems across Europe will be released in the UK after the current Airwave system ceases after 2020 but there is low likelihood of this sub 400Hz spectrum being used for LTE services.
Security a primary requirement Security of communications and the infrastructure used to provide it is obviously a primary requirement for the ESN. Mobile communications now forms part of the UK Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) and all the mobile network operators take measures to defend their services, networks and hardware appropriately. For the
www.emergencyservicestimes.com
ESN, both end-to-end and over-the-air encryption will be required and a new range of end user devices will be provided supporting a range of security levels. It is noted that both Apple and Google have recently started shipping devices that are encrypted as standard and this approach will spread across all but the lowest budget devices.
uncommon. The most common failure modes are loss of power and loss of backhaul from one or more base stations. Power loss at base stations can be minimised with local backup LPG generators and backhaul loss can be mitigated by connecting base stations to the core network by more than one complementary technology, eg microwave and fibre.
Resilience
“A resilient ESN communications service will require the Lot 3 providers to substantially increase the robustness of their existing networks.” Redundancy is the addition of one or more replicated components to continue service should the main component fail. The commercial mobile networks have been able, by virtue of their scale, to invest in deep redundancy across their core networks. It is now rare for large-scale failures to occur on any mobile network. Occasional losses of some service such as SMS are experienced but complete inability to make a call – except outside coverage or with severe congestion – is
Resilience is the capacity to adapt successfully in the face of threats or disaster and, with respect to communications networks, resilience is often related to graceful degradation of service rather than sudden collapse. A resilient ESN communications service will require the Lot 3 providers to substantially increase the robustness of their existing networks. While the objective is to reduce service failures to the minimum, events such as the 2004 Manchester cable tunnel fire and the 2002 Southampton telephone exchange failure will still occur. The challenge posed by ESN requirements is to make sure few outages occur and that when they do occur, the least service loss results.
www.gov.uk This article was written based solely upon publicly available information from the relevant OJEU notice published on 18 April 2014, company websites and personal opinion. It is not based upon privileged information from consultancy work or company interactions.
December 2014
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ESTCOMMUNICATIONS | 37
What does the future of paging hold? Sixty years ago, an employee at St Thomas’ Hospital named Peter Styles invented the first ever bleep system so that doctors could be located easily wherever they were in the hospital. The most basic principles still apply to the paging systems, which are used today by every hospital in the UK to enable alerting and critical communications. However, technological innovations such as two-way paging, location mapping and integration with command and control systems have all ensured modern day systems have far greater capability and resilience than their earlier counterparts. Words: Nigel Gray, Director at PageOne This is how paging has been able to continually be the go-to device for those that understand how a vital few seconds could be the difference between a potential rescue and unfortunate fatality.
To the average consumer with a smartphone in their pocket it is not always easy to communicate the continued need for paging. However, as those of us working in or with the emergency services are aware, the technology’s inherent reliability in a crisis is a significant asset. It has been tried and tested in the most demanding circumstances and its network independence means it has proved capable of delivering large volumes of messages with minimal delay. As an example, during the 7 July 2005 attacks the mobile phone networks were quickly overwhelmed. It was therefore left to paging to enable fire and ambulance crews to communicate with first responders on the scene in order to effectively mobilise and coordinate emergency response.
“We believe paging will continue to play a vital role in providing the emergency services with a robust communications channel.”
Resilience and reliability These qualities of resilience and reliability are often taken for granted. However, they have been the predominant factor behind paging’s own technological advances over the last 10 years. In fact, virtually every upgrade can be tracked back to the needs of those responsible for effective resource management or continuous operational response. This began with twoway paging, which closed the loop on traditional broadcast messaging and has been expedited by the tight integration with command and control systems.
For example, we have seen paging integrated with other forms of messaging, such as SMS, instant messaging and voice to enable the fail-safe management of different individuals from a single interface. Primarily this allows for the mixing and matching of different devices to meet the changing needs of different user groups. However, it also allows for greater flexibility as the organisation does not become overly reliant on any single communications channel. Applied to a hospital, this means paging continues to be used for crash alerting but also enables consultants, doctors and administrators to receive important broadcasts via a smartphone or tablet device.
www.emergencyservicestimes.com
Meanwhile dedicated lone worker devices are deployed to community nurses who work alone for a significant portion of time during their shift and to whom the hospital has a duty of care. Previously this would have required control room operatives to support, manage and maintain multiple messaging systems. However, the ability to handle the initiation and receipt of all messages via a single dashboard leads to significant time and cost efficiencies.
Furthermore, adding to operational response, coverage has always been an issue – be it for mobile phones or pagers. In this respect, it is good to have options. The latest innovation in paging has been the emergence of triple resilience, which combines an onsite network, with a wide-area paging network and fallback to GSM as an additional measure. It thereby guarantees a viable messaging channel even in the highly unlikely event that two independent transmitters become unavailable. Can anyone realistically determine the future of critical messaging? We think not. However, we do believe paging will continue to play a vital role in providing the emergency services with a robust communications channel. Wherever resilience is of the utmost concern, paging will continue to be relied upon within a wider suite of messaging tools.
Better targeting messages
www.pageone.co.uk
Nigel Gray, Director at PageOne.
The adoption of a single dashboard within the control room also unlocks further feature options in terms of better targeting messages. For example, the addition of an on-duty/off-duty status update allows for the dynamic recording of staff availability in realtime. We have also seen the location capabilities of pagers and smartphones exploited to plot the positions of individuals on a map, giving unprecedented insight into the best situated qualified individual who is currently available to respond. While looking at how paging has evolved, it is still a pertinent question that’s always asked, “Why do people still use pagers in the 21st Century?” The simple and most straight-forward answer being, “It’s reliable”, but often people take reliability and sustainability as granted and don’t take into consideration that the emergency services cannot afford to have a failed sent message.
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The Silence of the Lambs How response driven communications, not digital media, can help drive responsive emergency communications. Words: Alan Dye, Sales and Marketing Director, Boomerang Never have the words of Handel’s Messiah felt more apt than they do today; ‘all we, like sheep, have gone astray’. The unremitting development of new technology has meant that social media is now widely revered as a global panacea for interactive communications. As a result, organisations have, like sheep, rushed headfirst to put digital platforms at the heart of their operations. But it’s time for the Hallelujah chorus. Digital media is good, but it’s not the Messiah. And in moments of organisational SOS when critical response is essential, a reliance on digital platforms for emergency communications can leave businesses and individuals exposed, isolated and disconnected. When crisis strikes and organisations urgently need to account for their flock, the dependence on new media may ultimately lead to the Silence of the Lambs. But it doesn’t need to be that way. The ways in which organisations respond to emergency incidents are variable and worrying. Operations typically rely on slow – and expensive – manual processes and passive communications mechanisms that leave a lot to chance. Despite investing significantly in disaster recovery infrastructure to preserve business continuity, many companies have not fully closed the loop and made adequate provision for the protection of their staff. Critical communications systems often provide no visibility of how incidents are being managed, meaning companies cannot reliably account for the safety of their employees. The inherent risks are substantial.
“Organisations can do much more to leverage the most responsive communications channel of all: text messaging.”
as telephone or e-mail to contact workers or stakeholders responsible for managing critical communications. But both approaches are limiting if used in isolation or where multiple messages are issued to the same individual. Telephone contact can invariably result in no response or voicemail, while e-mails often sit unopened in a burgeoning inbox. In each case it can be difficult to get confirmation that a message has been received, leaving organisations unclear as to the safety of individuals. Some organisations deploy contact centre agencies to manage call volumes, or have invested in helpdesk software to automate aspects of emergency response. However, these approaches also typically rely on conventional telecoms – and suffer a similar lack of control, visibility and auditability. So how can organisations improve their critical communications capabilities? Moreover, how can they ensure responses and actions are appropriately escalated in time-critical situations? The challenge is to assure that all known stakeholders have received, acknowledged and acted upon relevant messaging, and that this has been fed back into a unified communications system so that all relevant parties are fully appraised of the current status. At present, an inability to disseminate and access incident data is preventing organisations from responding with the speed and efficiency required to deliver optimal incident management. The solution, however, is simple to adopt and uses technology that is familiar to everyone.
processes, can trigger the rapid escalation and execution of the appropriate response. Crucially, this can help organisations manage by exception.
A medium for critical communications
Truly unified communications
Organisations can do much more to leverage the most responsive communications channel of all: text messaging. Ofcom statistics reveal that the average open rate for an SMS message is a staggering 98 percent. It’s hardly surprising, therefore, that many companies use SMS as a powerful messaging tool. In many companies it is indeed used as a medium for critical communications. But on its own, SMS is not enough. Primitive SMS technology means that while organisations can deliver crucial messages en masse, they remain unable to correlate multiple outbound messages with specific responses. In the case of emergency response, this is a major Achilles heal. But a solution now exists.
Threading also ensures that incident management processes are fully auditable. Moreover, since the technology is fully interoperable with any IT infrastructure, it can augment existing systems and enable companies to benefit from truly unified communications. The approach brings speed and agility to critical communications that, against the ticking clock of emergency, can have a huge human impact. Furthermore, because it enables the automation of currently onerous manual processes, threaded communications can also drive significant cost-savings and productivity gains. The business world has understandably followed the well-trodden path towards the promised land of digital media. But when it comes to critical communications, companies cannot afford to act like sheep and be led astray towards social media. In emergency situations, organisations must be able to account for their flock – but a passive reliance on digital media could unwittingly lead to the Silence of the Lambs. In times of SOS, SMS – powered by threading technology – could prove the best option.
Impact of social media Moreover, companies are increasingly choosing to leverage social media in areas where its impact are limited and, arguably, dangerous. Organisations have recognised the unquestionable benefits of digital media in delivering promotional messages to market. But many fail to recognise its shortcomings in the potentially lifethreatening arena of critical communications – and continue to rely on it as a means of emergency response. It’s widely accepted as the best platform for interactive communication, but in time-sensitive crisis situations social media can become a passive tool that provides no auditable means of guaranteeing message delivery, receipt or response. It’s not just about social media. Organisations are also using more conventional tools to manage emergency incidents. The vast majority use standard methods such
www.emergencyservicestimes.com
Threading technology The emergence of innovative ‘threading’ technology has transformed SMS capabilities and provides rich potential to become a life-saver for critical communications. Threaded communications allow companies to match inbound responses to outbound messages. In an emergency, this means that an individual can be at the centre of multiple incidents and manage multiple escalations. SMS can be used to send organisation-wide messages to alert staff, but even when managing multiple incidents, operations can reply individually to all specific responses – and be assured that information will go to the right cascade and be escalated accordingly. If a response indicates a person is in danger, threading technology, which builds automation into workflow
Alan Dye
www.boomcomms.com Boomerang’s patented technology enables any mobile device to be integrated into business processes. Embedding intelligent communications into workflow empowers organisations to complete stakeholder transactions automatically, increasing choice and reducing costs.
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Revolutionise your operations with unified communications Lately there have been encouraging signs that the Government has become more serious about delivering successful IT projects. The UK Government G-Cloud, for instance, is showing significant promise in slashing the costs of IT procurement, while projects such as the Emergency Services Network (ESN) are replacing out-of-date communications systems. Words: Steve Browell, CTO of Intrinsic. lamenting the ‘£1 billion per year spent on inadequate ICT, with 4000 staff working on 2000 separate systems across 100 data centres.’ In its stead, the ESN promises to deliver unified communications along with a more ‘joined-up’ network of suppliers. We need to see more organisations echoing this promise. Intrinsic’s work deploying UC with Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) highlights such a step in the right direction. GMFRS has recently converged its voice, data and contact centre infrastructure, allowing the service to transfer inbound emergency calls onto the network and link them to other emergency services, as well as to deploy fixed mobile convergence for employees over the organisation’s installed WLAN infrastructure.
Merged contact centres
Steve Browell, CTO of Intrinsic.
The ESN provides a great example of this direction. Up to £1.5 billion is available with the aim of delivering an integrated voice, broadband data and mobile communications services to all three emergency services and other users in England, Wales and Scotland. These would support around a quarter of a million operational staff – and their associated devices. One great advantage of the ESN – and indeed, of rationalised procurement in general – is that it enables government agencies to learn the lessons of best practice from other organisations. In the field of unified communications (UC), for example, many emergency services have already taken their first steps towards implementing technologies that improve the way they communicate and deliver services to the public.
Integration is key The key to the success of ESN is integration: not only of the communications themselves, but of the suppliers too. In September, the Home Secretary gave a speech
www.emergencyservicestimes.com
The Metropolitan Police provides a great example of how UC and Contact Centre can facilitate communication while also affording other benefits throughout the organisation. In the first refresh of its command and control system for 30 years, the Met is planning to enable the public to be able to interact with the force by phone, text, online and social media, 24 hours a day. Aside from the benefits to the public, this also makes a great deal of sense from an operational and budgetary point of view. With the Metropolitan Police taking more than five million 999 and 101 calls each year, new communications technologies will hugely benefit call handling and investigations by reducing the burden on call centre staff.
“Blue light services need to adapt and expand the number of channels with which they communicate.” The primary goal with any UC initiative is to improve workforce productivity; public sector organisations also have the imperative to connect more effectively with the people they serve by creating improved customer contact. Just as ordinary people use a variety of messaging applications, video conferencing and collaboration tools to connect with each other, blue light services also need to adapt and expand the number of channels with which they communicate.
Basing UC on the right infrastructure is especially important given the trend towards shared services in the public sector. For emergency services this is manifesting itself in merged contact centres. While this brings better opportunities for rolling out UC functionality to multiple emergency services, it naturally requires particularly robust and reliable infrastructure. While UC implementations are becoming more widespread in the blue light sector, the technology is still a long way from becoming the norm. At this stage in the adoption curve, emergency services will do well to study other UC implementations like those above, and carry the lessons of failures as well as examples of best practice into their own projects. As with many medium and large-sized enterprises around the world already deploying UC technologies, the blue light sector should be encouraged to ensure that their own unified communications can bring a truly beneficial revolution to their operations.
www.intrinsic.co.uk
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Arco chosen to partner UK Government in the fight against the spread of Ebola The Ebola outbreak in West Africa has devastated communities living in the region and has claimed thousands of lives since the first case was recorded in Nigeria at the end of July 2014. Arco, the UK’s leading safety company, has been working closely with the Government to help protect frontline medical staff and aid workers against the deadly spread of the virus by supplying personal protective equipment (PPE) as part of a contract awarded by the Department for International Development. Current guidance from the NHS states that the likelihood of catching Ebola virus disease is considered very low unless you've travelled to a known infected area and had direct contact with a person with Ebola-like symptoms, or had contact with an infected animal or contaminated object. However, the spread of the virus across West Africa’s borders, with reported cases in the US and Spain, has seen growing concern as headlines have appeared on newsstands across the world. Medical experts emphasise that although Ebola is extremely infectious, it is not highly contagious. An exceptionally small amount of the virus is required to render an individual infectious, however, as the disease is not airborne, it isn’t spread easily through ordinary social contact. A person’s broken skin or mucus membranes must come into direct contact with environments or objects that have become contaminated with an Ebola patient’s infected fluids such as stool, saliva or urine. As a result, those most at risk of contracting the disease are health workers handling blood or bodily fluid samples from Ebola patients that do not use the correct barrier nursing techniques and personal protective equipment (PPE).
Rapid response To support the global effort to contain, control and defeat Ebola in Sierra Leone, the UK Government has pledged £125m to set up and operate a 92-bed treatment facility. Arco was consulted and asked to provide guidance on the most effective use of protective suits, hoods, gloves and wellington boots for frontline medical and support workers travelling to the country. Having received an initial order from the Department for International Development for 50,000 sets of protective equipment every month over a five-month period, the Government quickly doubled this order in early October to 100,000 sets each month and Arco demonstrated its capability for rapid fulfilment. Acting swiftly to meet this urgent requirement for increased capacity, Arco worked closely with its supply chain to immediately allocate existing warehouse stock and increase production capacity, prioritising Government orders. Capacity was also rapidly secured with all suppliers until Autumn 2015, ensuring that Arco can continue to meet ongoing demand as required. Thomas Martin, Arco’s Joint Managing Director, said, “We are proud to be able play our part in supporting the Government’s initiative to help control the spread of the disease. Through our National Distribution Centre in Hull and our global supply chain network we’ve been able to respond immediately. Stock is now being shipped direct to Sierra Leone where it is needed
www.emergencyservicestimes.com
immediately. Everyone involved at Arco has been working at full capacity to fulfil this order and help keep people safe in the difficult tasks they face.”
Expert guidance Arco was able to provide advice and guidance on correct product selection to the Government throughout the procurement process. Arco’s product and procurement team worked with Government medical advisors to understand the ways that Ebola virus is transmitted and then identify and recommend the correct level of protection required against these hazards, according to EU standards. This led to the Government’s previously specified goggle protection to be re-assessed in favour of procuring full visor protection. Recognising the risk of coming into contact with the Ebola virus when workers fit and take off their goggles, having to touch their head to pull the strap in place, Arco’s experts were able to recommend a more suitable visor alternative.
“Arco was able to swiftly satisfy stringent Government requirements on both ethical trading and supply chain management.” Consideration was also given to the risk of heat stress. By the very nature of their protective properties, in preventing liquid ingress, the suits have limited breathability but Arco has supplied a suit that offers the highest levels of comfort. However, given the extreme conditions in which health workers are operating, heat stress will need to be monitored and managed. Donning and doffing protective equipment once exposed to the Ebola virus is also a key factor in preventing cross contamination. Particular care must be taken when putting on, taking off and disposing of protective clothing and Arco has provided recommendations on the steps required to minimise human error, including the use of a healthcare worker buddy system. However, the use of PPE is only part of the infection prevention and control procedures recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Other control measures include quarantines, avoidances, basic hand hygiene and respiratory hygiene.
Proven track record Having previously worked with Government agencies in response to both the swine flu and bird flu contingency planning, Arco has already demonstrated its readiness to deal with crisis situations and its ability to provide expert advice and respond quickly to urgent demand. In the case of the Ebola crisis, Arco was able to swiftly satisfy stringent Government requirements on both ethical trading and supply chain management and work quickly to distribute products to where they were needed.
On the front line The first sets of protective equipment are now in use in Sierra Leone, providing protection for British medical teams and humanitarian workers on the ground who are flown out following an intense training course including instruction on strict donning and doffing procedures, at the MOD’s training facility in York. Justine Greening, International Development Secretary, said, “The UK is leading the international effort to defeat Ebola in Sierra Leone and at the centre of our response is our commitment to providing medical care to up to 8800 patients over six months. Keeping health workers safe is vital to this which is why we are working with British businesses like Arco to ensure that we are providing the very best protection equipment available to tackle Ebola.”
www.arco.co.uk
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Agile, scalable, flexible and proportionate The Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (Explosive) (CBRN(E)) National Capability is being re-shaped, with the Home Office leading a review of the 2006 CBRN Model Response. This article looks at the current response and the new focus on the role of first responders. Words: Glen Gorman, CFOA National Resilience CBRN(E) Capability Officer, NRAT (recently retired). The 2006 CBRN Model Response programme was developed between Government and the police, fire and rescue, and ambulance services, and is designed to ensure the response to a CBRN(E) incident is agile, scalable, flexible and proportionate to the threat. Lessons from recent exercises and small-scale events, as well as scientific research, are being used to underpin the reconfigured CBRN(E) response. The aim is to upskill non-specialist responders to safely undertake initial life-saving activities at scene (Initial Operational Response (IOR)). The IOR will be nationally implemented in April 2015. Alongside this, the Specialist Operational Response (SOR) is being reviewed. The revised response is due to be implemented by end of 2015, early 2016.
The FRS current response CFOA National Resilience provides a 24/7 Capability through fire and rescue service (FRS) across England and Wales (Scotland and Northern Ireland have similar capabilities for dealing with CBRN(E) incidents but are not part of CFOA National Resilience) to be able to respond to a large-scale CBRN(E) deliberate release of hazardous materials, which could affect large numbers of members of the public.
Mass Decontamination (MD)
Decontamination of the public is a requirement as an emergency order under Section 9 of the Fire Services Act 2004, and is provided by FRS to the ambulance service under a Memorandum of Understanding between the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) and the Department of Health. The capability is multi-layered and includes: • Mass Decontamination (MD) • Detection, Identification and Monitoring (DIM) of hazardous materials • Decontamination of Body Bags (DBB) • Expert advice from a cadre of CBRN(E) Tactical Advisors (TacAds). This capability is also supplemented further by a team of National Interagency Liaison Officers (NILOs).
The role of NRAT www.emergencyservicestimes.com
A wide range of equipment is carried on the 72 Incident Response Units (IRUs) across England and Wales, which enables specialist firefighters on each unit to decontaminate up to 300 people per hour in the event of a CBRN(E) release. This includes the facility for members of the public to disrobe, undergo warm water decontamination showering, and to be able to re-robe with dignity at the end of the process. In the event of large numbers of people being involved (300+), this capability is backed by dedicated mass disrobe and re-robe facilities to supplement resources already at the scene. Firefighters carrying out the decontamination process are protected from becoming contaminated themselves through the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as self-contained Powered Respirator Protective Suits (PRPS) and a rigorous decontamination process with a safe undressing procedure.
Detection, Identification and Monitoring (DIM) To enhance the safe working procedures of emergency service staff, there are 19 highly trained DIM teams across England and Wales equipped with specialist equipment to detect the presence of a wide range of hazardous substances, identify the
substance(s) that are responsible for the hazard, and to monitor the atmosphere for a safe working environment.
Safe handling of contaminated fatalities and Decontamination of Body Bags (DBB) Currently four FRSs (London, Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and Wales) provide support to the national CBRN(E) Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) process and can provide specialist decontamination of body bags (DBB) to enable the safe and speedy identification of those who have lost their lives in a suspected deliberate release.
Tactical Advisors (TacAds) To supplement the safe systems of work employed by the firefighters on scene at a CBRN(E) event, there is a cadre of specialist Tactical Advisors available 24/7 who are highly trained and experienced officers, available to attend anywhere in England and Wales. These officers are experts in the processes of MD, DIM and DBB, with a wealth of experience in all of these areas. They are available to provide support and guidance to emergency service responders on good practice and they have access to continual scientific advice through a reachback arrangement to a team of scientific advisors from a range of specialist providers.
CFOA National Resilience Ltd (CNR) enables the fire and rescue service to respond to ‘serious’, ‘significant’ or ‘catastrophic’ national incidents. It does this by providing strategic advice and assurance to Government that the National Resilience Capabilities are able to deal with these threats to the safety and security of England and Wales, as well as to assist with incidents overseas when requested. Each of the Capabilities consists of specialised vehicles, equipment and personnel, and through a managed programme of training and exercising, the National Resilience Assurance Team (NRAT) ensures that the Capabilities are in a state of operational readiness when required to deploy.
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The first officer at a scene of a major/multi-agency incident has to pass information on, and does so using the METHANE system of assessment:
M E T H A N E
Major incident declared?
Exact location Type of incident (explosion, building collapse, etc) Hazards – present, potential or suspected Access – routes that are still safe to use
Number – type and severity of casualties Emergency – services now present, and those required.
National Inter-Agency Liaison Officers (NILOs)
they are able to undertake more effective life-saving activities in the early stages of an incident. This programme is now rolling out to all first responders across the UK and includes: • Emphasis on the importance of multi-agency working and joint assessment of hazard and risks that the first responders will make (using METHANE methodology), to ensure a clear situation analysis is established (adhering to the principles of JESIP) • Better guidance on the rescue and decontamination of casualties and people suffering the effects of contamination. This guidance is based on the very latest medical advice and introduces the concept of dry decontamination for certain types of contaminant • More emphasis on the early stages of decontamination: − Moving people away from the area of contamination − Getting them to remove outer layers of clothing − Undertaking improvised or interim decontamination using immediately available resources • More emphasis on clear communication with the public to explain what they are being asked to do and why. Work has also commenced on re-shaping the Specialist Operational Response to CBRN(E) incidents, the overall aim of which is to develop a response that is:
• • •
Robust – based on clear planning assumptions Proportionate – informed by risk Flexible – will work (or can be easily adapted to work) in a wide range of circumstances • Scalable – can be flexed to manage small, medium and large incidents • Interoperable – response organisations working effectively together • Timely – the right activities, when needed • Realistic – that it can be achieved. This work will review the specialist CBRN(E) capabilities of all the emergency services with a view to making these more streamlined as well as removing any duplication of capability where appropriate. The CBRN(E) Capability within the National Resilience Assurance Team (NRAT) is playing a crucial role in this work alongside emergency service colleagues and Government departments.
www.fireresilience.org.uk
A specially trained team of security-vetted officers exists across England and Wales who provide a communication link between the FRS and a wide range of partner agencies other than emergency services. These officers are experienced Incident Command practitioners and are available through an on-call rota that provides a national response capability.
The future response As can be seen from the above, the fire and rescue service CBRN(E) response has placed a significant reliance on specialist capability in terms of equipment and knowledge. However, it is the first responders (nonCBRN(E) specialists) to an incident who are most likely to be carrying out the all-important activities in support of saving lives before the specialist responders arrive on the scene. It is for this reason that the Home Office has developed the Initial Operational Response (IOR) Programme, the aim of which is to improve the knowledge and awareness of all first responders so that
www.emergencyservicestimes.com
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A new era of CBRN response The JESIP lexicon will soon see another addition – MAIAT. The Multi Agency Initial Assessment Team comprises the police, fire and rescue, and ambulance services working together to mitigate and assess possible CBRN situations. The format has been used across the country in various forms but this article will focus on the West Midlands Region, in which officers who work on MAIAT are drawn from the regional ambulance service, four police forces and the two DIM capable fire and rescue services. Words: James Price, HART Manager, WMAS & Chair, HART National Operations Group. MAIAT has been used in the West Midlands for the past three years and is used for either pre-planned or intelligence-led operations. It provides a proportionate response and mitigation strategy for CBRN and has been used for the Olympic Torch Relay, the London 2012 Olympic Games and at political party conferences held in Birmingham. The team comprises three unmarked cars, with each agency supplying one vehicle. The first vehicle contains the Police CBRN Operational Commander, Police CBRN Tactical Advisor, Staff Officer and a Traffic Officer driver. The second and third vehicles both have a member from each emergency service; both of these vehicles carry identical sets of FRS DIM equipment and ambulance paramedic equipment, including a full suite of drugs. This system provides the Police Commander with the ability to look at two simultaneous incidents if required.
Common PPE The final piece of the MAIAT puzzle is common PPE. All staff can wear a combination of FFP3 masks with Tyvek suits or Quick Don Personal Protective Equipment, QDPPE, as required. To provide a full safe system of work both vehicles also carry BA, which can be used by either the FRS or HART Officers on the team.
The key to the West Midlands model is recognising the strengths of each agency. One example is Detection Identification & Monitoring (DIM), in which each agency has both a capability and equipment but, as the specialists, the FRS provides and operates all of the equipment accordingly. The team also includes a pool of scientific advisors who have extensive experience in the commercial chemical environment. The combined reach back capabilities for each agency are also combined to allow the Police National CBRN Centre, Environment Agency and Public Health England to support MAIAT deployments. All members are security cleared to facilitate full exchange of information and intelligence between all partner agencies.
“Training together is a key element to the team’s success and monthly training sessions take place across the region.” Training together While identifying strengths the team carried out a training needs analysis and looked at what skills each agency can provide to the other to result in a stronger collective response. These include training in basic search techniques by the police for the FRS and HART; and trauma training by HART for FRS and the police. Training together is a key element to the team’s success and monthly training sessions take place across the region. Following the introduction of Initial Operational Response (IOR) and Specialist Operational Response (SOR), is there a role for MAIAT in between these two responses that is both proportionate and effective? A MAIAT Officer who is trained according to the training needs analysis from all agencies would bring with them a wealth of knowledge and training. Coupled with the JESIP mantra of ‘Working Together – Saving Lives’ this would be fulfilled for suspected CBRN or powder related incidents. MAIAT can provide a scalable response, which could be as simple as tri-service communication across a common Airwave Talk Group to a full mobilisation, which is either reactive or pre-planned depending upon the nature of the incident and any supporting shared intelligence.
James Price, HART Manager, WMAS & Chair, HART National Operations Group.
reason why this work cannot be expanded into Individual Chemical Exposure and Illicit Drug Lab type incidents, however, this must be carefully balanced with the team’s role of assessment and not resolution. As the team continues to evolve and gain operational experience, debriefs have shown the benefits of wearing the same PPE. The team is now looking to combine both operational experience with new and emerging products, which are suitable to the MAIAT role, such as an SCBA and respirator combination set, which both reduces vehicle payload and increases capability. The emergency services within the West Midlands have been involved in EU-funded projects where a toolbox has been designed to support member states develop their own CBRN capability. The toolbox consists of hardware, software, PPE selection and mapping tools among others. The process involved MAIAT being assessed before its inclusion within the toolbox for Project Practice and this took place last year during Exercise Arden at Birmingham’s International Convention Centre. The lead agency for CBRN varies across the EU but as a multi-agency project MAIAT can be replicated in any EU country while being based on the UK model.
www.naru.org.uk
Assessment not resolution The FRS provides and operates all of the DIM equipment.
www.emergencyservicestimes.com
While the work has currently focused on response to CBRN and suspicious powder incidents there is no
The team comprises three cars, all unmarked with each agency supplying one vehicle.
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CATO Project legacy is CBRN ‘Toolbox’ Every day news organisations around the world cover every possible angle of the terrorist threats faced by the West. One area that perhaps does not receive their full attention, however, is the threat posed by CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear) attacks. But be under no illusion – there are groups planning just such attacks right now. Words: Rob Munro, Communications Director, VectorCommand It is widely accepted by many in the security community that the likelihood of a terrorist attack using CBRN material is on the increase and it is therefore no surprise that the European Union has invested heavily in a particular research and development programme designed to address some of the key difficulties that emergency response agencies and government have to address. One of the most important factors affecting how we prepare for, and respond to, a CBRN attack is of course the fragmentation across national and organisational boundaries. And any disconnects in the CBRN Life Cycle (prevention; preparedness; response; recovery), as well as the need to share information and knowledge between multi-purpose legacy command and control systems, creates further difficulties for those managing such an incident. Project CATO (CBRN, Architecture, Technologies & Operational Procedures) is designed to do just that – starting life originally in January 2012, CATO is a European Union FP7 integration project, which is developing and bringing together a coherent toolbox of systems to allow better life cycle management of incidents. Twenty-five multi-disciplinary organisations from across Europe are involved in this €14m research and development project, which is entering its final stages and will conclude in December 2014.
Fragmentation is major challenge CATO is developing a comprehensive Toolbox for dealing with CBRN crises, which may be caused by terrorist attacks using non-conventional weapons. CATO is addressing the key CBRN incident management challenge: fragmentation – of doctrines, of knowledge,
Final CATO Conference The final dissemination conference for Project CATO was held from 26-27 November in Brussels. The two-day conference and interactive seminar programme included internationally acclaimed keynote speakers sharing their CBRN knowledge and experiences, as well as senior CATO partners delivering the key results of the project and demonstrating the impact and the benefits of what has actually been achieved during the three year project. A series of seminars focused on the outcomes of Project CATO, applicable not only to the Preparedness stage of the CBRN Lifecycle, but also to the Response stage – during both the crucial Golden Hour as well as the initial hours following an incident.
www.emergencyservicestimes.com
of processes, of systems – as many different organisations need to be involved and coordinated to deal with crises. The current approaches and systems are indeed fragmented due to the multiplicity of players and organisational set-ups (often varying from one CBRN set-up to another) as well as the lack of effective shared operational pictures and commonly shared information. CATO brings an Photo: © Getty Images innovative answer to the diversity of organisational set-ups and of legacy systems for emergency preparedness and management. The purpose of the CATO Toolbox will not be the development of a single Decision Support System (DSS) but the provision of the means to build a dedicated customised DSS adapted to local and national organisational, political, ethical and financial constraints as well as different levels of exposure to CBRN threats. The CATO Toolbox contains a Knowledge Base of scientific and technological information that both policy and decision makers and first responders alike can access, as well as a comprehensive set of Operational Guidelines and a Decision Support Model. The project has also focused on building a comprehensive community of almost 400 CBRN experts, willing to share their knowledge and expertise to help their colleagues and peers in other organisations or countries. The vast majority of the CATO Community has attended at least one of the previous workshops, user advisory group meetings or the conferences in Bonn and Brussels, and have all contributed to the wider knowledge of the project partners and assisting in the ongoing development of the solutions.
Toolbox of solutions As the work in CATO draws all the different strands together into a coherent Toolbox of systems, a place is required to load, test, trial and exercise the Toolbox – this is provided by the CATO Laboratory, the second development of which has just been released. The lab exists in two states, a virtual and a physical facility. Online and available to try out to CATO Community members (www.cato-project.eu) is the facility to run the CATO toolbox in your web browser, with no other requirements other than internet access. The physical lab exists to service those organisations for whom even basic internet access is denied, perhaps those more
heavily involved in CBRN research, and to support live exercising where real world physical devices are vital to immerse participants in the exercise and identify real world issues. In fact, the CATO Lab has been set up on a trial basis in the Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) in Brussels and is being evaluated operationally by the experts there.
“Off-the-shelf and ready to procure, coherent Toolbox of CBRN solutions.” The CATO project was designated as an integration project. When the project concludes in December 2014, it will provide an off-the-shelf and ready to procure, coherent Toolbox of systems, designed and proven to provide an enhanced managed response to a wide range and scale of incidents. Included in this will be a pan-European wide cadre of CBRN experts, available to guide and advise organisations across Europe on how technologies, such as those found in the Toolbox, can be applied to real world emergency response agencies allowing them to deal more efficiently and knowledgeably with the complexity of multi-risk, multi-agency and even multi-national CBRN events. The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement no. 261693.
www.cato-project.eu Further details of the CATO Project are available by e-mail: cato-po@eurtd.com.
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ESTCBRN | 49
Decontamination: a transferrable skill? •
Over the past decade, the UK has had to deal with a number of incidences of infection in both human and animal populations – foot and mouth, avian flu, SARS – and the current Ebola crisis has renewed interest in our preparedness for dealing with these outbreaks. However, as we have seen with Ebola, in an emergency situation, standard approaches to infection control and decontamination are not always practical: the limited number of permanent facilities are rarely where the outbreak occurs; moving infectious patients presents a number of risks; and the lead time for building new facilities often cannot keep pace with the spread of infection.
Flexible decontamination facilities: Trailer-based decontamination units provide mobile solutions for small-scale work, modular-build systems can convert any room into a decontamination facility, and systems built into shipping containers or similar can provide semi-permanent facilities for a larger throughput of personnel and equipment. These facilities can be completely stand-alone, with on-board generators, water tanks and boilers. Ancillary items, such as ‘H’ class vacuum cleaners, can supplement the decontamination process.
Learning the lessons of asbestos Decontamination at source SMH, a supplier of end-to-end decontamination solutions, believes that lessons can be learned from the specialised solutions developed for the asbestos removal industry. Asbestos is the biggest cause of occupational disease in the UK, killing over 4500 a year, and so effective control and decontamination is critical. However, these facilities must be deployed where the asbestos is found – in houses and public buildings, on nuclear plants, oil rigs and in factories – so solutions must be responsive while still delivering high levels of hazard control: • Filtration at the right level: At 5 microns, the fibre size of asbestos is equivalent to most bacteria (0.3-60 microns), and while viruses are much smaller (0.005-0.3 microns), they are often aerosolised in larger liquid droplets (typically 2-5 microns). For asbestos, contaminated air is
•
filtered through HEPA 14 filters and water is passed through high efficiency microfibre filters so that they can be vented safely into the environment. Portable negative pressure units and water filtration systems enable this, however remote the site Isolating the hazard at source: When asbestos is identified, it must be contained. Temporary airtight working enclosures, typically constructed of heavy gauge polythene, are kept under negative pressure using specialist air filtration units to suppresses airborne fibres and prevent them being vented into the environment, while disposable airlocks secure the area
SMH has been at the forefront of asbestos decontamination supplies for over 30 years, and the company’s knowledge and experience has helped it to develop a market-leading range of highly specialised decontamination equipment, products and services. The process for controlling infection is broadly the same as that for containing any hazardous substance, and SMH wants agencies involved in emergency infection control to recognise how the expert solutions for one industry can be quickly and cost-effectively adapted – perhaps requiring no more than a different filter medium, or an additional decontamination stage – to provide a response that, combined with the right protocols, might just outpace the rate of transmission of infection and save lives.
www.smhproducts.com
Disposable Ebola health protection kits supplied to affected areas SP Services is an international supplier of first aid, emergency rescue and medical equipment based in Telford, celebrating 25 years in industry in 2014. The company’s medical team has monitored the Ebola outbreak since late 2013 and has developed an Ebola Health Protect Kit for use by aid and medical workers in affected regions. As of October 2014 the World Health Organisation (WHO), along with US and local governments, reported a total of 8033 suspected cases and 4447 deaths from the Ebola virus. Although the WHO believes this greatly understates the magnitude of the outbreak. In recent weeks there have been growing reports of Ebola quarantines outside of West Africa in the US, Australia and Spain. Rapidly escalating figures like the ones above serve to highlight how drastically the virus appears to be spreading and SP Services is working hard to keep up with demand for PPE, infection control products and Ebola Disposable Health Protection Kits that it produces for in-the-field use by medical professionals and aid workers around the world.
www.emergencyservicestimes.com
Infection control SP Services, based in Telford, has been using the time since the first announcement of the disease in late 2013 to prepare protective and infection control equipment for this eventuality. The Ebola Disposable Health Protection Kits, designed by the SP medical team, provide full body protection from splash fluids to prevent infection. As well as the Ebola Disposable Health Protection Kit, which includes a Biomask face mask, goggles, EN14126 standard coveralls, overshoes, latex free exam gloves, anti bacterial disinfectant wipes, alcohol hand rub sanitiser and a clinical waste bag, SP Services also stocks a wide range of PPE and infection control products. The coveralls within the SP Ebola Disposable Health Protection Kits comply with EN14126 standards as recommended by the WHO and the masks provided are BioMask’s, which are proven to inactivate 99.99% of viruses tested within five minutes of contact including pandemic influenza, H1N1. Unlike conventional masks, BioMask's revolutionary, patented technology actually traps and kills bacteria and viruses on contact rather than just filtering and allows you to breathe normally.
The BioMask traps microbes by mimicking the sites on human cells to which they normally attach, then, destroys them by disrupting their surfaces (viruses) or cell walls (bacteria). SP Services has been working closely with large charities, international organisations and NGOs to get Ebola Disposable Health Protection Kits out to affected areas such as Sierra Leone and Liberia along with NHS trusts gearing up for all possible eventualities should the virus spread continue to spread and escalate.
www.spservices.co.uk
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Public sector procurement specialists At the Crown Commercial Service we offer procurement solutions, commercial advice and policy delivery to central government and other areas of the wider public sector, including emergency services, health, local government, devolved administrations, education and charities. Words: Caroline Mortimer, ‘Business Partner for the Home Office and DCLG’, with responsibility for local authorities and the emergency services. As an executive agency of the Cabinet Office, we centrally manage the procurement of common goods and services across categories including technology, energy, fleet, professional services, ICT, office, professional services, property, eCommerce, communications and travel, which allows customers to focus on the commercial activity unique to them. Customers can access more than 2600 suppliers through our commercial agreements, of whom more than 60 percent are SMEs. In 2013/14 we helped public sector customers save £5.4 billion through price and demand savings and centrally renegotiating large contracts. Across the emergency services, our customers use a wide variety of the Crown Commercial Service’s agreements – many of which have been developed in partnership with blue light stakeholders to ensure they meet their specific needs. In 2013/14 the emergency services spent circa £400m through our agreements, and saved around £40m. By collaborating with the Home Office commercial teams and the Strategic Police Procurement Board, we help them to harness efficiency savings in the procurement of common goods and services.
“In 2013/14 the emergency services spent circa £400m through our agreements, and saved around £40m.”
Vehicle Purchase agreement We engaged with police customers, ambulance trusts and the fire and rescue services during the creation of our new Vehicle Purchase agreement, which is due for award in December this year. Three of the Lots, which cover blue light cars, motorcycles and light commercial vehicles, have been created in conjunction with the National Association of Police Fleet Managers (NAPFM) and representatives from the Home Office. By working with the emergency services to shape the requirements for blue light cars, motorbikes and light commercial vehicles, we are ensuring best value can be delivered through an increase in volume and competition, and the aggregation of vehicle purchases. The police and ambulance services formed part of the stakeholder group and played a role in tender evaluation for our Vehicle Conversion and Reconditioning Services agreement. Customers from across the emergency services use Lots in our Vehicle Conversion agreement for services including trailers, conversion and bodybuild of ambulances and police vehicles. Our Supply and Fit of Tyres agreement was initially created for the use of the police customers only, and was then rolled out to the wider public sector. The agreement provides for cars, 4x4s, vans, trucks, heavy vehicles and motorcycles, and supplies more than half of all police tyres in the UK. Savings on tyres through CCS agreements for the police service in 2013/14 amounted to £1.5m.
Our Fuel Cards agreement was subject to excellent post-award collaboration with both the police and the fire and rescue services. We ran further competitions for our emergency services customers, resulting in a tailored offering that delivers best value. Also, the ePurchasing Card Solutions agreement – which commenced in August 2014 and calls upon the services of Barclays, Lloyds and RBS for wider public sector customers – eliminates card fees and lowers other charges against a retail baseline, while providing a secure and compliant solution. Additionally, our Insurance Services agreement (RM958), which was developed in partnership with other buying agencies and won Best Public Procurement Project at the 2014 CIPS Supply Management Awards, is used by several fire and rescue services and police authorities.
http://ccs.cabinetoffice.gov.uk Further details on all CCS upcoming agreements can be found on the Procurement pipeline – http://ccs.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/i-am-buyer/procurement-pipeline. Alternatively, you can call the help desk on 0345 410 2222.
Language Services
Caroline Mortimer, ‘Business Partner for the Home Office and DCLG’, with responsibility for Local Authorities and the Emergency Services.
www.emergencyservicestimes.com
Also, police have been heavily involved as stakeholders in our new Language Services agreement due for award in February 2015. Various constabularies have contributed alongside the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and other buying agencies in shaping the provision for language services such as transcription, video conferencing and face-to-face interpretation to ensure they meet their requirements.
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52 | ESTPEOPLE Pauline Tagg MBE has been appointed as Chairman of East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS trust. Her tenure will run from 1 October 2014 until 30 September 2016. www.emas.nhs.uk
Nottinghamshire Police’s Assistant Chief Officer of Resources, Margaret Monckton, has announced her resignation from the force. Mrs Monckton has accepted the role of Director of Finance and Infrastructure, and Deputy Chief Executive, of Staffordshire University. Mrs Monckton will leave the force on 19 December. www.nottinghamshire.police.uk
Canon Dr Alan Billings of the Labour Party has officially taken up office as South Yorkshire’s new Police and Crime Commissioner following his success in the recent by-election. www.southyorkshire-pcc.gov.uk
Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust Chief Executive David Whiting has tendered his resignation and stepped down from his post. Current Deputy Rod Barnes (Executive Director of Finance and Performance) will fill the role of Chief Executive on an interim basis until a permanent replacement is recruited. www.yas.nhs.uk
Former Assistant Chief Fire Officer for South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Rod Hammerton has been appointed as the new Deputy Chief Fire Officer of Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service.
New year and new CFO for Bucks Deputy Chief Fire Officer and Chief Operating Officer Jason Thelwell will succeed Mark Jones as Chief Fire Officer of Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service next year. Mark will complete his five-year term in January 2015, and retire in February after a short handover period and a 30-year fire and rescue service career. Jason joined Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service as Assistant Chief Fire Officer in May 2010 after 17 years with Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service. Councillor Adrian Busby, Chairman of Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Fire Authority and its Executive Committee, said, “I am delighted that Jason has been successful in his application for the position of Chief Fire Officer on the retirement of Mark Jones and I look forward to working with Jason as we continue on our journey. “Mark’s legacy has provided us with an immediate successor, who we are confident will continue to build on the remarkable success story of the past five years with the excellent team which he and Mark have assembled.” www.bucksfire.gov.uk
www.shropshirefire.gov.uk
Warwickshire Police Chief Constable Andy Parker is to retire from the service at the end of March 2015.
www.supacat.com
Paramedic David Sexby, an ambulance bariatric care specialist, has been recognised for his innovative work on patient care. David received the Trainee/Student Quality Improvement Project of the Year award from Health Education East of England on 27 November. David is the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust’s Complex Patient Support Lead and Quality Improvement Fellow, and was put forward for the accolade following an 11-month trial of a bariatric vehicle in Ipswich. www.eastamb.nhs.uk
www.emergencyservicestimes.com
Leading uniform and military footwear brand Magnum has promoted former UK Magnum Sales Director Glen Richards to Global Brand Director and invested in the UK and Ireland Magnum team. Glen will be based at the company’s headquarters in Amsterdam, assuming responsibility for leading global product development and marketing strategy. Magnum UK has made two appointments to further strengthen the team: Brent Smith as UK Magnum Sales Man-
www.magnumboots.com
Awards for trio Award for NWAS Chief New recruits PC Steve Phillips of South Wales Police, PC Robin Fuller from Gwent Police and PC Sophie Lambert from Dyfed Powys Police have picked up their force’s Star Apprentice Student Officer award at The Big Celebration event organised by Skills for Justice at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium. The officers were recognised for being best in class as the three police forces celebrated the successful pilot of the UK’s first Home Office in Policing apprenticeship.
South Yorkshire PC scoops Women in Policing award Police Constable Toni Love has won Officer of the Year at the British Association of Women’s Policing (BAWP) 8th annual awards for her outstanding achievements and contribution to policing. Toni, who is from Doncaster, worked voluntarily in excess of 50 hours a week
ager; and Luke Burley as Business Development Manager – Work Safety. Finally, Magnum has announced the promotion of Anna Havlin to Key Account Manager – Uniform, Health and Service. Anna will continue to manage the key UK Magnum uniform accounts and will now also lead the launch of the new Magnum Health and Service footwear targeted at the health, catering and hospitality markets.
Magnum - Anna Havlin, Brent Smith, Glen Richards and Luke Burley.
www.sfjuk.com
www.warwickshire.police.uk
Steve Austen has joined Supacat Group as Engineering Director and Chief Engineer. Steve joins from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) where he had the engineering lead for all plant and equipment.
Magnum strengthens global and UK teams
as a Special when she first joined South Yorkshire Police eight years ago, purely because she loved the role so much and wanted to make a difference. When the opportunity arose she successfully became a police officer. South Yorkshire Police Chief Constable David Crompton said, “PC Toni Love does a superb job for South Yorkshire Police. Day-in and day-out she optimises all that is best about British Policing. Her commitment, professionalism and overall work-ethic are an example to everyone and I am absolutely delighted to see this being rewarded at the 8th annual BAWP awards.” www.southyorks.police.uk
Bob Williams, Chief Executive of North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust, has won the NHS Development Champion of the Year at The NHS North West Leadership Recognition Awards 2014, which took place on 19 November at the Isla Gladstone Conservatory, in Liverpool. Michael Forrest, Director of Organisational Development, who attended on behalf of Bob, said, “Bob as Chief Executive, takes the lead in promoting staff development and is a great role model in leading the learning and development agenda. Many external agencies such as Investors in People have praised the trust’s forward thinking and commitment to staff development. This award is greatly deserved.” www.nwas.nhs.uk
Bob Williams with his Leadership award.
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54 | ESTEMERGENCY LIGHTING
1000-lumens Does your hands free lighting meet your needs? in the palm of your hand The combination of long winter nights and poor weather conditions makes even the most straightforward of tasks difficult. Efficient lighting in these situations is not a luxury it’s a necessity. PETZL has been a specialist headlamp manufacturer for over 40 years and has been inventing and developing products that offer professionals maximum freedom and efficiency for working in the dark. When choosing a headlamp for your needs PETZL recommends that you ask yourself five questions: 1. Does the energy management of this headlamp suit my needs? Constant (regulated) systems ensure stable lighting for a pre-determined period through microchip-controlled electronics. Neither the luminosity nor the lighting distance will change during this period. Traditional standard lighting systems get dimmer minute by minute 2. Is the energy source appropriate for my frequency of use? Regular batteries work for occasional use, but the cost is greater over time. Integrated rechargeable batteries are designed for frequent or high power use. They are expensive to purchase but more economical over time 3. Are the lighting options appropriate for my activities and environment? Headlamps may have variable lighting modes.
The new F1R from LED Lenser.
These may change the beam (wide, focused, mixed etc) and the lighting performance (light output, lighting distance and battery life). The user’s requirements will differ depending on the task in hand; close range, movement or seeing at a distance 4. Is it a ‘comfortable’ light A perfectly uniform beam maintains comfort in use. Dark spots, halos or intense pin points cause fatigue 5. Is the construction rugged enough for my working environment? Headlamps should have passed stringent tests on shock, fall and water resistance, functional reliability and quality. PETZL’s range of compact, versatile, high performance and emergency headlamps is the product of tens of thousands of hours of use and field testing. Whatever your combination of answers to the five questions there is a PETZL headlamp for your needs.
www.petzl.com
www.emergencyservicestimes.com
The diminutive new F1R from LED Lenser is one of the most powerful rechargeable pocket torches ever made. Delivering an astounding 1000 lumens brightness and with a CREE Xtreme Power chip that beams white light up to 160m, it boasts the kind of performance normally found only in larger-bodied torches. Surprisingly though the F1R is barely four inches in length, making it a great first or support torch for pocket, bag or vehicle glove box. The F1R is powered by a single Li-ion battery, which can be recharged from its own USB recharging station (with charge indicator) or indeed any device with a USB port. For versatility in use it incorporates LED Lenser’s Smart Light Technology, giving a choice of high power, power and low power settings – all at the touch of a button on the end of the torch. Once charged the F1R has a maximum 60 hour burn time on its low power setting – enough to provide comfortable illumination throughout the night on call-outs or patrols. The F1R’s tactical-styled body is made from durable aluminium and stainless steel, anodised to HAIII military standard. Other key features for first responders include built-in electronic regulation with temperature sensor, a replaceable glass (or ice)-breaking end cap, anti-roll ring and a multi-directional pocket or belt clip.
www.ledlenser.co.uk
The F1R is powered by a single Li-ion battery, which can be recharged from its own USB recharging station.
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Spreading the light With its new-generation LED technology, which offers better performance and lower running costs than halogen alternatives, Nightsearcher is making steady progress in portable solutions. Now in its 25th year of manufacturing, UK-based Nightsearcher Ltd is one of the leading suppliers to the emergency services and rail industry, for durable, portable lighting products with a focus on two key issues: light output and portability.
LED floodlights By concentrating on these areas, Nightsearcher has developed a broad range of LED floodlights that offers its customers a better solution to generator-powered
floodlights. LEDs exceed the performance of conventional halogen bulbs and offer reduced CO2 emissions, while offering a more reliable floodlight in terms of durability and safety. The newest single head version weighs 5.6kg, yet illuminates an area greater than a twin 500W halogen bulb. The company achieved this by using SMT (surface mounted technology), combined with a unique variable optic system, to deliver twice the light performance of previous models giving a glare and shadow-free white light. Nightsearcher’s Managing Director, Colin Howard, is also head of product research and has led the development of this new technology, ensuring it continues to provide the industry with safer, more efficient products. By keeping the design and manufacture based in the UK, the company believes it can bring innovations to market far quicker than its competitors.
Portability is crucial
The Solaris range replaces the need for generator-powered lighting.
If a floodlight is too heavy it will not get used and also poses a safety risk. Therefore, Nightsearcher now offers the Solaris range in Li-ion – with both the Lite (5.6kg) and the Duo (15.7kg), which are both portable by one person.
Nightsearcher has developed a broad range of LED floodlights.
Both models can replace the need for generatorpowered lighting, bringing an end to noise pollution and carbon emissions. They run cool, making them safe for any environment. Li-ion benefits include: • Longer running time – additional hours for both high and low functions • Lightweight • No charge maintenance. Unlike lead acid batteries, Li-ion require low-charge maintenance and can be left in a fully discharged state without damaging the battery.
www.nightsearcher.co.uk
Portable, instant illumination Bright, reliable light at an emergency scene is vital for the safety of rescue personnel as well as to illuminate and monitor a casualty. Peli area lighting systems provide portable, instant illumination where there is no mains power. These units can be used as scene lighting; they are rechargeable and rugged, providing excellent light coverage with no trailing cables. These silent running systems ensure that rescue teams can communicate easily with each other. The 9420 LED from Peli weighs only 3.81kg, it is compact, lightweight and the mast extends above 1.5m allowing a wide area of illumination. The unit folds down quickly to a handy 74cm long, making it very easy to carry. The battery pack can be charged independently from the lighting system, so one battery can be on charge while
another is in situ with the system in use. The portability of the 9420 LED makes it ideal for lighting an emergency scene, particularly in remote or difficult to access areas. The 9440 LED is a larger version of the 9420; it can be fully deployed in under 10 seconds and extends to over 2m in height. The 9440 quickly retracts telescopically to less than a metre long in the closed position, allowing it to be carried easily. This lightweight, portable unit weighs only 7.3kg and is supplied with a shoulder strap and mains charger.
Available in black and yellow, the 9000 Lightcase features a built in attachment hook as well as a carabina to offer multiple hanging options for hands-free light.
www.peliproducts.co.uk
Never get left in the dark The 9460 and 9470 models feature intelligent control, which adjusts the light output according to the length of light duration required and provides a real-time display. Using the simple keypad, set the control panel to the number of hours and minutes (maximum 40 hours – minimum six hours) of light required and the unit will calculate and adjust the output, ensuring you never get left in the dark. Each light head features six LEDs and has a maximum light output of an incredibly powerful 3000 lumens. There are two light heads on the 9460 unit and four heads on the larger 9470 system. The heads can be rotated 360° and tilted 180° to angle light exactly where required.
The 9000 Light-Case
The 9440 LED can be fully deployed in under 10 seconds and extends to over 2m in height.
www.emergencyservicestimes.com
The 9000 Peli Light-Case combines LED lights with a tough, weather resistant Peli case. The rugged case opens to allow storage of small items while the LEDs have high, medium, and low outputs as well as a flashing mode. The battery burn time is 80 hours on economy mode and the light output is up to 200 lumens (high mode).
The 9420 LED from Peli.
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ESTPRODUCTS | 57
Crucial role for FloodSax on the emergency frontline FloodSax sandless sandbags have become vital for the emergency services around the world. They are so easy to store in vehicles yet can be used in so many ways at emergencies, from soaking up leaking fuel from crashed vehicles to diverting floodwater away from homes and businesses and even as barriers against torrential floods. They were used to stop tonnes of debris threatening to wreck homes in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in the USA in 2012 and in Scotland fire crews in the floodrisk town of Comrie see them as crucial, with the River Ruchill often bursting its banks; the town now has 2000 FloodSax stored next to their station.
Minimum storage FloodSax are transformed from being as light as a pillowcase (700g) to become as tough and heavy as
sandbags (20kg) within five minutes. They are vacuumpacked so storage space is kept to a minimum and 20 fit into a cardboard box that one person can easily carry; compare that to 20 sandbags, which would need a pallet. Bizarrely, just one FloodSax saved the day when an emergency centre faced being badly damaged by floodwater.The FloodSax was a sample that had been given to the Georgetown County Emergency Management team in South Carolina – and when torrential rain started to leak under a doorway the sample was put there and immediately stemmed the flow. Emergency Management Director Sam Hodge said, “Within several minutes the FloodSax expanded to seal off the bottom of the door, literally keeping out gallons of water and saving water damage.”
Stop leaking fuel A FloodSax was used to stop leaking fuel after a huge truck overturned on a sharp bend in America. A couple who had seen what happened in Montana rushed to help and also put the FloodSax beneath the leaking fuel tank to soak up the diesel before it could seep into the ground. They were also used after a smash in South Dakota when a car’s fuel tank was ruptured by debris on the road. The driver had only just filled up so it took five FloodSax to stop the fuel leaking into the ground.
Less labour intensive Emergency management expert Tim Shipman, who runs disaster recovery services for a company in the USA that has nine major distribution centres and around 1700 retail locations, now only uses FloodSax instead of sandbags. He said, “FloodSax are very easy to use and are less labour intensive than trying to use the normal type of sandbag and much more effective and efficient when used properly.” And in the UK Mary Dhonau, Chair of the Flood Protection Association, says sandbags are hopelessly outdated. “I hate them with a vengeance,” she said. “They do nothing but filter water.”
www.floodsax.com
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58 | ESTPRODUCTS
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Vehicle snow socks – AutoSock
Target Blu Eye – CBS Automotive
www.autosock.co.uk AutoSock are reusable vehicle snow socks, which use friction technology and high tech materials to keep vehicles moving in snow. They’re available for almost all vehicle tyre sizes – cars, vans, and HGVs – and are pulled over the driving wheels when the road conditions look particularly tricky, or after a vehicle has got stuck. They’re easy to store in-vehicle – a packet of AutoSock is about the size of a folded shirt – and fitting them is obvious, requiring no special knowledge or training. AutoSock have all the relevant TÜV approvals and are already being used by many fire and rescue, police and ambulance services. A spokesman for Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, said, “AutoSock have been invaluable to Lancashire’s firefighters. In Bacup, in particular, the firefighters would have been unable to get to two incidents without them.” If you’re likely to be driving on compacted snow or ice then it’s best to use snow chains. The Swiss Spikes-Spider system is ideal for the emergency services – quick and easy to fit and remove, they are exceptionally hardwearing and reliable.
www.targetblueye.co.uk Thanks to new technology available through Cambridge-based CBS Automotive, drivers using Target Blu Eye can now get advance warning of approaching vehicles used by the emergency services, including the police (both marked and unmarked cars and police motorcycles), ambulance service and fire and rescue service. This worldwide patented traffic safety device uses radio signals from the Airwave Tetra Network. Drivers are warned of approaching emergency vehicles by both visual and auditory alerts on the user display up to a kilometre radius even when the vehicle is not using its siren or flashing lights. Target Blu Eye not only increases safety for road users but also traffic safety for the emergency services. CBS Automotive is the UK distributor for this product, which has a recommended retail price of £999 plus installation.
S400-G3 semi-rugged laptop – Getac
3
www.getac.co.uk The new Getac S400-G3, the only semi-rugged laptop in its class that has MIL-STD-810G and IP5X independent certification, has been designed to provide high performance processing in demanding environments. The new device has also been ruggedised to work in even more extreme temperatures; operators can use the laptop in conditions as cold as -21°C or as hot as 60°C, making it one of the most versatile semi-rugged devices on the market. The advanced specification is available with the latest fourth-generation Intel® Core™ i3 and i5 processors for industryleading performance for applications such as mapping and video processing. The S400-G3 is highly customisable, ensuring that end users have all the functions they require – built within the market’s toughest semi-rugged chassis.
Ranger Mini digital video transmitter – MEL Secure Systems
4
www.melsecuresystems.com MEL Secure Systems, a leading developer of surveillance and security solutions, has launched Ranger Mini, a new and compact COFDM H.264 digital video transmitter designed to meet the needs of users in a wide range of law enforcement, security and military applications. It supports high quality, real-time video monitoring and recording applications for body worn, mobile and temporary CCTV applications and delivers images at distances of up to 1km in non-line-of-sight urban environments. In line-of-sight environments, a range of 15km has also been achieved. The device provides class-leading performance and uses ultra-narrowband to provide exceptional range and video quality in high multi-path environments regardless of line-of-sight as well as enabling users to co-locate more channels in the increasingly crowded RF spectrum. Optional receiver kits include an LCD monitor and integrated DVR and enable high quality, interference free images to be received from up to four cameras simultaneously. Standalone receivers have diversity aerials as standard.
SlingShot VHF Device – Spectra Group and Inmarsat www.inmarsat.com Inmarsat, a leading provider of global mobile satellite communications services, and Spectra Group have launched the SlingShot VHF version of the L-band Tactical Satellite (L-TAC) service. The two UK companies developed the L-TAC service and the SlingShot system to provide a reliable, global and secure service for users who need access to Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) communications from tactical radios. The VHF device joins the UHF version to provide a secure, multi-platform method of BLOS communications. By combining forces Inmarsat and Spectra have been able to develop a uniquely smart, secure and cost-effective method of BLOS communications. SlingShot is able to immediately convert existing radios to satellite-enabled devices. It is small, portable and lightweight, available as a manpack, vehicle-mounted and maritime platform, making it extremely cost-effective as it doesn't rely on expensive hardware, additional equipment or replacement radios.
www.emergencyservicestimes.com
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ESTPRODUCTS | 59 VEHICLE MOUNTED BOILING WATER SYSTEM
Cold, wet and dehydration can reduce performance and impair safety. By fitting a ‘TeaMate’ water boiler, crews can make themselves a cup of tea, coffee or other hot beverage to keep warm and hydrated, therefore maximising concentration and keeping fatigue to a minimum.
KNEE & ELBOW Protection
Comprehensive range to suit every application w Ergonomic design w Comfortable and secure fit w Reliable protection w Tough and hard wearing w Manufactured to the highest standards from selected quality materials w marking throughout w NATO Stock No: 22c 8415-99-8873869 w
Gotec Trading Limited Boulton Road Pin Green Stevenage Her ts SG1 4QL Telephone 01438 740400 Fax 01438 740005
Compact commercial grade throughout. Self contained fully automatic. 24v and 12v models available. Makes up to 9 mugs per filling. WHISPAIRE LTD Email: info@whispaire.co.uk Web: www.whispaire.co.uk T: + 44 (0)1794 523999 F: + 44 (0)1794 519151
Self-Heating Nutritious Meals
please call Paul Hill after 6PM on 01752 360315
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www.steroplast.co.uk When the body loses more fluid than it takes in dehydration happens. Your body can lose fluid through strenuous activity, hot weather, alcohol consumption, sweating and excessive urine output or simply by not drinking enough liquids. This causes the normal water content of your body to reduce and upsets the balance of salts and minerals that your body relies on to function, which could result in a life-threatening emergency. Children and the elderly are more likely to become dehydrated as their bodies usually weigh less than an adult’s and have a faster absorption of water and electrolytes. O.R.S, available from Steroplast, is one of the world’s first tablet forms of the standard oral rehydration salts formula. The tablet contains a combination of glucose, salts and electrolytes. O.R.S helps to replenish the body with water and salts that have been depleted and helps to maintain an optimal fluid balance. Designed for a variety of users; people who lose excess fluid, professional and recreational athletes, visitors to hot/tropical countries and people who are dehydrated due to alcohol consumption. These soluble tablets are available in 12 and 24 pack size and three flavours: lemon, strawberry and blackcurrant. They are free from yeast, gluten and lactose, contain no artificial preservatives and are suitable for vegetarians and vegans; thereby offering a healthy alternative to sugar and caffeine packed sports and energy drinks.
www.emergencyservicestimes.com
HOT PACK™
In 12 minutes, you can create a delicious hot meal, with Hot Pack Self Heating Meals, anywhere you need it. Everything is in the pack to produce a satisfying hot meal without using any other equipment. Even cutlery and a dish are included!
WANTED photographs of Ambulances and Police vehicles from 1950's - present day.
O.R.S oral rehydration salts – Steroplast
MAKE IT EASY WITH
Choose from seven great tasting, ready to eat recipes: Chicken Casserole, Lancashire Hot Pot, Chicken Dopiaza Curry, Sausages and Beans, Spicy Vegetable Rigatoni, Meatballs & Pasta and Vegetable Curry. Make it easy. Enjoy a HOT PACK™ meal – anywhere! Contact Canland UK Ltd, Wellington House, Lower Icknield Way Longwick, Bucks HP27 9RZ Tel/Fax: 01844 344474 E.mail: info@hotpackmeals.co.uk Web site: www.hotpackmeals.co.uk
Collective Conviction: The Story of Disaster Action – Liverpool University Press
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www.disasteraction.org.uk Collective Conviction, written by Anne Eyre and Pam Dix, tells the story of Disaster Action, a small charity founded in 1991 by UK survivors and bereaved people from disasters of the late 1980s. Over 20 years the charity has grown to support and represent those in the UK affected by over 28 international disasters. The book tells the story of its members’ collective conviction to achieve accountability and support for people affected by disasters, and interweaves individual stories with chapters highlighting the social context and changing legal and cultural landscape of emergency planning and disaster management. This book is essential reading for those in a wide range of disciplines with an interest in: planning for, responding to, reporting on and dealing with the aftermath of disaster. These include: academics and students, emergency planners and responders, statutory and voluntary organisations, policy makers, journalists, and lawyers. Additionally, the book contains guidance notes for survivors and bereaved on dealing with a disaster, and best practice guidance for responders and the media.
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60 | ESTLAST WORDS
Developing cyber resilience as a core business for the emergency services The Ebola crisis and the escalating fight against untreatable bacterial and viral diseases show no signs of abating and point towards a new level of risk for paramedics and other emergency responders. Words: Richard Preece, Director, cybX. We are fortunate to live in a country where our emergency services are professional and can support individuals and organisations at times of greatest need. What if that model is still required, but potentially not sufficient anymore because the emergency services we all rely upon at some point become a target for attack over a breadth and depth that has not previously been achievable. This is sometimes forgotten within public services, which, as a society, we can collectively take for granted.
Evidence of cyber attacks So what is the evidence that cyber attacks are starting to occur and why does it matter? The evidence is mounting and reflects the wider trend of increasing cyber attacks against increasingly digital organisations and ways of doing business. The recent attacks by AnonGhost (reportedly based in Morocco) on Nottinghamshire Police and then Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service websites on 7 and 8 November are very public recent examples. As was the Jihadist hack of the Sevenoaks Town Council website. The reality is the tools and techniques of cyber attacks are becoming increasingly available to individuals and groups on a global scale. This is making cyber attacks increasingly an option of first choice, for individuals and groups with very wide ranging motives, as the risks to them and the costs become minimal. The emergency services therefore are becoming one of many targets for attack.
“It is only through the development of mutual trust, shared understanding, collaboration and communications prior to attacks, that emergency services will be resilient to continue the professional support to individuals and organisations at times of their greatest need.” Why this matters is summed up by this quote from McKinsey & Company, Risk and responsibility in a hyper-connected world: Implications for enterprises (January 2014), ‘When ‘everything is becoming digital,’ private, public, and civil institutions become more dependent on information systems and more vulnerable to attack by sophisticated cybercriminals, political ‘hacktivists,’ nation-states, and even their own employees. As a result, all of our institutions will have to make increasingly thoughtful trade-offs between the
Richard Preece, Director, cybX
value inherent in a hyper-connected world and the risk of operational disruption, intellectual property loss, public embarrassment, and fraud that cyber-attacks create.’
Core activity To counter this it’s time for the emergency services to start becoming cyber resilient as a matter of core activity and not as a discrete and potentially misunderstood specialist security area. This requires a genuine ‘board room to server room’ approach within individual emergency services organisations and the wider communities they serve. However, this approach needs to be expanded across partners in Local Resilience Forums (LRFs) and regionally, linking into the wider national structures. For it is only through the development of mutual trust, shared understanding, collaboration and communications prior to attacks, that emergency services will be resilient to continue the professional support to individuals and organisations at times of their greatest need.
www.cybx.org
About cybx cybX training and exercising has been developed by Serco, which builds upon its experience and knowledge of delivering training and exercising for the EPC (formerly the Emergency Planning College). It combines the EPC’s world-class training, exercising and consultancy services with leading edge cyber training simulation technology, being the only one of its kind in the UK.
www.emergencyservicestimes.com
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