EST Dec 2012 Preview

DECEMBER 2012

VOLUME 13 | 6

ᔡ SHOW ISSUE: The Emergency Services Show 2012 ᔡ News: joint working initiatives across the UK plus regional fire control buildings put up for lease by DCLG ᔡ Road Safety: how emergency services can get involved with Road Safety Week ᔡ Profiles include the National Police Air Service and Sheffield’s Fire & Police Museum ᔡ Vehicles: including how ambulance services are coming together to slash carbon emissions ᔡ Company Profiles from North Fire PLC and Thomas Jacks ᔡ Training: Serco combines its resilience capabilities and UK USAR specialists learn from US visit ᔡ People: new Chief Executives for both London Ambulance Service and the College of Policing ᔡ Plus a guide to all the latest products and services available ISSN 1472-1090

www.emergencyservicestimes.com

CONTENTS | 1

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Regular features First Words Editor David Holden discusses partnership working and welcomes the inaugural JESIP National Interoperability Summit to ESS2012

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News Multi agency exercise in Staffordshire, joint training college plans submitted in Northern Ireland and European lifeboat crews learn from the RNLI

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Regional fire control buildings now available for lease

Events

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Details on the IAA 2013 Conference and Life Connections 2013

Contracts & People Paramedic suit revamp for Wales Air Ambulance, leadership award for Cornwall CFO and Leicestershire Chief Constable becomes a Disability Champion

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Profile

51 95

The National Police Air Service, which was launched on 1 October Sheffield’s Fire & Police Museum sets its sights on national status

Company Profile North Fire PLC is exhibiting at The Emergency Services Show 2012 with its three leading brands: Rosenbauer, Metz and Argus

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Page 51 – The National Police Air Service was launched on 1 October.

Inside this issue ESS2012

Communications

Hainsworth takes a look at the issues faced by garment manufacturers when considering the effects of heat stress, plus a round up from exhibitors on what visitors can expect at this year’s Emergency Services Show

10

73

Vehicles

Training

British ambulance services united to slash their carbon emissions, West Midlands Fire Service RRV trial enters second phase, the rescue application of Jet Ski®s, plus a review of NAPFM 2012

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87

HAZMAT

Road Safety

Details of the HAZMAT Operational Guidance, due to be published by DCLG in November, with articles from West Midlands Fire Service, Environment Agency and the National Chemical Emergency Centre

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Interview with Gary Machado, the Executive Director of the European Emergency Number Association (EENA 112), plus details of GERYON, an EU-funded project exploring interoperability and service provision

Serco looks to combine its resilience capabilities, UK USAR specialists visit the US for a training master class and MTF Training highlights its off-road and ATV training courses

How emergency services can get involved with Road Safety Week, the Highways Agency hopes to reduce congestion through its CLEAR initiative and a closer look at forensic collision investigation

Thomas Jacks brings its product portfolio to The Emergency Services Show 2012

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Product Information A heat-scanning device from Vimpex, safety socks from RUD Chains, plus luminescent hose reel from Premier Hose Technologies

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Last Words Nic Lacey from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service looks at the danger to fire and ambulance crews from cyanide in house fire smoke

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Page 105 – Emergency services in Devon launch Road Safety App.

Emergency Services Times December 2012

2 | A-Z

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Companies Company Name

Page No

3M United Kingdom Plc 102 5.11 Tactical UK 14 A W Hainsworth & Sons Ltd 10 Air Medical Ltd 14 Ansell Ltd 56 Ansell Protective Solutions 56, 110 Antares (Europe) Ltd 31 Argon Electronics 80 Argus Thermal Imaging 55 14 Armadillo Merino® Ashwoods Automotive Ltd 83 Association of Chief Police Officers 51, 83, 99, 101 Audi 46 Avery Dennison GRPD Europe 102 Avon Inflatables Ltd 18 Babcock International 84 Balcan Engineering Ltd 32 BMW 45 Borri 80 Bott Ltd 29 Boundtree Medical 9 Brake 97 Cabinet Office 89 Care Quality Commission 95 Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service 97 Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser 71 Chief Fire Officers’ Association 59, 93, 105 Citroen 45 Civilience Limited 109 College of Policing 80 The Consortium Fire and Rescue 16 Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service 80 Cosalt PLC 21 Crowcon 110 DCBRNC 80 Department for Communities and Local Government 52, 62 Devon and Cornwall Police 22, 105 Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service 29, 80, 105 Devon County Council 105 Dorset Fire and Rescue Service 80 Dorset Police 49 Draeger Safety UK Ltd 79 Durham Tees Valley Airport 89 East of England Ambulance Service 39, 79, 83

Company Name

Page No

Company Name

Page No

Company Name

Page No

Electrosonic 16 Emergency Planning College 87 Emergency Planning Society 8 Emergency Response Driver Training.co.uk 12 Environment Agency 68 Essex County Fire and Rescue Service 83 Essex Police 49 European Emergency Number Association 73 Excelerate Technology 25, 29 The EXIT Project 107 Ferno 21 FIAT 45 Fire & Police Museum 95 The Fire Service College 62, 65 Fire Smoke Coalition Inc 112 Ford 45, 46 Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service 93 Grampian Police 7 Great Western Ambulance Service 7, 25 Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service 112 Guernsey Ambulance and Rescue Service 8 Halls Auto Electrical 46 Hampshire Constabulary 80 Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service 83 Health Protection Agency 61, 68 Highways Agency 84, 99 HM Coastguard 8, 49 Honda 45 Hornsea Inshore Rescue 49 Hyundai 45, 46 ICT Workshop Solutions 22 Independent Ambulance Association 9 Institute of Accident Investigators 101 International Fire Training Centre 87 Intersurgical 9 Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service 105 Joint Public Services College 8 Kawasaki 49 Kent Fire and Rescue Service 7 Laerdal Medical 9 Land Rover 43 Language Line Services 83 Leeds University 39, 97 Leicestershire Police 32, 83 Lexus 45 Life Connections 2013 9

Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue 32 London Ambulance Service 80 Lyon Equipment 31 Maritime and Coastguard Agency 52 Mazda 45 MDD Europe Ltd 12 Mercedes Benz 45 Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service 49, 93 Metropolitan Police Service 84 Metz 55 Michelmores 79 Mitsubishi 45, 46 MTF Training 94 National Ambulance Resilience Unit 83 National Chemical Emergency Centre 71 National Police Air Service 51 National Policing Improvement Agency 51, 83 NEC Display Solutions Europe 16 Nissan 45 North West Ambulance Service 7, 39 Northern Constabulary 7 Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service 79 Orafol Reflective Solutions 102 Panasonic Computer Products Solutions 32 ParAid Medical 79 Peli Products 110 Petzl 31 Peugeot 45, 46 PhysioControl 9 Plymouth University 74 Police Federation 97 Premier Hazard Ltd 31 Premier Hose Technologies 110 Proton 45 REMA 102 Rennicks UK 40, 102 Reznor 79 Road Safety Week 97 Rosenbauer 55 Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service 8, 27 Royal National Lifeboat Institution 8, 49 Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents 8, 12 RSG Engineering Ltd 22 RUD Chains Ltd 110 Scottish Ambulance Service 39

Scottish Fire Services College 62 SEAT 46 Serco Combined Resilience 87 Siemens 9 Simulaids 9 Skoda 37, 46 SMP Electronics 109 South Central Ambulance Service 39 South Western Ambulance Service 105 South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service 22 SP Services 9 St John Ambulance 95 Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service 7, 112 Staffordshire Police 7, 97 Surrey County Council 79 Surrey Police 25, 27 Suzuki 45 telent 79 Thomas Jacks 76 Toyota 43, 45 Trelleborg Protective Products 56 Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service 8, 79 United Kingdom Rescue Organisation 105 University of Wolverhampton 89 VAG Group 45, 46 Vauxhall 39, 45, 46 Vehicle and Operator Services Agency 99 Vimpex Limited 79, 110 Virgin Media Business 80 Vocal 8 VW 46 Wales Air Ambulance 79 Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service 79 Water-Jel 9, 32 West Midlands Fire Service 27, 43, 59, 61, 68, 83 West Midlands Ambulance Service 7 West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service 97, 112 West Yorkshire Police 51 Whitby & Co 110 Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service 80 Winsted 18 World Rescue Challenge 105 Yorkshire Ambulance Service 39, 80 Zenith Control 52 Zoll 9

Company Name

Company Name

Company Name

Advertisers Company Name

5.11 Tactical AA SORT AccuLux AgustaWestland Air & Ground Air Medical Ltd Aireshelta Alpha Solway Amputees in Action Angus Fire Ansell Protective Solutions Antares (Europe) Ltd Avon Inflatables Ltd AW Hainsworth & Sons Babcock International Balcan Engineering Ltd BBB Investments Ltd Bluecher Bluelite Graphics Ltd BMW Authorities The Boot Repair Company Ltd Bott Ltd Bristol Uniforms British Red Cross BT Fleet

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19 106 100 50 47 108 100 60 104 107 56 34 48 94 91 85 78 58 106 46 111 23 54 50 41

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Bullard GmbH 88 Canland UK (Hot Pack) Ltd 108 Cardiac Science Holdings (UK) Ltd IFC The Consortium Fire and Rescue 75 Cosalt 82 CREST 64 Draeger Safety UK Ltd 69 Edinburgh Airport Fire Training Centre 88 Emergency Response Driver Training.co.uk 88 Excelerate Technology Ltd FC, 25 Ferno (UK) Ltd 24 Firemain Engineering Ltd 30 Fire Service College 67 G&E Automatic Equipment Ltd/Electrolux 60 Getac UK Ltd 75 Garmin 38 Haix – Schuhe Produktions und Vertriebs GmbH 11 Halfords Business Services 44 Hamad Medical Group 57 IC Brindle & Co 106 ISG Infrasys 64 Laerdal Medical Ltd 17 LED Lenser Torches – Ledco Ltd 6 Le Maitre 86

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Lakeside Films Lintran Lyon Equipment Limited Mammut MTF Training Mines Rescue Service Nightsearcher Ltd North Fire PLC Onus Technologies Ltd PageOne Peli Products (UK) Ltd The Photon Shop Pickup Systems Ltd Premier Hazard Primetech UK Ltd Red Box Recorders Limited Rescue 3 Rigiflex RSG Engineering Limited RUD Chains RuptureSeal™ Ruth Lee Limited RVG Scott Safety Serco Combined Resilience

Emergency Services Times December 2012

98 43 77, 81 35 86 111 82 20 96 72 82 103 42 96 35, 92 19 26 108 103 98 60 86 103 63 47

Skoda SMP Electronics SP Services (UK) Ltd Strongs Plastic Products Surf & Turf Instant Shelters Survitec Group TenCate Protect bv Thomas Jacks Ltd TOYOBO CO LTD TRACKER Network (UK) Ltd Turtleskin University of Leicester Vauxhall Special Vehicles Vimpex Limited VW Commercial VW Group Water Direct Water-Jel WH Bence (Coachworks) Ltd Woodway Engineering Ltd Workwear and Corporate Clothing Show WILL-BURT YKK (UK) Ltd Zenith Control

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15 9 OBC 34 103 106 78 54 70 33 108 44 13 38 3 28 67 91 4 104 IBC 100 48 53

FIRST WORDS | 5

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Date:

December 2012

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

Show of strength from partnership working Welcome to this special Show Issue of Emergency Services Times (EST), published to coincide with The Emergency Services Show 2012, which takes place at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire from 21-22 November.

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.

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Broden Media publishes EST and organises The Emergency Services Show, now in its seventh year.

Together with its people and products directory, the EST Directory, and its respected monthly e-newsletter, Emergency Services Times has brought news of multi-agency working and collaboration to the UK’s first responders since November 2000.

“Thank you to our partners, our advertisers and exhibitors, who have supported the magazine and the show in 2012.”

Ask many frontline personnel whether they collaborate with colleagues from other emergency services or partnering agencies regularly and they’ll probably say there are isolated occurrences when such working was beneficial. Yet highlight the occasions, every day, when theses interactions actually occur, in response to road traffic collisions, road safety partnerships, in flood response, urban search and rescue, for example, and they’ll concede that these occasions are more frequent than they first thought. Further still, outline the similarities in the vehicles and communications equipment they use and the PPE they wear, not to mention their shared goal of protecting public safety, and the idea of a more joined-up way of thinking and operating – Interoperability – becomes one of those ‘why didn’t we think of this before’ ideas. The fact is, we did.

The first occurrence of the term ‘Interoperability’ in EST appeared in its February 2003 issue, in an article discussing the possibility of interoperable communications systems between services, and yet, almost 10 years later and despite major advances in certain areas, the word Interoperability is still

mispronounced, misunderstood and is yet to be fully embraced by industry.

I am delighted therefore that the JESIP National Interoperability Summit is taking place alongside this year’s Emergency Services Show, where leaders and strategic managers from UK Cat 1 and 2 responders will come together to address this critically important topic. The JESIP Summit is an important stepping-stone to a more widespread use of the term Interoperability, and real Interoperability between emergency responders, and I applaud the organisers, the Chief Fire Officers’ Association, Association of Chief Police Officers and Association of Ambulance Chief Executives, for bringing together such a high profile and diverse audience to discuss a way forward.

Partnering the JESIP Summit with the UK’s leading showcase of emergency services equipment and services is a perfect match – bringing the decisionmakers and leading lights in emergency response together with the most technologically advanced and innovative kit available. I’m sure that visitors to the show, delegates at the JESIP Summit and the equipment manufacturers and suppliers displaying their kit will all leave Stoneleigh Park richer for their experiences during the event.

Finally, I would like to say thank you to our partners, our advertisers and exhibitors, who have supported the magazine and the show in 2012, not to mention our suppliers and staff, who have contributed to such a successful year for Broden Media.

Thanks again.

David Holden | Editor Emergency Services Times To sign up to the FREE EST E-newsletter visit www.emergencyservicestimes.com and complete the simple form.

Emergency Services Times December 2012

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Finding the balance between protection and comfort Innovative fabrics from leading British textile manufacturer Hainsworth help to protect firefighters and other emergency service personnel worldwide. Managing Director Tom Hainsworth considers the growing awareness of the importance of combating heat stress on the frontline. Significant advances have been made not only in the personal protective equipment (PPE) used by emergency service personnel around the world but also in terms of the thinking that goes into today’s kit. heat radiation, convection and conduction aided by vasodilation.

When the ambient temperature of the surroundings rises to above 35°C (95°F), heat loss through radiation, convection and conduction stops and the only way left for the body to cool itself is through sweat evaporation. This will also stop if the heat and humidity becomes excessive, causing the body to store the excess heat produced and produce a rise in the core body temperature.

While there was a time, not too long ago, when the major consideration for firefighters and other personnel was thermal protection, the issue of heat stress management is now increasingly regarded as just as important. Emergency service personnel and some users of industrial PPE are affected by the physiological impact of wearing what can often be seen as an overcoat in a hot and humid environment.

The balance between protection and comfort has challenged textile manufacturers like Hainsworth and the rest of the PPE industry for decades.

An example of this careful balancing act can be seen with police officers in riot situations who now wear fire retardant PPE, but also have to contend with the physiological impact of wearing such clothing, often for many hours.

“… by managing heat stress effectively, there is a significant financial saving to be made in terms of loss of productivity caused by ill health and sick leave.”

Similarly, ambulance crews can be involved for long periods at road traffic incidents, collapsed buildings, air and rail disasters, where they will face severe climatic conditions impacting directly on their physiology.

Heat stress awareness Growing awareness of the issue of heat stress – considered one of the biggest threats to the safety of firefighters and other emergency service personnel – can be seen in the introduction of various standards in recent years. These include the incorporation of Water Vapour Resistance testing into EN469: 2005, the introduction of a physiological Annex F into the latest revision of EN469 and the development of the sweating articulated manikin test method ISO 15831:2004.

The new physiological annex for the firefighters’ protective clothing standard, contained within prEN469, reinstates an annex that had previously been removed due to lack of agreement among the experts. The latest proposed revision consists of a new Sweating Torso test method developed by

EMPA in Switzerland and an alternate physiological test using test subjects.

Total Heat Loss requirements were introduced into NFPA 1971 in 2000 with the level of stringency being stepped up five years ago from 130W/m2 to 205W/m2.

A further recognition of the importance of heat stress management could be seen with the changing of NFPA 1584 ‘Recommended Practice on the Rehabilitation of Members Operating at Incident Scene Operations and Training Exercises’ 2003 edition to a standard in 2008 to provide guidance for job specific, safe working procedures for the prevention of heat related disorders.

Heat stress, if not managed and monitored effectively, not only imperils the life of a firefighter and other emergency service workers, but, on a more day to day basis, can seriously harm someone’s decision-making ability which, in turn, then potentially puts the lives of colleagues in danger.

How the body reacts to heat To understand why the issue of heat stress is so important, there is a need to appreciate how the human body reacts to heat. The body’s internal core temperature is closely regulated and remains within a very tightly defined range from approximately 36-38°C (97-99.5°F). This temperature range is maintained by controlling the equilibrium between the amount of heat the body produces through physical activity, the amount of heat stored by the body and the amount of heat lost to the surroundings through sweat evaporation and

Symptoms of heat stress The first symptoms of heat stress are thirst and muscle cramps caused by dehydration.

Dehydration levels as low as two percent of body weight can cause slower reaction times and loss of concentration, both of which can put someone in great danger. Ensuring that the firefighter or other emergency services worker is well hydrated can mitigate the effects of heat stress and dehydration is easier to prevent than treat.

If the core body temperature continues to rise, it can lead to heat exhaustion (symptoms of which include fatigue, dizziness and nausea) and finally heat stroke (core body temperature in excess of 40°C/104°F), symptoms of which include seizures, unconsciousness and potentially death. A serious side effect throughout this process is mental confusion and irrational behaviour, which can affect the decision-making process of the individual and pose a high risk to the well being and safety not only of that individual, but also of all members of his or her team.

Managing heat stress is as much about protecting physical health as it is about protecting mental health and the decision-making capability of the individual and the team at large.

There are a number of factors, which play a key role in the management and elimination of heat stress. Two of the most important are enhanced personal and operational discipline. The former includes the maintenance and monitoring of fitness and hydration levels, good diet and avoidance of alcohol and caffeine prior to being on duty. The latter concerns crew rotation, rest and recuperation, active cooling and regular employee health checks.

A holistic approach Increasingly, those responsible for the procurement of PPE are looking for a holistic approach from companies such as Hainsworth, which designs its fabrics with a complete understanding of how they interact with the various layers in the system. Serious consideration is given to each layer to offer the best possible performance,

Emergency Services Times December 2012

ESS2012 | 11 which encourages effective moisture movement through the system and, with it, the best possible heat stress management.

In these tough financial times, there is also an acute awareness that by managing heat stress effectively, there is a significant financial saving to be made in terms of loss of productivity caused by ill health and sick leave.

Mark Jones, Chief Fire Officer with Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, says, “The importance of heat stress management is now widely recognised and it is a subject in which we are also more knowledgeable and technically efficient than we have ever been.

“Today’s firefighters are far more educated about the personal and operational issues surrounding heat stress management and, through their growing knowledge of equipment used by other services, about the PPE available on the market.

“We work with our fire crews to help them understand the issues of heat stress and how they can avoid or mitigate the symptoms. For example, we talk a lot about the importance of personal hydration and of opening their tunics, when safe to do so, to enhance breathability and accelerate cooling during recovery periods. Our firefighters may be better protected than ever before with PPE, which is of a far higher specification, but it is important that their awareness and knowledge of the dangers they face remain high.

“In an ideal world, someone would develop PPE with a single directional flow of heat or kit which was totally heat resistant, but this is unlikely to be viable.”

Advances in technology The nature of the job means that emergency services personnel are already operating in a far more stressful environment than virtually every other occupation. By continuing to make advances in heat stress management technology, we cannot only help them continue to perform to the highest possible standards operationally but also save lives. www.hainsworth.co.uk

Visit A W Hainsworth & Sons Ltd at ESS2012 on Stand 116 in Hall 2.

Author: Tom Hainsworth, Managing Director, Hainsworth

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Excelerate Technology launches Enhanced Resilience Satellite Network at Emergency Services Show UK emergency services, partnering with Excelerate Technology, are pioneering some of the world’s most advanced uses of new communications solutions. With the launch of its new Enhanced Resilience Satellite Network service at The Emergency Services Show 2012, Excelerate is doing even more to support UK blue light services with robust and secure rapidly deployable communications.

Oliver Tovey, the GWAS officer responsible for the mobile command vehicle, said, “We used our mobile command unit to plug into and monitor our own Great Western Ambulance Service CAD system, so that we could keep an eye on overall demand on the non-aligned system in the area. Using the access provided by mobile satellite broadband we can keep an eye on local hospital demand in the area, so that when we are at an event that has quite an isolated focus we can make a decision on whether to treat the patients there – on-site – or whether we have the capacity to take them off-site to a hospital.

“Whilst we are at any event we are monitoring our CAD system through broadband, so we have access to and can see all activities and demand on our total resources. Any jobs that the general public would normally call 999 on we are able to intercept locally, using our mobile command unit, and respond to locally with event-specific crews. That takes the workload off our Emergency Operations Centre and keeps total GWAS resources fully operational.”

One of the most remarkable features of the UK emergency management sector in recent years has been its accelerated adoption of data, video, voice and internet communications via satellite and wireless solutions, and the highly imaginative and valuable uses to which these solutions have been put. These new solutions are delivering completely new levels of communications effectiveness to all three blue light services, and are being taken up with great enthusiasm throughout the UK. The reasons are obvious – they deliver huge increases in speed of set-up and massively improved multi-command and multi-agency communications efficiency.

Technological revolution The company driving this technological revolution has been Excelerate Technology, which has achieved clear market and technological leadership delivering some of the world’s most advanced, rapidly deployable communications solutions working in close partnership with UK fire and rescue, Excelerate’s new Enhanced Resilience Satellite Network will give blue light services even greater police and ambulance services. The systems reassurance for avoiding communications disruption during critical incidents. company has put special emphasis on the key issues of communications security and resilience, Technology on Stand 102 at The Emergency Services Show 2012 or visit the company’s website critical when services are under pressure or terrorist (www.excelerate-group.com). attack, and at The Emergency Services Show 2012 it will be launching its latest development, the Enhanced Resilience Satellite Network. This will London Olympics and Queen’s give blue light services unparalleled security through Diamond Jubilee the provision of completely independent backup With over 100 satellite-enabled command vehicles satellites and networks, thereby ensuring that if one deployed around the UK for the London Olympics, network is compromised in any way a backup is the Royal Wedding and the Queen’s Diamond always available.

Jubilee, the last two years have been a particularly busy period for emergency services using Excelerate Excelerate’s satellite systems have been solutions. successfully tested by customers for resilience to The Great Western Ambulance Service (GWAS), ECM. As part of its diverse range of options for Satellite broadband gives Surrey at the T4 on the Beach music festival during the customers, Excelerate is also able to offer new KA Police ANPR ‘massive’ crime summer (which attracted a crowd of about 75,000 satellite services. fighting edge people), deployed its mobile command unit, Excelerate maintains its own dedicated, satellite Mobile satellite broadband from Excelerate supplied by Excelerate Technology, to support networks and in-house management centre, so it is Technology is helping Surrey Police’s Automatic ambulance crews and the mobile field hospital able to guarantee continuous, ‘failover’ service to its Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) team fight stationed at the event. Because the unit was satellite clients at all times. The Enhanced Resilience crime with hugely improved speed and efficiency. broadband-enabled it could be used to plug into the Satellite Network and the DDMI (Digital If a vehicle driven by a known criminal, a murder Computer Aided Despatch (CAD) system at the Dashboard Management Interface) have both suspect, or a car thief, passes by an unmarked service’s main Emergency Operations Centre, the recently been adopted by the national HART ANPR vehicle operated by Surrey Police’s ANPR system used to receive emergency calls from the ambulance programme. team it can, within seconds, scan the number plate, For more information on the Enhanced Resilience public and to deploy ambulance crews and vehicles recognise the number on a hot list, and register an to patients.

Satellite Network and DDMI visit Excelerate alarm on-screen for an operator. Within a few more

“Excelerate Technology will be launching its latest development, the Enhanced Resilience Satellite Network, at The Emergency Services Show.”

Emergency Services Times December 2012

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seconds a police car parked a few hundred yards along the road can be alerted by the ANPR van operator and the vehicle pursued. Shortly afterwards the vehicle of interest can be stopped and the suspect apprehended. The impact, according to Paul Palmer, Head of Surrey Police’s ANPR team, has been ‘massive’.

“On another screen we can have all the fixed sites running, so if we are in a particular area, say in the northern part of the county, we can place the mobile system within the area without the fixed site cameras and still monitor the fixed site cameras and vastly expand our area of operation and deployment opportunities. Also, if something big comes in we can deploy to it straight away,” said Paul.

“When we are out on a dedicated operation we have units that are just waiting for those alarms to ping. In Surrey we have three dedicated teams taking on that kind of work. When the alarm goes off, our cars will be waiting for them. Our operators monitor the system all the time. When these vehicles come into Surrey they highlight them to us and then we go off and intercept them.”

There will be a Surrey Police ANPR presentation at the Excelerate Technology stand at The Emergency Services Show. See the Excelerate website for details.

Mobile satellite broadband has given Surrey Police’s ANPR programme a ‘massive’ crime fighting edge.

To achieve these objectives, the vehicle would of course include the many new advanced communications technologies now available for use in mobile command vehicles and throughout incident grounds, such as mobile satellite broadband and wireless video. But the service was also determined that a very strong effort would be put into determining how these technologies could be best used to deliver clear benefits to firefighters at every level.

Sherpa is Excelerate’s remarkable lamp-post climbing camera and communications system.

West Midlands Fire Service launches new command vehicle When the West Midlands Fire Service, one of the largest urban fire and rescue services in the UK, undertook the process of deciding what communications solutions it required in its new mobile command vehicle, it started with a clean slate and a clear agenda. The vehicle would reflect the real-world needs of fire commanders on the ground, it would be capable of supporting improved multi-agency command cooperation, and it would be future-proof.

With a major urban conurbation such as Birmingham to manage, including high density housing, factories, warehouses, shopping centres and sporting venues, plus Olympic responsibilities in 2012 (football events in Coventry), the service was determined that its investment in mobile command communications would deliver tangible long-term benefits.

“Over 100 satelliteenabled command vehicles have been deployed around the UK for the London Olympics, the Royal Wedding and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.”

Paul Burnham, Group Commander, Emergency Response, and a leading member of the team managing the vehicle’s design and acquisition, said, “Obviously, to resolve an incident successfully good command and control is absolutely imperative, and for effective command and control you need an up-to-date operational picture.

“What we wanted to do was take advantage of advances in the technological world to support incident commanders and give them enhanced capabilities. That’s why we looked at working with Excelerate towards developing a mobile operational platform that could talk across different communications channels and receive imagery, thereby helping incident commanders make better informed decisions.

“West Midlands Fire Service is the second largest fire service outside London and we respond to a

huge number of varying incidents. What we have also got is a very robust debriefing process. If there are certain things that appear during our debriefing process we can then identify ways in which we can improve the way commanders manage an incident or the way that we can support the incident commander with information, to help the commander resolve the incident.”

Excelerate Technology won the tender for the supply, integration and ongoing support of the many communications solutions that needed to be incorporated into the vehicle. Most importantly, given Excelerate’s experience in handling so many different installations in a wide variety of types and sizes of vehicle, the company has a unique understanding of how the various solutions on offer can be effectively integrated into vehicles (and upgrades retrofitted into existing vehicles) to support improved fire fighting practice.

Having such an experienced supplier was hugely helpful to West Midlands Fire Service as the vehicle build progressed. Paul Burnham said, “We had constant dialogue with our suppliers and they were flexible enough to be able to adapt as our user requirements grew, and of course future-proofing the whole system allowed us that freedom.”

Excelerate Technology will be running a series of user presentations at The Emergency Services Show 2012. Olaf Baars, Deputy Chief Fire Officer for Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service, Paul Palmer, Head of Surrey Police’s ANPR team, and Mark Hudson from the Technical and Operational Support Directorate of West Midlands Fire Service, have been confirmed as speakers at press time. To learn more about these and other speakers and to register for presentations please check the Excelerate website or The Emergency Services Show website – www.emergencyuk.com. www.excelerate-group.com Tel: +44 (0)8456 585747 E-mail: enquiries@excelerate.info

Author: Stephen Prendergast

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Emergency Services Times December 2012

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Turning the blue lights green – British ambulance services unite in becoming sustainable Ambulance services across the country have united in slashing their carbon emissions. Through some innovative technologies and adjusting the way in which their organisations operate, many are already reaping the rewards of lower fuel bills. Many are just starting on their carbon reduction journey and others are further along the route of embedding sustainability in their ranks.

The NHS is one of the largest employers in Europe with 1.3 million people employed in the service. It is responsible for five percent of traffic on the road at any one time and is one of the largest direct and indirect producers of CO2 in the UK. The whole of the NHS has been tasked with cutting carbon emissions by 10 percent by 2015 and 80 percent by 2050.

“Britain’s ambulance services are inviting a range of manufacturers and suppliers to work with them to develop the next generation of greener ambulances.”

Many of the ambulance trusts have carried out carbon footprinting in order to understand where their direct carbon emissions come from. In Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, over 60 percent of emissions come from their fleets and the remaining

40 percent coming from the estates. Most of the indirect emissions in Scope 3 assessments come from the procurement of drugs and account for a total of 60 percent of the overall national NHS carbon footprint.

Reducing the carbon footprint means more than just planting trees at ambulance stations across the country (although we are already doing that through the NHS Forest scheme!) and the logistics of reducing carbon emissions isn’t as simple as getting staff to drive more slowly (not really a possibility in front line responding) and turn lights off.

Reducing the carbon footprint Across the ambulance estate, efficient lighting upgrades, motion sensors and PIR lighting have been installed. In ambulance stations across the country there has also been the implementation of cavity wall and loft insulation, garage heating controls, air conditioning and boiler upgrades, pipework insulation and air condition control upgrades. South West Ambulance Service is implementing a warm air extraction and, using free cooling technology in the IT server room, increasing the ambient temperature. North West Ambulance Service and Yorkshire Ambulance Service have been installing voltage and boiler optimisation devices at some of their sites. South Central Ambulance Service has installed some solar thermal panels and some solar PV panels on some of its stations.

Aerodynamic ambulances From a fleet perspective, the ambulance services are working hard to reduce the main bulk of carbon emissions, if not eliminate them, through a variety of innovative developments.

Yorkshire Ambulance Service has been working with Leeds University to look at the potential savings available through aerodynamic ambulances.

Initial studies have identified that by changing from box body ambulances to vans a potential saving of 20 percent could be made (purely on aerodynamics) with a further potential of 9.5 percent on drag by incorporating an aerodynamic blue light bar into ambulance designs. This could equate to a saving of 12 percent in fuel efficiency.

Scottish Ambulance Service has recently welcomed a pure electric ambulance into its PTS (Patient Transport Service) fleet, the first in the country. East of England Ambulance Service and South Central Ambulance Service have trialled the Vauxhall Ampera as a workable answer for marked managers’ cars or part of their PTS fleets. Yorkshire Ambulance Service has recently finished a 10month trial of a pure electric Nissan Leaf as an integrated part of its PTS fleet.

South Central Ambulance Service has been running a trial of solar panels on a roof of one of its rapid response vehicles (RRVs) to see if the service can trickle charge the vehicle’s auxiliary batteries to reduce the need for the engine to be run while on standby and waiting for emergency calls. This trial has been very successful and is now being rolled out. Yorkshire Ambulance Service has been tackling this same problem by trialling a methanol fuel cell and is currently looking to see how it can trial this with a hydrogen fuel cell. Trials have also been run on blue light speed limiters that limit speed unless the blue lights and sirens are turned on for an emergency response.

Nationally, green tyres and winter tyres have been trialled to identify the green credentials of the rolling resistance. Eco driving programmes have been introduced into ambulance driver training programmes in many of the ambulance services with patient transport service drivers being trained across the country on the skills of driving more economically, safely and saving between five and 10 percent on ambulance trust fuel bills.

Emergency Services Times December 2012

40 | VEHICLES

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Cycle response teams across the country play an important part in the response times of the ambulance service, with cyclists being capable of responding within the eight minute response time in city centres. The human-powered response works to reduce the emissions in polluted city centres and continues to achieve the high response times in congested areas.

National network The Green Environmental Ambulance Network (GrEAN) is the national network of ambulance trusts who are working to become more sustainable through carbon reduction programmes.

GrEAN was set up in May 2011 as it was identified that the British ambulance services are very different to the rest of the NHS. Being predominantly fleet based organisations, the ambulance services face many different challenges in relation to carbon reduction and GrEAN is endeavouring to reduce the carbon footprint nationally.

The group has worked to unite the ambulance trusts in sharing information on national trials, ensuring that vital information is passed across the country as to the value of different technologies.

The GrEAN group has put together a ‘Green passport’, a guide for all ambulance service personnel to find out what they can do to reduce their carbon footprint at work and at home and provide a resource for carbon management education. The group has also carried out a national carbon footprinting assessment to identify differences in the carbon emissions of each service.

The East of England Ambulance Key Carbon Reduction Project is linked to its long-term Integrated Service Model strategy and Advance Clinical Triage. This new model of care aims to improve service quality by offering a more appropriate response to patients. This could mean providing an alternative to an emergency ambulance response such as telephone advice (hear and treat), care from a specialist falls car service, or being directed to a different service based closer to home.

Alternative fuels The ambulance services across the country use 150,000 litres of diesel on a daily basis. The national ambulance fuel bill has increased by £26m annually year on year for the past few years. These facts show that it is unsustainable and with the classification of diesel as a carcinogenic substance (ref BMA), alternative sources of fuel have to be found that are less polluting.

Building greener ambulances for the future Britain’s ambulance services are inviting a range of manufacturers and suppliers to work with them to develop the next generation of greener ambulances.

GrEAN is now working with fleet managers, vehicle manufacturers and the suppliers of a wide range of equipment and new technologies to design and build ambulance service vehicles that are ultraefficient and emit ‘low-to-no’ emissions.

The aim is to establish a number of consortiums who will design and build operational vehicles,

which will provide value for money, minimise emissions and the environmental impact, maximise fuel efficiency and ensure a high quality service.

Manufacturers and suppliers are invited to join representatives from the UK’s ambulance services at an event to learn more about the project. The event is being held in February 2013 and will look at vehicle requirements and how different parties might work together as part of a consortium to develop new vehicles.

Successful vehicles will be trialled across British ambulance fleets to test the new technologies and have the potential to be fully integrated into fleets.

Email carbon.management@yas.nhs.uk for further information. www.yas.nhs.uk

Author: Alexis Keech, Environmental and Sustainability Manager, Yorkshire Ambulance Service.

New conspicuity material From Rennicks UK stands out and stands the test of time Rennicks UK has utilised the latest technology to develop a new conspicuity material, offering highgrade visibility for the long term. The new system comprises reformulated Nikkalite® Flexible Crystal Grade microsprismatic sheeting, used in conjunction with AdvantEdge edgesealing technology.

The Nikkalite® Flexible Crystal Grade Microprismatic sheeting is more flexible and now has an enhanced top layer pigment, offering long lasting performance against the elements, while AdvantEdge produces an industry leading,

impenetrable, highly accurate edge-seal, which prevents water ingress and dirt damage to the material. The end result is a tough, durable system, which provides outstanding visibility and is designed to cope with the longer service times many emergency services’ vehicles now face.

years and fire vehicles up to 15 years, so it is important that the livery remains bright and vibrant during these time frames.

“The AdvantEdge seal is key to the system’s longevity, as it ensures no water or dirt ingress into the material and the edges remain in good condition, helping to prevent peeling or fading.

“Representing the ultimate package for the conspicuity market, the end result is a tough, long lasting and highly durable material that is flexible enough for the contours of vehicle bodywork – and offers outstanding visibility in all conditions.” www.rennicksmts.com

Bright and vibrant Iain Borthwick, Managing Director of Rennicks UK, said, “The material offers a market-leading solution, with a tough, bright pigment and unique conformability characteristics geared up to meet the needs of the emergency services.

“Budgetary restrictions are impacting on the length of time these vehicles stay in service, with ambulances often in operation for five to seven

Emergency Services Times December 2012

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COMPANY PROFILE | 55

Three world-leading manufacturers from one supplier: North Fire PLC The Emergency Services Show 2012 will be the first UK trade event in which all three elite manufacturers – Rosenbauer, Metz and Argus – will exhibit from one stand, North Fire PLC. Since taking control of UK sales for Argus in August of this year, and with the launch of the new, in-demand Argus Mi-TIC personal thermal imaging camera at the show in November, it has become evidently clear why North Fire is seen as an innovator and supplier of only quality products.

“We’re in a privileged position to have such a powerful portfolio of products,” said Oliver North, Managing Director of North Fire. “We are suppliers of aerial appliances, fire fighting equipment and thermal imaging cameras, and what better place to be when we can offer almost unrivalled quality in each of those three areas. In Metz we have the most established aerial appliance manufacturer worldwide, who are the UK market leader in the supply of turntable ladders. In Rosenbauer, we have the biggest supplier of fire fighting equipment worldwide and a UK market leader in the supply of fire helmets, and in Argus we have the UK market leader in the field of thermal imaging, with around 80 percent of the market, and with a new, robust, innovative product in the Argus Mi-TIC… Life is good at North Fire right now!”

Aerial Ladder Platform or Turntable Ladder?

At The Emergency Services Show 2012 (ESS2012) North Fire is proud to present a range of aerial appliances from Metz – the superb L32 articulated Turntable Ladder (TL) and the refined B32 Aerial Ladder Platform (ALP).

“What we are seeing again in the UK is whether brigades should opt for a turntable ladder or an ALP,” said Oliver North. “With both Metz variants we know we can perform over and above any other manufacturer’s versions. At ESS2012 it will be good to show that ‘the proof is in the pudding’ and exhibitors will be able to see directly the differences in aerial performance, body work, styling and, equally as important, the people behind it. Or if brigades are in two minds between the actual concept of Ladder vs Platform, they can see firsthand, the strengths and weaknesses of both.”

TWISTER boot is also expected to become the ‘standard’ fire boot, offering wearers previously unknown comfort and protection seen in firefighter footware. The boots will be available to try on throughout this year’s show, on the North Fire stand.

The Nautilus submersible pump in action.

HEROS-xtreme fire helmet North Fire was established in 2008 and looked to the excellent Rosenbauer HEROS-xtreme fire helmet as an example of why Rosenbauer’s reputation remains so strong worldwide. “Oliver [North] and I decided that the fire helmet could show each and every brigade just how good our products are and exactly how efficient after sales and service is here in the UK,” said Hans Detzlhofer, Rosenbauer Vice President. “We are now a clear market leader in the UK with fire helmets and now with the launch of the new TWISTER fire boot and Nautilus submersible pump, the fire services throughout the UK already know that we are as efficient as a supplier can be and very much ‘hands on’ once we have supplied products into a service.”

On the back of the success of the HEROS-xtreme with fire and rescue services, ambulance and police services have now decided to opt for Rosenbauer helmets, be it the xtreme or HEROS-smart as their first choice. Hans Detzlhofer continued, “If the fire services throughout the UK have deemed the Rosenbauer helmet to be the best, then when the ambulance or police services want an EN443: 2008 (standard for fire helmets) certified helmet, then they are in the best hands with the North Fire supplied Rosenbauer helmet range.”

The new TWISTER boot launch The new award winning Rosenbauer TWISTER boot will be launched at The Emergency Services Show 2012. After the success of the Rosenbauer helmets in the UK, the

The Argus Mi-TIC launch The Argus Mi-TIC will take the role of ‘Headline Act’ at ESS2012.

“The demand for our new Mi-TIC personal camera has been so immense that we had no choice but to place it as pride of place in the exhibition’s ‘shop window’ so people are aware of the official launch,” said Angus Drummond, Argus Vice President. “With such a major step in thermal imaging camera innovation, and with some people making the trip to the show specifically for the new TIC, we felt it was important to go the extra mile and showcase it properly. And now with our new UK partner, North Fire and their ever expanding reputation, we feel the new TIC is in prime position to step up as ‘the new standard’ for thermal imaging in the UK.”

The Argus Mi-TIC will launch at ESS2012.

North Fire and all associated products will be on show at The Emergency Service Show 2012, in the registration area and Hall 2. Live aerial appliance demonstrations will take place outside throughout both days of the show, which runs from 21-22 November at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire. www.north-fire.com

Emergency Services Times December 2012

HAZMAT | 59

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Working with partners is key to delivering effective incident resolution In 2012 the field of hazardous materials management within an emergency responder environment is increasingly complex, as processes and technology develop to add ever more substances and associated hazards to the list of what the emergency responder community has to prepare and plan for and, ultimately, respond to.

Fortunately, these developments are matched by industry in ensuring, that as far as is practicable, the manufacture, storage and transportation of the substances takes place as safely as possible. All members of the responding community are always eager to gather intelligence about the nature of the risks for which they should prepare. In planning for such a response the development of key scientific skills and knowledge becomes an ever-increasing part of ‘the day job’. Emergency responders are now able to equip themselves with supporting technology, the likes of which have either been previously unaffordable or not suitable for deployment into the live incident environment.

The breadth of topics covered in this HAZMAT feature reflects some of the key contemporary issues that we face. As all responders meet the challenge of managing in austere times, the need to innovate and the ability to do more with less is key to delivering an effective response that is continually improving in line with the expectation of the communities which we serve.

“Partners and colleagues in industry and other public sector organisations add capability and expertise to the response arrangements.”

Improved capability Fire and rescue services (FRSs) in particular, as the recognised lead UK responder to HAZMAT incidents, have developed a massively improved capability in response to the need to deliver the New Dimension programme. As part of what is now termed National Resilience, the huge uplift in knowledge and skills of fire and rescue service officers has afforded huge improvements based around the development of the CBRN(E) capability; the spin-off being a step change in the response to those incidents that happen across the UK on a day-to-day basis. Incidents in well regulated premises, back street yards, dark and remote roadsides and a wealth of other places receive a response based upon sound underpinning knowledge, good training and access to excellent equipment.

Working with partners is key to delivering effective incident resolution and the combination of FRS teams with HART responders and police

specialist support makes for an excellent combination. We all recognise though that the responder community is far wider than this, and is continually evolving. Partners and colleagues in industry and other public sector organisations add capability and expertise to the response arrangements.

Technology and innovation The technology and innovation on display at The Emergency Services Show 2012 will support those that lead the future development and delivery of the HAZMAT capability. The fact that the Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Programme (JESIP) is also being formally launched at the show demonstrates the key vision required to continually provide excellence in service delivery.

As the Chief Fire Officers’ Association (CFOA) lead for Hazardous Materials I am particularly pleased to be able to welcome the launch of the revised Fire and Rescue Service guidance for Incidents Involving Hazardous Materials to coincide with the show.

Opportunities for experts to meet, develop and discuss matters of mutual interest are very valuable and in a time-precious world, occasions such as

The Emergency Services Show provide the ideal basis for such interactions.

Dave Walton Lead for Hazardous Materials Chief Fire Officers’ Association www.wmfs.net

Emergency Services Times December 2012

80 | CONTRACTS & PEOPLE

In brief . . .

Sheffield-based Borri has supplied a transformer-based uninterruptible power supply (UPS) solution to deliver maximum protection and support the Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust’s emergency call centre in Wakefield. The company supplied two B9000 100kVA units, which will keep the emergency contact number and IT systems available to the public, and removes any single point of failure.

The IT servers are equipped with dual power supplies so one UPS can be isolated for maintenance or have its supply fail completely, with the other continuing to safely support the load.

All legacy equipment is fed via static switches, which ensure the emergency call centre will continue to operate by getting power from at least one of the critical UPS feeds. www.borri.co.uk

Chief Constable Alex Marshall of Hampshire Constabulary has been picked to lead the new College of Policing. Mr Marshall, who has more than 30 years policing experience and led on the creation of the National Police Air Service, was chosen from a strong field of candidates to be the college’s first Chief Executive Officer.

The College of Policing will become operational in December. It will protect the public interest by enhancing police standards, identifying evidence of what works in policing and sharing best practice among officers. It will provide a range of functions from supporting the education and professional development of staff and officers to setting standards for specialist skills training such as investigation, intelligence and firearms. www.npia.police.uk

London Ambulance Service has appointed Ann Radmore as the organisation’s new Chief Executive.

Ann, who is currently the Chief Executive of NHS South West London, started her NHS career as a national management trainee. She was appointed Sector Chief Executive for South West London in 2009 and was previously Chief Executive of NHS Wandsworth. Ann said, “I very much look forward to working with the London Ambulance Service to play my part in taking these essential services for Londoners from strength to strength and developing them as part of the integrated care services of the future. I have lived in London all my life and worked in the NHS since 1983 and feel privileged to have the opportunity to work for this crucial, lifesaving service.” Ann will take up the role around the end of the year. www.londonambulance.nhs.uk

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Simulation systems for CBRN training centre The Defence Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Centre (DCBRNC) at Winterbourne Gunner has taken delivery of CBRN training simulation systems from Argon Electronics. The new systems include both instrumentation and simulation software.

CBRN Programme Team Leader Phil Strudley says, “The acquisition of this latest equipment is an important step for the CBRN training centre, providing our trainers with a range of sophisticated tools that allow us to simulate a wide range of threat scenarios.”

The CBRN team worked closely with Argon to ensure that the contract was fulfilled on time and within budget. “The equipment was specified, ordered and delivered within 16 weeks,” adds Phil Strudley. “This shows what can be achieved with a good working relationship between our DE&S team and a specialised UK manufacturer.”

The Argon equipment includes the

role profile of any Chief Fire Officer in the country and his responsibilities include fire, community safety, emergency management, road safety, licensing, environmental health, trading standards and animal welfare.

Councillor Lance Kennedy, Cornwall Council portfolio holder for Community Safety and Public Protection, said, “This recognition for Des is well deserved and a reflection on his qualities as a great leader and ambassador for Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service.”

Three fire and rescue services in the South West of England have joined forces with Virgin Media Business to speed up emergency response times and make it easier to share resources.

Over the next few months, Dorset, Wiltshire, and Devon and Somerset fire and rescue services (FRSs) will rollout a new Public Services Network (PSN) compliant Wide Area Network (WAN) giving 4860 staff and 188 fire stations access to quick data transfer and digital telephone services.

The new PSN linked with the Hampshire HPSN2 network will pave the way for a networked fire control system linking the four control centres for Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon and Somerset and Hampshire FRSs. Each one deals with calls from hundreds of citizens each week. Linking them will offer greater resilience during a major incident or in disaster recovery situations. Once the new system goes live, if a control room is flooded with calls, they will be automatically redirected to another one in a matter of seconds, ensuring every call is dealt with quickly.

The shared network will also provide the foundations for the partners sharing the WAN to take full advantage of PSN services. FRSs using the WAN will be able to collaborate in other operational areas using secure cloud computing applications over the PSN. Les Louth, Director ICT, Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, said, “With budgets being squeezed the South West Fire Services had to look for ways to improve the aging technology infrastructure, without breaking the bank.

The new network from Virgin Media Business will contribute to and support the opportunity to develop collaboration within the fire services. We’re supporting PSN services in areas such as common systems and applications, common standards operating procedures and data management. This is reducing the risk to the community and ensures the safety of our firefighters.”

Lee Hull, Director of Public Sector, Virgin Media Business, said, “We’ve invested heavily in PSN services because we’ve seen the clear benefits it brings to the public sector, improving the way they work and helping to cut costs too.

We’re delighted to be working with South West Fire Services to help support their collaboration and innovative new fire control systems.”

www.cornwall.gov.uk

www.virginmediabusiness.co.uk

company’s latest CAMSIM and LCAD hand held instruments, the MCAD simulator and the advanced PlumeSIM wide area CBRN field exercise and desktop training system. This enables instructors to manage multiple remote simulator instruments under a fully configurable virtual plume, in real time, over user-selected mapping. www.argonelectronics.com

Outstanding Leadership award for Cornwall fire chief Des Tidbury, Cornwall’s Chief Fire Officer (CFO) has been named Outstanding Leader of the Year at a national ceremony celebrating the country’s best managers. He was presented with the accolade at the Chartered Management Institute’s (CMI) Management and Leadership Awards in recognition of his work with Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS).

Mr Tidbury took over at the helm of CFRS shortly after the service was designated as ‘Failing’ by the Audit Commission and placed under Government intervention. With a new management structure in place, a commitment to developing an open and transparent culture and improved partnership working, he led the service out of Government measures just 18 months later.

Since then CFRS has gone from strength to strength, being named as ‘Achieving’ under the Fire and Rescue Services Equality Framework and gaining praise for health and safety management by achieving the coveted BSI 18001.

As Chief Fire Officer for CFRS and Director of Community Safety and Protection for Cornwall Council, Des Tidbury has perhaps the widest

Shared network will improve resilience in the South West

Des Tidbury, Chief Fire Officer of Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service.

Emergency Services Times December 2012

TRAINING | 93

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US Masterclass assists USAR development Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) is one of the capabilities developed as part of the Government’s New Dimension programme and enables fire and rescue authorities (FRAs) to comply with Article 3 of The Fire and Rescue Services (Emergencies) (England and Wales) Order 2007, which requires them to make provision for rescuing people in the event of an emergency involving the collapse of a building or other structure and from serious transport incidents.

The USAR capability is managed, maintained and developed via the USAR National Working Group chaired by the CFOA lead officer and Chief Fire Officer of Merseyside Dan Stephens. CFOA National Resilience, which evolved from New Dimension, has a number of officers that manage and implement business plans relating to the New Dimension capabilities that assist the working groups in the maintenance and development of the capabilities. As part of the USAR capability’s annual business plan, a work stream has been included to continue to develop competence and resilience across the 21 teams located throughout England and Wales. This has included the introduction of the Subject Matter Advisor (SMA) role. The purpose of the role is to provide specific guidance to the fire and rescue service in relation to the national deployment of National Resilience assets and the related support mechanisms that are detailed in the National Coordination and Advisory Framework (NCAF) document.

“The course helped broaden perspectives and increase the understanding of different systems and processes.”

Masterclass in the US The provision of SMAs has necessitated the delivery of initial input regarding the role, provided centrally at the Fire Service College in Moreton-in Marsh. In addition a series of regionally hosted Continuous Professional Development (CPD) events have been arranged throughout October. An outstanding opportunity also presented itself in the form of a Masterclass in the US, which took place from 8-13 October.

Building on an existing relationship with the Charlotte Fire Department and the North Carolina Emergency Management Service, borne out of work over the last six years by the CFOA Water Rescue Group during tactical and strategic level water rescue classes; enabled the development of a programme specifically designed for USAR

technicians and SMAs. Consequently, a UK delegation was able to attend a programme of training in North Carolina. The delegates included Jon Hall, CFOA National resilience lead and Chief Fire Officer of Gloucestershire FRS, along with USAR technicians from Merseyside, West Midlands, Buckinghamshire FRSs and London Fire Brigade; as well as SMAs and strategic managers representing the majority of the USAR asset hosting FRSs across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Oklahoma Fire Department and the North Carolina Emergency Management Service.

These officers were open and honest concerning the critical decisions that they had to make at major incidents. This created a forum that enabled mistakes and learning outcomes to be discussed, from USAR teams deploying to the terrorist attacks in New York on 9/11, the Oklahoma City bombings and Hurricane Katrina. UK international deployments to Turkey, Haiti and Japan were a similar source of discussion that provided an ideal opportunity to draw comparisons between UK and American approaches towards incidents requiring USAR involvement.

Live exercise scenarios The training consisted of classroom-based sessions, which delivered input on areas such as: operational logistics; GPS and mapping; National Incident Management System (NIMS); trauma and casualty care; disaster management and planning; and USAR command management and leadership.

In addition, course delegates were required to deploy to a simulated devastated area, where they had to erect and manage a Base of Operations (BoO) as part of a three-day field exercise, which incorporated a number of workstations and live exercise scenarios, including equipment familiarisation. North Carolina USAR Task Force 3 provided USAR assets, with course input being delivered by highly knowledgeable and experienced officers from the Charlotte USAR Task Force, Fire Department of New York (FDNY), the FEMAregistered USAR Task Force 2 in Florida, the

Strengthen relationships The course helped broaden perspectives and increase the understanding of different systems and processes. It also helped strengthen existing relationships that can be further developed and lead to future learning opportunities for the SMA cadre. The national USAR capability team will now compile a summative report based on its evaluation of the course; in addition to the inclusion of feedback from the course delegates. The report will subsequently be made available via the USAR National Working Group forum and look to refine and tailor future training for SMAs. www.cfoa.org.uk

Authors: Trevor Tague, FRS National Resilience Assurance Team USAR Capability Lead Officer, and Kevin Longshaw, FRS National Resilience Assurance Team Technical Leads Manager.

Emergency Services Times December 2012

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Emergency Services Times December 2012

ROAD SAFETY | 99

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The Highways Agency’s CLEAR Initiative looks to tackle road congestion The first Incident Management Summit, chaired by the Minister for Roads, was held in May 2011 to review the investigation and closure procedures for motorway incidents. Representatives from the Highways Agency, Home Office and the police, fire and rescue and ambulance services all attended and committed to a new action plan that will tackle congestion and the £1billion cost to the economy, caused by motorway closures.

The Incident Management Summit identified what improvements might be made to ensure that everything possible is being done to achieve the shortest timeline possible to manage incidents.

The action plan will work to ensure that closures take place only when absolutely necessary and that, when they do, lanes are reopened as soon as possible. This will help to keep traffic moving, supporting economic growth for the future prosperity of the country.

Police, fire and ambulance services, along with other bodies involved in keeping traffic moving have signed up to the CLEAR Roles and Responsibilities booklet drawn up by the Highways Agency to help tackle congestion caused by lane closures.

“A new action plan will tackle congestion and the £1billion cost to the economy, caused by motorway closures.”

The CLEAR initiative aims to improve the way incidents are managed through analysis and review so as to identify the potential for improvements: Collision – collisions and other incidents can close carriageway lanes, adversely impacting on road users and the economy Lead – effective leadership needs to be established to coordinate the incident response Evaluate – understanding the scale of the incident ensures a proportionate response Act – all incident responders act in partnership, recognising and respecting differing organisational priorities Re-open – carriageway lanes are reopened as soon as possible to reduce the impact of incident closures on road users and the economy.

The booklet was launched at a summit of M25 emergency responders held at the Highways Agency’s headquarters in London in July 2012 and helped responders keep traffic moving during the London 2012 Games.

3D laser scanners Since the start of the CLEAR initiative, in early 2011, the Department for Transport has already provided funding for 38 3D laser scanners to 27 different police forces to aid them in capturing incident details more quickly and to significantly shorten motorway closure times. Trials suggest that the scanners reduce clear up times by 39 minutes on average.

The initiative has also led to research by the Highways Agency into how to best equip traffic officers to remove vehicles that are blocking lanes, including the use of load cells, vehicle skates and diesel spill kits.

Working collaboratively the Highways Agency has developed a data sharing Memorandum of Understanding with the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA), which will help to prevent future incidents on the Highways Agency network. Data is also being shared with the police,

fire and rescue and ambulance services. The Highways Agency has also been involved in two key groups for identifying and sharing best practice and lessons learned relating to information provision and incident and traffic management.

These are the Five Nations (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland) and CEDR (Conference of European Directors of Roads).

The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) is currently in the process of updating the Road Death Investigation Manual, which was last reviewed in 2007, and the Highways Agency attended a number of workshops earlier this year chaired by Assistant Chief Constable Sean White, ACPO lead for the investigation of fatal and life changing road collisions across England and Wales. www.highways.gov.uk

The guidelines set out the roles of the different organisations involved in traffic incident management. They explain the different priorities of each organisation and how they will work together with the joint aim of managing incidents more effectively and reducing their duration.

Emergency Services Times December 2012

110 | PRODUCT INFORMATION

Stove and charger

Work area lighting

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Safety socks

water/warmer climate diving conditions where heat exhaustion can be a major problem. The suit heralds the introduction of a new technology based around lightweight and robust TPU (thermoplastic) materials, which offer lighter weight suits, which will complement Viking’s existing rubber suit range. The Viking HAZTECH can be specified with a whole range of components ranging from latex neck seals with fitted latex, or rubber hoods, rubber helmet yokes, rubber cuff rings with latex cuffs, and with neoprene lined boots or safety boots. http://protective.ansell.com

An entirely new kind of stove from leading outdoor hardware distributor Whitby & Co can be used to cook or boil water while at the same time converting heat to electricity. Utilising the latest in thermoelectric technology, this innovative and high quality stove burns twigs or wood pellets to cook or boil water while converting heat to electricity to recharge smartphones, GPS units, MP3 players and digital cameras – all while cooking dinner or boiling water for a brew. The BioLite’s folding legs and removable thermoelectric generator, which slots inside the stove, means it packs down to 8x5in and is easily carried on longer hikes as well as less demanding camping adventures. Whether it’s to check the forecast or maintain communications, the BioLite solves more than one problem for lone workers, no matter how remote the location.

Available from March 2013, the BioLite has an SRP of £149.95.

Weighing only 3.81kg, the new Peli 9420 LED work light is compact and lightweight. The mast extends above 1.5m, allowing a wide area of illumination and the unit folds down quickly to a handy 74cm long. There are two versions of the 9420, standard and XL; the latter includes a blow-moulded case, shoulder strap and two battery packs so one can be on charge while the other is in situ with the system in use. The portability of the 9420 makes it ideal for lighting an emergency scene, particularly in remote or difficult to access areas. www.peliproducts.co.uk

Heat scanning device

www.whitbyandco.co.uk

RUD Chains Ltd, a leading supplier of chain systems and components, has recently added its latest innovation, the I-Sock, to its range of chains and applications for safety on snow and ice. The I-Sock is a revolutionary boot chain that offers exceptional footing and traction on slippery and icy surfaces. The chains are made from RUD’s robust stainless steel with profiled chain links that offers excellent grip and traction on compact snow, slippery and icy surfaces. Due to the I-Sock’s large surface area on the boot it ensures that your foot gets more traction, resulting in a higher level of footing for the user on snow and icy surfaces. The chain is quick and easy to use – it simply straps on to your boot and can be removed and fitted very quickly, offering that desired safety factor in no time at all. The versatile I-Sock fit easily to your shoe/boots and can be used across a wide spectrum of customs. It comes in great high quality, multi-functional packaging, which you can easily store in your bag or pockets for swift use when needed. www.rud.co.uk

Luminescent hosereel

Warmer water dry suit

The fully luminescent hosereel from Premier Hose Technologies gives a full luminescent glow from any light source and comes with a black rubber chevron strip. The hose is manufactured to BS3169 and is fitted with the original Premier stainless steel swaging system and Premier swivel and lock couplings. All assemblies are 100 percent tested, uniquely identified for full traceability and certified.

Vimpex, the specialist supplier of PPE, technical rescue products and telescopic masts, has launched the HotSpotter™ heat scanning device.

The HotSpotter™, developed by Product Innovation Ltd, is a simple hand tool for firefighters and others involved in fire prevention and post fire investigation. It detects and locates small areas that are hotter than the surroundings – both in a building and outside. It senses the infrared radiation being emitted by a local hotspot. By scanning a wide area it allows the user to quickly detect and locate a region for further investigation. The HotSpotter™ is robust, waterproof and is easy and intuitive to use.

www.hosetechnologies.com

www.rescue-tools.co.uk

Ansell Protective Solutions, formerly Trelleborg Protective Products, manufacturer of the Viking range of dry suits, introduces the new Viking HAZTECH suit, which is particularly suited for use in warmer

Emergency Services Times December 2012

Gas tester

The new T3 Gas Tester ensures Crowcon’s Tetra:3 (T3) portable, multi-gas detector complies with relevant national/regional safety regulations and individual company requirements. The device feeds the T3’s sensors a known concentration of gas, a process known as ‘bumping’, to ensure the sensors are working correctly. The way it works is simple: when a T3 is inserted into the Gas Tester, the T3 automatically switches into ‘bump’ mode and either passes or fails. Once the test is complete the T3 is removed and the bump result is then accepted by the user and automatically logged in the T3. When the test has passed, the user is safe in the knowledge their detector is in good working order while, if it fails the bump, it informs the user that their instrument needs to be re-calibrated or serviced. All this is done without requiring a power supply, as the T3 detector does all the work.

The Gas Tester can bump for flammable, oxygen, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide sensors. Capable of testing up to four gases within just 60 seconds, it is a fast and simple way of ensuring all T3 detectors in a fleet are working correctly. In addition, the device also tests that a T3’s visual and audible alarms are working correctly. www.crowcon.com