April 2014
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Volume 15 | 2
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IN EVERY ISSUE Comment
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News
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Events
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People
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Kit Evolution
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Company Profile
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Products
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Last Words
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ESS2014
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Registration is now open for The Emergency Services Show 2014, which returns to the NEC from 24-25 September. Visit www.emergencyuk.com and click on ‘Register Now’ to sign up for free admission
FLOOD RESPONSE 15 As the floodwater recedes and with recovery operations in full flow, discover the role of the British Red Cross during the response phase and how communities have benefited from the charity’s additional welfare support. The feature also discusses the effectiveness of sandbags and looks at alternative property level flood protection and temporary flood defences
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MEDICAL 9
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A continued collaborative approach in the West Midlands has seen Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service and West Midlands Ambulance Service work closely together to ensure trauma patients receive the best possible care at incidents. Find out how Bristol has improved personal protection for air ambulance crews, plus ‘Super paramedics’ take to the streets in London
ICT
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How cloud software can give emergency services the tools for improved collaboration. Find out more about how HART teams communicate to improve patient outcomes. The Cabinet Office launches ResilienceDirect, a new online mapping and collaboration tool. Plus, there’s more to Mountain Rescue ICT than you might think – find out more on page 45
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12 | ESTEVENTS
Enabling efficient co-working before the next floods As the UK continues clearing up from a relentless winter of devastating storms and widespread flooding, those involved in all aspects of the rescue operations are reviewing what lessons could be learned for the future. In terms of emergency response there were countless examples of multi-agency working at its best, but as we enter a recovery phase, questions are being asked about what can be done now to better prepare for the next natural disaster? What improvements could be made within the UK’s emergency services to better protect public safety in terms of co-working, communications, equipment and training? Free-to-attend, The Emergency Services Show 2014, takes place from 24-25 September at the NEC, Birmingham, and offers one very practical way to prepare for future incidents. Visitors to the show can: • See and handle the latest equipment, vehicles and technology • Network with other blue light services and rescue organisations • Receive training in the latest rescue and lifesaving techniques • Discover water rescue demonstrations on The Emergency Services Show Lake • Meet with government departments such as The Environment Agency, Flood Forecasting Centre and The Met Office • Gain a deeper understanding of the support available from NGOs and charities like The British Red Cross.
Emergency Response Zone The promotion of multi-agency working between the key emergency responders and their partner agencies is the heart of the show, with a dedicated networking area – the Emergency Response Zone – featuring over 80 emergency services-related partners, charities and not-for-profit organisations. Event organiser Broden Media continues to provide these stands to qualifying organisations at no cost to ensure the widest possible representation of this vital part of the industry. The British Red Cross, CFOA National Resilience, National Ambulance Resilience Unit, AA Special Operations Response Team and the Flood Forecasting Centre will all be exhibiting this year. What’s more, The Emergency Services Show is the place to find out more about the Home Office Emergency Services Mobile Communications Project, the team from which will be available on Stand Z226 within the Emergency Response Zone.
Seminars and simulations Training will have a major focus at this year’s event, with seminars, simulations and opportunities to see the latest life saving techniques and equipment in action, empowering those who visit to do their jobs even better. The College of Paramedics, for example, will once again be running their highly popular free workshops throughout the show. “This year’s event will very much focus on the need to go back to basics – the basics of patient care, which many in the industry feel have been
undervalued while procedures and targets have been top of the agenda. Paramedics, for example, will find out how they can use their resources, technology and clinical knowledge to improve patient care,” says David Brown, Joint Managing Director of Broden Media. New Exhibitors A full list of exhibitors can be found on the show website (www.emergencyuk.com). New exhibitors this year include: Academy of Crime Scene Cleaners; Bay Search and Rescue; BD Medical
New for 2014 – SAR Zone A new feature, bringing together the UK’s search and rescue organisations and including its own presentation area, has been announced for 2014. Visitors to the SAR Zone will be able to speak to the likes of The RNLI, Maritime and Coastguard Agency, RAF Search & Rescue, Cave Rescue, Mountain Rescue and the Association of Lowland Rescue, among others.
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ESTEVENTS | 13 Book a stand For suppliers to the industry the show offers the opportunity to meet over 5500 buyers from a wide range of sectors, including police, fire and rescue, public and private ambulances, emergency planning, coastguard and water rescue teams, search and rescue teams, government agencies, health authorities and many others. If you would like to book a stand (or profile your organisation in the free-to-exhibit Emergency Response Zone) please contact David Brown on Tel: 01737 824010 or e-mail: davidbrown@brodenmedia.com.
Training; Beaverfit; Bluelamp Afloat; Draeger Safety UK, Freelance Surgical; Gamber-Johnson; HBC Radiomatic; Helyx Sis; Met Police Procurement; Moldex – Europe; Rossetts Mercedes-Benz; SSI Schafer; Stedall; Total Mast Solutions; and Tytek Medical. Annual meetings and conferences Running alongside The Emergency Services Show 2014, in private rooms located in the atrium outside Halls 17 and 18, will be a number of AGMs and meetings, held by industry bodies, such as CFOA National Resilience, The Emergency Planning Society and the Fire National Procurement Group. All attendees at these meetings will have convenient access to The Emergency Services Show. If you would like to co-
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locate your AGM or hold a workshop in one of the meeting rooms, please call Broden Media on 01737 824010. Visitor registration Now in its ninth year, The Emergency Services Show is aimed at the entire emergency services community, indeed anybody involved in emergency response, planning and recovery, including all blue light services, voluntary workers and service providers. Entry – which is free – gives visitors access to over 450 exhibiting companies and organisations, as well as workshops, seminars, live rescue demonstrations and opportunities to network and progress career development. To register visit www.emergencyuk.com and click on ‘Register Now’.
Getting there The NEC is physically linked to Birmingham International Railway Station and Birmingham Airport and is directly accessible from the UK motorway network. Following exhibitor feedback from the 2013 event, coaches will run from Birmingham International Station to the exhibition halls.
“Visitor registration is now open at www.emergencyuk.com” Parking for visitors and exhibitors will remain free of charge thanks to sponsorship by Emergency Services Times magazine. www.emergencyuk.com
The Emergency Services Show 2014 is a trade show only and not a public event. There will be no entry to under-18s.
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22 | ESTPEOPLE Temporary Deputy Chief Constable Paul Brandon has been appointed as the new Deputy Chief Constable of Kent Police. Chief Constable Alan Pughsley said, “I am delighted that T/DCC Paul Brandon has been appointed substantively as my Deputy. He has a wealth of experience and knowledge gained during his time with this force, and previously with Surrey Police. DCC Brandon’s knowledge of Kent Police and the local communities we serve will be invaluable, and I know that all the officers and staff of the force will be really pleased with the appointment.” www.kent.police.uk
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Assistant Chief Officer Robert Scott, Chair of the Scottish Wildfire Forum (SWFF), has appointed a new, fulltime senior manager, Group Manager Garry Burnett, who will be responsible for looking into all aspects of wildfire management. Last year the SWFF launched the UK’s only Wildfire Operational Guidance Manual, which was commissioned by the Scottish Government. The SWFF has been extremely pro-active, forming partnerships with colleagues in England, Wales and Northern Island to ensure members can share experiences, tactics and training opportunities. www.firescotland.gov.uk
The NHS Trust Development Authority (NHS TDA) has appointed Sarah Boulton as Interim Chair of the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST). Sarah has worked at NHS Board level for many years, chairing a number of NHS organisations, most recently as chair of NHS Midlands and East Strategic Health Authority. Sarah will take up the Interim Chair position immediately to provide stability and expert leadership for the Trust Board. EEAST will be working closely with the NHS TDA to launch the recruitment process for a permanent Chair as soon as possible. www.eastamb.nhs.uk
Stewart Edgar from the Highlands and Islands of Scotland joined Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service on 24 February as the county’s new Chief Fire Officer. He was awarded The Queen’s Fire Service Medal in the 2013 birthday honours list, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the fire service and local communities. Stewart replaces Jon Hall who retired from the service after more than 30 years. www.glosfire.gov.uk
Cumbria PCC seeks new Chief Constable BASICS doctor
Cumbria’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Richard Rhodes, has announced that he has started the recruitment process for a new permanent Chief Constable, which includes a confirmatory hearing with the Police and Crime Panel. Richard Rhodes said, “I am pleased to be starting the search for a permanent new Chief Constable for Cumbria and welcome applications from across the police service. The role of Chief Constable is incredibly important and it is vital that the successful candidate has the correct skills to maintain the good performance that the Constabulary has become recognised for over the years. “The new Chief Constable will face some challenges especially as the Constabulary still has further financial savings to be made by 2015/16.
receives MBE
Despite the financial picture the new Chief Constable will be supported by the strong communities within Cumbria, including dedicated and hardworking officers and staff. “I expect to be able to give an indication of my preferred candidate by the end of April and this indication will go forward to the Police and Crime Panel for a confirmatory hearing.” Commenting on the announcement, Temporary Chief Constable Bernard Lawson said, “In September 2012, I was asked specifically to lead Cumbria Constabulary through a particularly unusual period. That task is now drawing to a close. “I have now made a personal decision to retire in 2014 and allow a new Chief Constable to commit themselves to the long-term future of this great constabulary and the communities it serves. “I have been highly impressed and proud of the work and effort committed by its officers, PCSOs and staff on a daily basis. I will continue to dedicate myself to my role and ensure a smooth and professional transition occurs.” It is expected that the new Chief Constable will be in post from 1 August 2014.
One of West Midlands Ambulance Service’s Medical Incident Officers has received his MBE from Her Majesty the Queen, for services to emergency medicine. Dr Malcolm Russell was formally invested as a Member of the Order of the British Empire at Windsor Castle on 7 March after being named in the New Year’s Honours List. Dr Russell often responds for West Midlands Ambulance Service as a BASICS Emergency Doctor as part of the Mercia Accident Rescue Service (MARS). In addition, he has been deployed to natural disasters, such as the Japanese Tsunami and Christchurch earthquakes, as part of emergency aid and support for those countries. He said, “I felt very honoured to have been presented with my MBE by Her Majesty the Queen at Windsor Castle. I thought very much about all the good medical work carried out in the West Midlands and how, as many different organisations, including the NHS and voluntary services, we manage to work very well together for the sake of our patients, who must always remain our focus.”
www.cumbria-pcc.gov.uk
www.wmas.nhs.uk
First Patient Liaison Nurse for trauma patients appointed London’s Air Ambulance, the charity that delivers an advanced trauma team to critically injured people in London, has appointed Frank Chege to its newly created role of Patient Liaison Nurse. The position, funded by The City Bridge Trust, aims to assist London’s Air Ambulance patients with their transition back to independent living, bridging the gap between the rapid on scene pre-hospital treatment that the charity is renowned for and the patient’s long term recovery. The position of Patient Liaison Nurse draws on the charity’s standards of clinical excellence and provides a long-term interface between London’s Air Ambulance and its patients, with no equivalent elsewhere in London’s emergency infrastructure. The objectives for the new role range from identifying patient needs to referring them towards a holistic suite of solutions, be it follow up medical care or support from another service provider or charity. Graham Hodgkin, CEO of London’s Air Ambulance, said, “London’s Air Ambulance has accumulated 25 years’ worth of meticulously documented
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patient data, however our record keeping becomes more challenging post admission. Thanks to the generous donation of The City Bridge Trust, we can now support patients both through to discharge from the hospital and throughout their rehabilitation process. The Patient Liaison Nurse is not just reporting the data to the clinical team, but more importantly, and for the first time, acts as a patient advocate, providing unprecedented assistance to our patients beyond the acute phase.” Frank Chege has taken up the position after having worked alongside London’s Air Ambulance as an Emergency Nurse at The Royal London Hospital, run by Barts Health NHS Trust for the last seven years. He said, “I have always wanted to be involved with London’s Air Ambulance and this opportunity allows me to draw on my clinical experience while supporting patients’ physical and psychological recovery. “I believe that understanding your injuries is the beginning of the recovery process. Following up with our patients and their families will allow us to
Graham Hodgkin, CEO of London’s Air Ambulance.
explain the pre-hospital medical care they received. For the first time, we have an opportunity to identify any unmet needs they might have and help them get appropriate support as well as gain accurate information on the outcomes of their treatment. My position is an extension of the clinical excellence London’s Air Ambulance delivers to the patient in the moment of their acute need – taking that extra level of care from the roadside to the bedside.” www.londonsairambulance.co.uk
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26 | ESTMEDICAL
Focus on air ambulance flight crew safety and protection Recent years have seen a considerable expansion in the number of helicopters being deployed by the 27 air ambulance (AA) organisations across the UK. Through a combination of charitable contributions, commercial sponsorship and funding from ambulance services their capabilities have been expanded to the point where many of the helicopters average several missions daily. Many of the AA trusts have been able to re-equip their response teams with new, faster helicopters and improved personal protection to provide them with a safer working environment. Words: Philip Tasker, National Sales Manager, Bristol Uniforms.
Although the public’s perception of air ambulances is associated with road accident emergencies owing to their visibility, the range of missions for which they are deployed ranges broadly across traffic accident emergencies to sports injuries, climbing accidents and taking other medical emergencies for specialist hospital treatment. Speed of delivery to hospital can be vital in minimising the long-term prospects of recovery for accident victims – in some cases lives are saved which would have been lost had getting individuals to hospital depended on routine emergency ambulance services. Although air ambulances up and down the country are heavily dependent on public donations, the vital work that they do is widely recognised and the funding raised through charitable giving and sponsorship, often in kind, has grown to enable the trusts which run the services to do so on a very professional basis. This is particularly true of the crews which operate the services and which typically include a pilot, doctor and a small number of paramedics, some of whom provide their services on a voluntary basis.
operations in 1987. Eleven more were formed and became operational by 1999, including the Scottish Air Ambulance and the Welsh Air Ambulance. 2007 was a particularly busy year during which four new services began operations covering Dorset and Somerset, Hampshire and Isle of Wight, Cambridge and Bedfordshire (a helicopter shared with the police) and Surrey and Sussex.
Helicopters provide flexibility and access Cornwall Air Ambulance became the first air ambulance service in the UK when it started
There are over 35 air ambulance helicopters in regular use across the UK, all of which are liveried in either yellow, red or orange. The helicopter of choice is the Eurocopter EC 135, which forms a
“Comfort, durability and individual design considerations are expected to continue to expand the demand for more specialised protective garments for air ambulance crews.”
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little over 50 percent of the stock, with the McDonnell Douglas MD 900/902 making up a further 30 percent. Both models have operational airspeeds of 150-160mph, which allows most of the operators to be within 30 minutes flying time from any incident, whether in urban areas or remote and difficult terrain. Organisation and operations As the air ambulance network has grown steadily over the last 25 years, so has the organisation and structure as new sources of funding and sponsorship allow the resources available to individual charitable trusts to develop improved levels of service. One of the longer established trusts is The Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance, which provides a dedicated medical air service and which first began flying operations in Lincolnshire in April 1994. Inaugurated by Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire became a partner in the trust in 1997. Based at RAF Waddington, south of Lincoln, the response capability is unaffected by road congestion, country roads, heavy vehicles or road works. Their helicopter, an MD 902 Explorer, can fly at just under 160mph to any point in the two counties in less than 20 minutes. It is fully equipped and staffed by two paramedics. Annual
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ESTMEDICAL | 27 running costs are around £1.8m, which all has to be raised from public donations and commercial sponsorship. The crew The flight crew is routinely comprised of a pilot and two paramedics. At Lincoln and Nottinghamshire the paramedics are selected from the East Midlands Ambulance Service, while the pilot is provided by Medical Aviation Services. In addition, volunteer doctors regularly form part of the medical aircrew. These doctors, with a special interest, and qualifications, in pre-hospital care, are an asset to the operation, bringing additional expertise to the response teams. All Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) paramedics undergo a comprehensive selection process, which includes rigorous medicals, physical fitness tests, in-depth interviews and appraisals. Successful HEMS paramedics are also expected to have detailed knowledge of aviation topics including flight safety, communications, map reading, principles of flight, aircraft navigation, emergency in-flight procedures and HEMS rules.
Essex and Hertfordshire have opted for a Nomex® Comfort one-piece coverall with added protective padding to the elbows.
Exposure to risk For the crew, the risks associated with responding to a wide variety of emergency situations can vary considerably. However, in common with their groundbased colleagues, the teams are increasingly called upon to access hazardous areas such as serious road traffic accidents, where personal protection is vital for the health and safety of the paramedics and doctors. Rescuing the injured from road and industrial accidents exposes the teams to risks from metal and glass wreckage, fuel and chemical spills as well as flames from fires caused by explosions. These hazards have been nationally recognised by the UK’s ambulance services, which have formed HARTs (Hazardous Area Response Teams) who are now provided with special protective garments designed by Bristol.
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Protective garments Air ambulances have begun to recognise the need to provide more comfortable and better quality protective garments for their air crews and Lincoln and Nottinghamshire, who have recently begun night flying to increase their hours of operation during the winter months, have now equipped their teams with 28 distinctive green one-piece coveralls, which have been generously sponsored by the Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance Countryside Appeal. Designed by Bristol, the single-layer flame retardant Protex Max garment shares the same outer layer as the HART kit supplied to their ground based colleagues. Technically the garment meets BS EN 11612, has knee padding and incorporates breathable tape, which provides greater breathability and wearer comfort as well as Trimsaver, which encapsulates the sewing threads within a meta Aramid braid to protect it from abrasion and minimise the need for repairs. The pilots are equipped with similar kit in blue. Roger Linnell, the service’s Unit Manager, commenting on the new garments, said, “As we had been given clearance by the CAA for night flying, we had to make sure that the new suits were designed with added protection for both pilots and paramedics attending night time operations. The fluorescent strips make it easier for the aircrew to be identified at night – especially if we are attending road traffic accidents. “The suits are much warmer but they also protect us from temperature variation when we have to move from indoor to outdoor, which means we can stay much more comfortable throughout the shift. It was important to us that the suits incorporate knee padding for added protection as we can spend the majority of our time on our knees treating casualties. We asked for additional zips and pockets to be added to give us the ability to store extra equipment so we have as much to hand as possible
when we are working in time critical situations. “We opted to stay in the green flying suits to fit in with our colleagues from other ambulance crews at the scene.” Design differences Elsewhere around the UK, alternative flame retardant solutions have been designed to meet individual requirements. Essex and Hertfordshire have, for example, opted for a Nomex® Comfort one-piece coverall, similar in construction to the Lincoln & Nottinghamshire kit but with added protective padding to the elbows. To match their flight colours these are made in a red fabric. Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance have chosen to use Bristol’s bright orange USAR (urban search and rescue) kit. Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) were the first to use specialist protective garments when they adopted the same USAR kit, which can be used as coat and trouser separately or zipped together as a single garment. The programme makers of the BBC series Helicopter Heroes, made with YAA, purchased matching garments for their film crew. Future developments Comfort, durability and individual design considerations are expected to continue to expand the demand for more specialised protective garments for air ambulance crews to allow them to undertake their stressful jobs in greater comfort. The air ambulance trusts, looking to improve operational costs will continue to seek out, and use, garments that can offer greater longevity and reduced maintenance costs, which also provide access to bespoke styling to match their corporate identities and accommodate their chosen range of accessories. www.bristoluniforms.com
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30 | ESTKIT EVOLUTION
Relative low cost made the unit a good choice for emergency response teams as well as Presidents. Shortly after production began in 1969, Jacksonville Florida Fire Department became the first city to install LIFEPAK 33s in all 10 of its trucks. A priority purchase sold to the US Navy requested the 15th and 45th units off the production line. Destination? Air Force One and Air Force Two.
LIFEPAK’s QUIK-LOOK paddles are monitoring electrodes as well as defibrillator paddles. This exclusive feature allows the patient’s condition to be assessed quickly and a precordial shock applied if a dangerous arrhythmia is observed.
Completely portable, batteryoperated cardioscope and DC pulse defibrillator.
Battery provides 80 pulses at 400W seconds and operates all circuits for two hours before recharge. Provides 12 hours of monitor if defibrillator is not used.
Operating temperature 0°F to 120°F. Dimensions: Height: 21in x Width 14in x Depth 9in Weight: 15.9kg or 35lbs.
LIFEPAK® 33 Defibrillator/Monitor Electronic heart monitoring came about in 1954 when Karl William Edmark committed himself to finding an electronic solution that would alert doctors to heart failure. He built a simple heartbeat indicator with a light to flash each time the heart pulsed and an alarm for if the beat faltered. In 1955 he founded Physio-Control and set about designing a Direct Current (DC) defibrillator, which he was first able to use on a human patient in 1961. The LIFEPAK® 33, designed to be the world’s first portable defibrillator/monitor, was brought to market in 1968, after only three months of development. www.physio-control.com
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ESTKIT EVOLUTION | 31 Continuous, advanced monitoring with 12-lead ECG transmission, alerts to changes using the STSegment trend monitoring feature. System of Care, compression data transmitted through the cloud-based LIFENET® System and reviewed postevent with CODE-STAT™ Data Review Software to help improve emergency teams care provision and effectiveness.
Switch from full-colour to high-contrast SunVue™ mode with a single touch for the best full-glare view in the industry. A large screen (8.4in diagonally) and full-colour display provide maximum viewability from all angles.
LIFEPAK TOUGH™ – the device passes 30in drop tests, works in harsh response environments, ergonomically designed shock-absorbing carrying handle, rugged double layer screen.
Size: basic monitor / defibrillator with batteries installed weighs 8.6kg (18.9lb), Height: 31.7cm (12.5in) x Width: 40.1cm (15.8in) x Depth: 23.1cm (9.1in); Lithium-ion dual battery technology allows for up to six hours of power.
Escalates to 360 joules biphasic technology for difficult to defibrillate cardiac arrest victims, allows for temperature monitoring and external power. CPR Metronome provides audible prompts to help guide emergency responders to provide optimal CPR compressions and ventilations.
LIFEPAK® 15 monitor/defibrillator The LIFEPAK® 15 was launched in 2009 as the new standard for emergency responders with the most clinically and operationally innovative monitor/defibrillator available today, developed through an ongoing commitment to R&D. The device is also much lighter and more portable for emergency responders working in their challenging everyday environments. www.physio-control.com
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48 | ESTICT
West Yorkshire Police – a technology partnership for improvement When West Yorkshire Police, the UK’s fourth largest police force, decided in 2009 to adopt a ‘hi tec’ approach to their driver training requirement, they decided to seek advice from the UK’s acknowledged leader in the field of driver behaviour – Cranfield University. The university recommended approaching Airmax as the only UK-based company with the capability to deliver remote vehicle CANbus data, which could be used for extensive driver profiling. The initial remit of the project was to investigate the driving styles of police drivers within the West Yorkshire Police fleet – a total of over 1100 vehicles. The study highlighted an increased risk of vehicle incidents and, as a result, the opportunity arose to offer additional driver training. The Airmax system performance within this early phase was impressive. The operational side of West Yorkshire Police approached staff from the transport department to consider how they might utilise the detailed fleet management data offered by the Airmax system. This data was way beyond the every day level of GPS vehicle location that was then considered to be the defining feature of ‘vehicle telematics’.
“Beyond the savings within the fleet, one major area of gain for the force has been the investigation of ‘incidents’.” At this stage, and with Airmax now the approved supplier to West Yorkshire Police, both organisations worked together on a project to define and produce a working system geared to the requirements of an ‘on the ground’ operational police force. Improve driving standards One of the first requirements was to improve driving standards within West Yorkshire Police and then negate the inefficiencies of filling in paper logbooks. The Airmax system delivers extensive driver profiling reports, all of which mandates total accuracy in respect of a driver’s identity. The introduction of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) enabled warrant cards within West Yorkshire allowed Airmax to design and implement a vehicle-based driver ID system, which fulfilled the dual roles of identifying the driver and logging the subsequent journey against the individual. To meet West Yorkshire’s requirements that all journeys are to be logged, the system incorporates a vehicle immobiliser that ensures the vehicle would not start without driver identification, thus providing the vehicle with additional vehicle security.
With the progressive rollout of the system over some five years, the ‘report suite’ available has been progressively extended and enhanced to encompass a progressive police requirement. In essence, based on journey and event data or Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) the Airmax system provides detailed ‘drill down’ reports, which cover every detail of every journey and the events that occur during the journey. Typical of these enhancements are the ‘blues and twos’ reports, all of which give time and location for on/off operation, together with vehicle speed, revs, acceleration and braking. From the original single ‘blue light’ configuration, this has now been enhanced to indicate in detail which ‘blue light’ mode the vehicle is operating, ie all blues/front blues/rear blues/rear reds/siren, all of which are transmitted to a secure server in real time. As with all organisations that invest there has to be a tangible return in order to justify the capital outlay. In West Yorkshire’s case there is an ongoing analysis of fleet and divisional data in order to ascertain not just the increased operational fleet management and driver training effectiveness but also to identify where there are actual cost savings. Significant within this area are the statistics related to ‘own fleet’ accidents where an ongoing cost reduction of over 30 percent has been calculated, as a constant, as each new operational division is installed. Actual and potential cost reductions In addition to the substantial savings from accident reduction, West Yorkshire Police is now gaining sufficient data from other aspects of the system to be able to calculate where actual and potential cost reductions are possible. At the top of the list is fuel saving. This is now being experienced as a result of modified driver style brought about by virtue of KPI trigger points such as over-revving (typically set at 3500rpm on WYP diesel vehicles), harsh acceleration and braking (erratic driving is notorious for excessive fuel use) and ‘long idling’ (typically set to five minutes). The combination of these customer-configurable KPIs is
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now indicating reduced fuel use on a comparative basis against ‘pre-install’ of the system. One emerging aspect of the ability to detect over-revving has been the potential savings related to mechanical failure of gearboxes and the resulting administrative nightmare of warranty claims. On a ‘grand plan’ level the system allows the actual use of vehicles to be queried to ascertain the overall vehicle usage pattern on whole fleet, division and individual vehicle level. Again, the use of customer configurable parameters allows operational vehicles that are not being used to be identified against specific parameters such as ‘not used for more than three days or one week’ (as an example). The consequence and resulting cost savings here being that the fleet can be trimmed down to a more ‘lean and mean’ profile with underused vehicles being taken ‘off fleet’. Incident investigation Beyond the savings within the fleet on a tangible vehicle/fuel/mechanical failure level, one major area of gain for the force has been the investigation of ‘incidents’. Previously, this post investigation of incidents was potentially ‘administratively challenging’. The implementation of a total vehicle CANbus, driver RFID and GPS data has transformed a previously lengthy and in some cases inconclusive exercise into what was described as ‘a matter of minutes’ by a WYP Officer. Airmax is closely working with West Yorkshire Police on research aimed at defining the algorithms, which will actually indicate unusual driving in a ‘normal’ every day, non blue light mode. The ultimate benefit here being that the system will flag up automatically as soon as the ‘algorithm’ threshold is reached, thus allowing the opportunity for additional driver training to be implemented. This close working relationship is a quantum leap over the original premise that first saw the partnering of Airmax and West Yorkshire Police. www.airmaxgroup.com
As a result of the partnership between Airmax and West Yorkshire Police, Airmax was invited by the ACPO/ITS team to become part of the Home Office initiated ‘One Box/DVDMS’ programme. This led to a partnership between Airmax and Vauxhall Special Vehicles (suppliers of UK police vehicles) and resulted in Airmax being part of the winning CAST (Future UK Police Vehicle) consortium.
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Future-proofing the Next Generation of 112 services 112 is the common European emergency number that is in official use across 28 EU Member States and most countries surrounding the EU (including the UK). The number receives over 31 million calls each year but while a few countries such as Sweden, Denmark, and Finland use 112 as the single emergency number in practice, the vast majority of countries have a second, legacy number in place, such as 999 in the UK. This means that while awareness of 112 is very slowly growing at around 1% per year, there is still a great deal of work to be done in order to advance knowledge of the number, but also in order to future-proof the technology. To raise this awareness further, 11 February was declared European 112 Day. Words: Mark Fletcher, Chief Architect of Worldwide Emergency Services at Avaya, and the acting co-vice-chair of the NG112 committee. Since its adoption in the 1990s, Avaya, with our strong heritage in best-practice routing principles, has worked with the European Emergency Number Association (EENA), local governments and public safety agencies; each of us committed to furthering the development of Next Generation 112 Emergency Services, today.
“Video support is also something that would be a useful addition to the next generation of emergency call support.” Facilitating interoperability In the EU, political and country borders can potentially present a challenge when discussing public safety interoperability and technology. Part of EENA’s mission is to facilitate that interoperability. While the European authorities have control over some telecoms issues, 112 is handled and managed by the Member States according to local country law and guidelines. This means that while, in practice, France, Germany and the UK are required to follow EU legislation, each country will often adapt EU law to satisfy localised requirements. This lack of overall control has resulted in a service level that differs widely from country to country. Depending on specific demands, such as the ability for the public to connect via other services (SMS or Real Time Text messaging) and the country’s access to technology, 112 is far from synonymous. More harmonised This is something that must be addressed as part of the NG112 initiative and is one of the tasks that EENA, Avaya and the industry are currently facing. The good news is that most countries that have implemented 112 services are currently working towards common next generation concepts or are in
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the process of implementing them already. Happily, this should result in a far more harmonised system coming into play over the next few years. While working on the next generation initiative, Avaya has come across a number of challenges and interesting concepts. Foremost of these is the issue of the caller’s location. The first question that every emergency service in every country in the world asks callers is where they are. This is an issue that could potentially be solved very simply by smartphones, however that sort of data is as yet unable to pass through the national emergency service provider’s networks. A second consideration is that of non-traditional multi-media sessions such as IM, SMS and social media, all of which need to be taken into account as people (and young people in particular) make fewer calls and are increasingly likely to connect to emergency services via alternative methods. Video support is also something that would be a useful addition to the next generation of emergency call support – persons who are deaf, deaf-blind, and hard of hearing as well as individuals with speech disabilities could communicate via sign language or be connected to an interpreter via their screens. Live video footage Yet another idea that EENA is considering is releasing the best-practice rules and information that may encourage 112 apps to be created – these would allow a user to provide the emergency services with live video footage, so that they may see first-hand what is happening, where the caller is and help ensure the correct response team is engaged.
Mark Fletcher, Chief Architect of Worldwide Emergency Services at Avaya.
Happily, following extensive lobbying from EENA, in the last weeks of 2013, a plan was confirmed by the European Commission to put a budget in place for a demonstrator and proof of concept of the NG112 project to take place in 2015. This is a huge achievement when you consider the scale and necessary upgrades the many different national systems will need to put in place for the theory to become reality. While it may be too soon to say definitively, it is hoped that within the next few years, Next Generation 112 services will be a reality all across the EU. Even more exciting, it is entirely plausible that one day there will be a more global view of the emergency number. Rather than specific numbers used in specific countries, the most widely used emergency numbers (911 and 112) would be valid no matter where in the world, or on which device or platform, they were called. www.eena.org www.avaya.com/uk
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