EST Dec 2013

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December 2013

www.emergencyservicestimes.com

Volume 14 | 6

Lighting instruments for Professionals

www.ledlenser.co.uk ledlenseruk

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ESTCONTENTS | 1

33

12

IN EVERY ISSUE Comment News Events Kit Evolution Profile Company Profile Products Last Words

40

3 6 22 40 34 40 61 64

IN THIS ISSUE ESS2013 REVIEW

12

The Emergency Services Show 2013 (ESS2013) took place in late September and took its move to the NEC in Birmingham in its stride.

CBRN(E) 6

25

What have we learnt from the Argon Programme and how can we use the methodology from this three-year Home Office programme to inform future CBRN(E) planning guidance? CFOA National Resilience outlines why the national response to CBRN(E) incidents needs a multilayered approach and we take a look at how HART teams improve patient outcomes in the Hot Zone, specifically in a CBRN(E) situation.

Water Rescue

45

Throw-line challenge reveals surprising results, the work of SARbot, the under water search, rescue and recovery charity, plus Chris Onion, from R3 Safety and Rescue, highlights the importance of ‘real world’ training for water rescue.

25

49 Lighting Solutions

55

A round-up of the latest lighting solutions available to first responders.

36

PLUS Operations

23

New National Operational Guidance for the fire and rescue service

Vehicles

32

London Fire Brigade launches a procurement exercise to pilot telematics and equipment tagging solutions on frontline appliances

National Resilience 39 56

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Jon Hall, CFOA National Resilience lead, outlines how the emergency services coped with the effects of a coastal tidal surge on the East Coast of the UK in early December.

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2 | ESTA-Z

Companies Company Name

Page No

Company Name

Page No

Company Name

Page No

Company Name

Page No

AA SORT..................................................................50

Control Room Consortium .................................10

Merseyside Police.....................................................36

Airwave......................................................................36

East Midlands Ambulance Service.........................36

Metropolitan Police Service..............................10, 39

Ambulance Services Benevolent Fund............36, 62

East of England Ambulance Service ......................10

Mountain Rescue (England & Wales)......................3

Amputees in Action ...................................................6

eKonomical...............................................................59

Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland...............3

Amvale Medical Transport Limited.........................8

Emergency Planning College..........................6, 8, 35

National Audit Office ..............................................39

Serco Limited .......................................................8, 35

Ansell.........................................................................56

The Emergency Services Show...............................12

National Police Air Service.......................................6

Skoda UK..................................................................40

Arbil 4x4....................................................................62

Environment Agency.................................................6

Network Rail...............................................................8

Arran Resilience.......................................................10

Fenix Torches ...........................................................56

Nightsearcher Ltd....................................................59

Association of Air Ambulances ..............................22

Ferno (UK) Limited................................................62

Norfolk Police...........................................................51

SP Services................................................................62

Association of Chief Police Officers.......................36

Fire Service College ...........................................36, 48

North Fire Plc...........................................................12

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service ...................36

Association of Lowland Search and Rescue............3

Fischer Panda ...........................................................18

North Wales Mountain Rescue Team.......................6

Balcan Engineering..................................................15

FlamePro...................................................................18

North Wales Police...................................................36

Ballyclare Limited ...................................................16

Getac UK...................................................................62

North West Ambulance Service................................6

BBB Investments Ltd..............................................61

Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service.........12, 36

Becrypt ......................................................................62

Health and Safety Executive...................................23

Northern Ireland Mountain, Cave, Cliff, Rescue Coordinating Committee................3

Bluecher UK Ltd .....................................................29

HM Coastguard ..............................................3, 47, 51

Bristol Uniforms ......................................................32

Home Office..................................................25, 39, 41

British Cave Rescue Council.....................................3

International Fire Training Centre ..........................8

British Transport Police.............................................8 CBRNExcellence Ltd ..............................................31

SARbot UK...............................................................47 Scott Safety................................................................15 Seatronics..................................................................47

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue .............................8

Jaguar Land Rover ...................................................52

CFM Services............................................................59

Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Programme .....................6, 29, 51

CFOA National Resilience................................26, 48

Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism .....25, 31 PageOne.......................................................................8 ParAid Medical...........................................................8

Supacat ......................................................................15 Supply+ Limited .....................................................64 Surrey Police.........................................................8, 36 TenCate Protective Fabrics .....................................18 TETRATAB................................................................8 Thomas Jacks Ltd ....................................................61

PBI Performance Products Inc...............................36 Peli Products.............................................................56

Training 4 Resilience ...............................................34

PETZL ......................................................................55

UK Power Networks................................................53

Kendal Mountain Rescue Team................................6

Physio-Control .........................................................12

Ultra Electronics ......................................................35

Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service ..........................36

Kent Fire and Rescue Service.................................10

Police National CBRN Centre ................................25

Chief Fire Officers' Association....................6, 23, 36

Lake District Search and Mountain Rescue Association...............................6

R3 Safety and Rescue...............................................50

Viewbrite Europe......................................................16

City and Fire Brigade of Ghent ..............................38 LED Lenser – Ledco Limited................................55 CPDme ......................................................................12 Leeds City Council...................................................12 Cumbria Constabulary.........................................6, 36 Life Connections 2014.............................................22 Defence, Science and Technology Laboratory......26 Local Government Association ..............................23 DEFRA................................................................36, 48 London Ambulance Service......................................6

Radio Amateurs' Emergency Network.....................6

Warwickshire Police...................................................8

Reach and Rescue.....................................................47

Welsh Government ..................................................36

Rigiflex Boats UK ....................................................49

West Mercia Police.....................................................8

Royal Life Saving Society UK................................45 Royal National Lifeboat Institution ..................3, 47

West Midlands Ambulance Service............10, 28, 51 West Midlands Fire Service ....................................10

Department for Communities and Local Government .........................................23, 26

London Fire Brigade ...............................6, 10, 23, 38

Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents ......................................................8, 36

Department of Health..............................................26

Maritime and Coastguard Agency............................3

RUD Chains Ltd......................................................16

East Coast & Hertfordshire

Mercedes-Benz .........................................................40

Ruth Lee Limited ....................................................49

Zodiac Milpro...........................................................50

Company Name

Company Name

Company Name

Worldline Luggage...................................................62

Advertisers Company Name

Page No

Page No

Page No

Page No

ACPO.......................................................................30

CFM Services ..........................................................53

Link 51.....................................................................17

RUD Chains Ltd.....................................................49

Aireshelta.................................................................24

EP Barrus.................................................................44

Lyon Equipment Limited......................................54

Safequip ...................................................................44

Amputees in Action................................................14

EST Directory.........................................................60

Mercedes-Benz.....................................................IFC

Seatronics.................................................................46

Babcock International ..........................................4, 5

Excelerate Technology Ltd ..............................20, 21

Nightsearcher..........................................................58

Balcan Engineering ................................................44

Fischer Panda..........................................................27

North Fire plc ...................................................17, 19

Ballyclare Limited ..................................................37

FlamePro (UK) Ltd................................................38

Oxylitre....................................................................19

Bluecher UK Ltd....................................................27

Getac UK.................................................................14

R3 Safety and Rescue..............................................44

British ACPO 2014 .................................................60

Goliath Footwear ..............................................29, 31

Reach and Rescue ...................................................46

Vimpex Limited........................................................9

British Red Cross....................................................30

LED Lenser – Ledco Ltd............................OFC, 57

Red Box Recorders .................................................11

WH Bence Coachworks..........................................43

CBRN First Response ............................................24

Life Connections 2014.........................................IBC

RSG Engineering Limited.....................................27

Zodiac MILPRO...................................................46a

SMH Products.........................................................24 SP Services ..........................................................OBC Strongs Plastic Products Ltd...................................9

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Supply+ Limited....................................................58 Tencate Protective Fabrics .....................................37

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Emergency Services Times 14.6 - December 2013.qxp_– 10/12/2013 16:10 Page 3

ESTCOMMENT | 3

ISSN 1472-1090 Date: December 2013

Editor: David J. Holden MEng(Hons) Twitter: @999editor davidholden@brodenmedia.com Advertisement Manager: David Brown davidbrown@brodenmedia.com Advertisement Sales: Carol Fox carolfox@brodenmedia.com Office & Events Manager: Lesley Stevenson lesleystevenson@brodenmedia.com Marketing Manager: Emma Nicholls emmanicholls@brodenmedia.com Circulation: Christine Knoll admin@hpcpublishing.com

SAR contribution of voluntary sector highlighted by recent study The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK) provides a comprehensive search and rescue service for those reported in trouble either on land, on water or in the air, and for those reported missing.

Search and Rescue (SAR) is the activity of locating and recovering persons either in distress, potential distress or missing and delivering them to a place of safety.

Photo: Royal National Lifeboat Institute.

The responsibility for the coordination of land-based SAR rests with the police service and is derived from their duty to protect life and property. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCGA) coordinates marine SAR.

Joint Managing Directors: David Brown David Holden Published by

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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.

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When the figures are studied in the summary it is remarkable, given the huge number of hours accumulated, to appreciate that all of the members of organisations which sit on the UKSAR VWG are unpaid volunteers who are on call 24/7, responding to a request for assistance wherever (within the confines of the training and remit of the organisation) and whenever the call may come. Indeed, without this voluntary input it would just not be possible to provide the comprehensive search and rescue service that exists throughout the country today.

“Without this voluntary input it would just not be possible to provide the comprehensive search and rescue service that exists throughout the country today.”

Lack of understanding

It is not always appreciated however, that the vast majority of the SAR work coordinated by these statute agencies is carried out by volunteers, and the United Kingdom Search and Rescue Volunteers Working Group (UKSAR VWG) – the UKSAR sub committee representing the interests of the voluntary search and rescue member organisations – seeks to redress this lack of understanding by producing an annual summary detailing the time and commitment of volunteers in the provision this life saving service.

Search and rescue member organisations of the UKSAR VWG include: • Association of Lowland Search and Rescue • British Cave Rescue Council • HM Coastguard • Mountain Rescue (England & Wales) • Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland • Royal National Lifeboat Institute • Northern Ireland Mountain, Cave, Cliff, Rescue Coordinating Committee

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Commitment of supporters

This is obviously considerably demanding to the volunteer who willing gives of his or her time, and not infrequently financial commitment to the service, but also to those who ‘support’ the volunteers in their vocation, such as family, employer, and similar.

It can in some instances be difficult ‘to get time off’ to respond to a call out during working hours, modern day work streams do not always allow temporary loss of personnel, while the challenges of modern home life may also preclude the freedom required to respond immediately.

Nevertheless it is obvious in the statistics that the enthusiasm and effort committed by UKSAR volunteers to ensure a world class service is highly successful, and the UKSAR VWG is keen that the huge voluntary input into providing, whenever required, the manpower with all the necessary skills, is more widely understood, not only by the public at large but also in the corridors of power, when the volunteers, who provide the pivotal role in the SAR service, may themselves wish to enlist support.

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Amputees in Action (AIA) has launched a series of training courses in Special Effects (SFX), make-up and moulage. Each course will be facilitated by the company’s own qualified and experienced tutors, provide detailed tuition and demonstrations on every aspect of wound creation. The courses aim to explore the process used in casualty simulation, giving the candidate the opportunity to identify and understand products available in the market, attain knowledge on methods to apply them and experience creating their own realistic wounds.

New technology enhances joint working for ambulance and mountain rescue services

www.amputeesinaction.co.uk

Communications volunteers recently marked 60 years since the formation of the Radio Amateurs’ Emergency Network (RAYNET), which was formed on 25 November 1953 after the east coast floods earlier that year, which saw the loss of 307 lives.

Local RAYNET groups cover the majority of the country, with around 2000 RAYNET volunteers, who are mostly licenced radios amateurs.

RAYNET volunteers have been active or on standby countless times, including the 1988 Lockerbie air disaster, the 2009 Cumbria floods and more recently the storm of 28/29 October 2013. www.raynet-uk.net

The police forces of Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Mercia and West Midlands joined the National Police Air Service (NPAS) on 2 October as part of the fifth phase of implementation since NPAS launched just over one year ago. Once all forces have joined NPAS, there will be 25 aircraft based at 23 strategic locations across England and Wales.

Web-based communication system SARCALL has improved the mobilisation process for Mountain Rescue Teams (MRT) in the Lake District.

This has enabled North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) to instigate 141 incidents to mountain rescue teams in Cumbria, which were previously handled by the police, since it was introduced in November 2012.

SARCALL was developed by North Wales MRT and adopted by police services across Greater Manchester and Cumbria. It enables dispatchers in the ambulance service Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) for Cumbria and Lancashire to directly page mountain rescue teams across Cumbria when they receive 999 calls that require their rescue support.

Updates on ongoing incidents from the mountain rescue teams can be logged and viewed on the SARCALL system. The police and mountain rescue teams can read the SARCALL log, which receives information from the Emergency Operations Centre.

Peter Ballan, NWAS Sector Manager for Cumbria and Lancashire Emergency Operations Centre, said, “SARCALL enables more accurate information to

be passed more quickly to the right team. Communication is improved as logs are updated during ongoing incidents. The police can also view information about incidents – which improves links between services.

“When a caller mentions an injury on a mountain or remote location they can sometimes be directed to the ambulance service rather than Cumbria Police and mountain rescue, but the MRT – with its local knowledge of the terrain – might be more appropriate. Clearly the MRT has local expertise, which can be invaluable to all agencies responding to calls so that we can give the best care for casualties. SARCALL enables the controller to page the mountain rescue teams and so reduce any delays in reaching the site of the incident.”

The implementation of the SARCALL system has been supported by enhanced relationships between agencies. NWAS and the Lake District Search and Mountain Rescue Association (LDSAMRA) have held Operational Management Team meetings at the Kendal Mountain Rescue Team base and shown NWAS around the base.

www.londonambulance.nhs.uk

EPC looks to fill strategic role

for JESIP and informs the remaining programme of work over the next 12 months. Two one day courses have been developed for police, fire and ambulance services who will be jointly training over 18,000 operational and tactical commanders over the next 12 months. The Train the Trainer programme to enable this national training initiative has been running throughout October 2013 and has resulted in a network of over 260 JESIP trainers.

Further training products for other staff and an awareness package for wider Category 1 and 2 responders are in development and will be completed before September 2014. www.jesip.org.uk/joint-doctrine

www.epcollege.com

www.nwas.nhs.uk

JESIP publishes Joint Doctrine

The Chief Fire Officers’ Association (CFOA) led the Fire Futures Forum on Waste Management and Recycling Fires on 27 November, which aimed to set out a road map toward the reduction of fires at waste and recycling sites, and the mitigation of their impacts. CFOA will now be working with industry and stakeholders to produce a post forum report in early 2014. This report will outline the discussions held and signpost the direction to be taken in order to achieve the objective of reducing waste and recycling fire incidents.

One year on from the official launch of the Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Programme (JESIP) and what will be the foundation for the future of improved interoperability is published – Joint Doctrine: the Interoperability Framework.

The purpose of Joint Doctrine is to provide specific guidance to police, fire and ambulance commanders on the principles for effective joint working at major or complex incidents. It also provides the directors and managers of other responder organisations an understanding of joint police, fire and ambulance operations.

The Joint Doctrine is a key piece of work, which provides the foundation

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Twitter’s system of emergency alerts, which the company says can help spread critical information when other lines of communication are down, launched in the UK and Ireland on 18 November.

Fifty-seven UK and Ireland organisations including the UK’s 47 police forces, the London Fire Brigade and the Environment Agency have all signed up to the Twitter Alert service, which is designed to deliver users emergency information during disasters or public emergencies London Ambulance Service was one of the first 999 services to sign up for Twitter Alerts, which first launched in the US in September 2013. By clicking on the link on the @Ldn_Ambulance Twitter homepage followers will be directed to a set up page where they can subscribe to the service’s alerts. Director of Operations, Jason Killens, said, “In times of crisis the public turns to us for information and advice. We already use social media sites to share information with Londoners but Twitter Alerts helps us highlight critical information to our followers by giving tweets added visibility.

“We only envisage using Alerts in a crisis or disaster.”

The Emergency Planning College (EPC) is looking to appoint a Strategic Professional Fellow as a non-executive director to support the development and delivery of the EPC’s role as the UK’s centre of excellence for multiagency resilience and emergency management.

The post requires a senior individual with recent strategic command experience in the emergency services and high-level, visible and practical association with multi-agency emergency and crisis management. The specific outline of the job and its deliverables will be developed with the right individual. The role has an expected requirement of between two and five working days per month.

For more details please visit the EPC website or contact the Head of the Civil Protection Faculty Mark Leigh on mark.leigh@emergencyplanningcollege.com.

www.westyorkshire.police.uk

www.cfoa.org.uk

Twitter Alert service launched

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The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) is seeking out successful projects involving road safety and public health practitioners to be included in ground breaking guidance next year. RoSPA is keen to hear from public health and road safety professionals who have been working together on specific road safety projects, or who have been working on other projects that are intended to improve both road safety and wider public health. Case studies of successful joint working will be a key part of the new guidance. Please contact Duncan Vernon at RoSPA on Tel: 0121 248 2078 or e-mail: dvernon@rospa.com. www.rospa.com

A joint collaboration between British Transport Police (BTP) and Network Rail has resulted in the successful implementation of the Airwave Service into two service helicopters. The trial, which commenced 12 months ago, involved the installation of the radio equipment (cradle and handsets on loan from BTP) in the Network Rail helicopters assigned with the task of conducting track surveys and special operations. A fixed desktop has been installed at Network Rail’s National Operations Centre to facilitate integrated communications between the aircraft and BTP. Users also have access to the BTP air-to-ground talk group and the BTP interoperability talk group to facilitate communication with units on the ground if they are at the scene of a major incident, or if they are on pre-planned operations. www.airwavesolutions.co.uk

South Yorkshire’s communication team has been named ‘Outstanding In-House PR Team’ by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR).

The three-person team was praised for the way it measures the effectiveness of its media and marketing activity and the way it contributes to South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue’s overall objectives. They beat off competition from several larger communication teams, including the Environment Agency, Leeds Bradford Airport and Leeds Metropolitan University, to win the gold award at the CIPR PRide Awards Yorkshire & Lincolnshire. www.syfire.gov.uk

Surrey Police has won the Grand Prix at the recent 2013 Social Buzz Awards, which celebrate the most effective social media campaigns and strategies. www.socialbuzzawards.com

Training essential for the challenges of electric vehicles

There is little to distinguish this EV from a regular internal combustion engine hatchback. First responders need to be aware of the increasing range of hybrid and electric cars being seen on the UK’s roads.

Over the past decade the number of electric vehicles on Britain’s roads has increased dramatically with around 2300 electric and 128,100 hybrid cars being registered since 1993.

According to Thatcham, the motor insurers’ automotive research centre, emergency services need to adapt and train for the new challenges that these vehicles present, or risk potentially severe consequences in rescue situations.

“Emergency service personnel have learned to live and deal with the dangers of cars powered by an internal combustion engine (ICE), but while electric (EV) and hybrid (HEV) vehicles were once a rarity, they are now

becoming commonplace on the UK’s roads,” says Thatcham’s Future Vehicle Engineer, Andrew Hooker. “The chance of encountering an EV in a crash scenario where emergency response is required is no longer remote. As a result first responders need to be more aware of the challenges, which can hamper a rescue and endanger victims.”

Thatcham has been championing vehicle safety for many years and the drive for awareness of electric vehicle crash safety processes can be included in a specific first responders training programme. www.thatcham.org/training

Sellafield contract win for Serco Serco has secured a major three-year contract with Sellafield Ltd to assist with the delivery of the site’s Emergency Management Improvement Programme (EMIP). The contract covers the supply of Emergency Management Professionals and Technical Advisors to strengthen the existing emergency management arrangements already in place at Sellafield. The initial threeyear contract has an option to extend by a further 12 months and is worth in the region of £16m.

Serco is the prime contractor, with Berwicks Consulting and the National Nuclear Laboratories (NNL) also pro-

viding sub-contractor support. Serco was able to draw on its existing emergency response capabilities at the UK Emergency Planning College, Atomic Weapons Establishment and International Fire Training Centre to deliver Sellafield’s requirements. Further subject matter expertise is provided by Berwicks track record in supporting emergency preparedness to the UK civil nuclear sector alongside NNL’s proven nuclear technical skills.

At the height of the contract as many as 40 staff will be deployed to the Sellafield site. www.serco.com

Amvale improves patient safety Private ambulance company Amvale Medical Transport Ltd has further enhanced the safety of its patients in its vehicles by installing 20 Ambulance Child Restraints (ACRs) from ParAid Medical. Based in rural Lincolnshire, the company’s fleet of emergency vehicles will be fully equipped to ensure the safe transportation of infant and child patients across the country.

Significantly reducing the chances of potentially dangerous movement

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during transit, the ACR is an innovative, flexible and adjustable harnessing system that has been fully crash tested to BSEN: 1789 compliance levels, to ensure that it provides the highest level of safety for children being transported to hospital. It is the only paediatric restraint on the market used on patient stretchers that is capable of fitting all children weighing 5kg to 45kg. www.paraid.co.uk

PageOne secures new national paging frequency PageOne, a leading messaging solutions provider to the public and private sectors, has secured a new national paging channel from Ofcom for use with local on-site paging systems. It enables PageOne to offer organisations such as NHS trusts a triple-resilience alerting solution, which can reduce on-going costs and deliver an integrated more effective approach to critical and operational messaging.

By combining PageOne’s two-way dual-frequency Responder pagers with an SMS-fall-back capability the solution offers a triple-resilience approach to alerting by integrating local onsite systems with national network services, and has already proved successful with UK fire authorities.

“Many existing local paging systems are approaching the end of their lifecycle,” says Nigel Gray, Director at PageOne. “With NHS Trusts in particular challenged to find significant efficiencies by 2015, they are reviewing whether they need to replace existing on-site infrastructure or if a more cost-effective solution can be found.

As Ofcom looks to review and potentially re-assign existing UHF frequency bands, PageOne’s new solution provides a more confident and assured approach to alerting for the future.” www.pageone.co.uk

Mobile technology adds to joint policing model Officers from Warwickshire Police and West Mercia Police are now equipped with mobile tablet computers as part of a drive to increase the visibility of police officers and reduce the need for them to return to the office.

Following a successful trial, almost 250 TETRATAB devices have been introduced for use by patrol and safer neighbourhood teams (SNTs) across both forces.

The new TETRATAB devices are just one of a range of initiatives being introduced by Warwickshire Police and West Mercia Police as part of a new joint policing model which came into force on 30 September. www.warwickshire.police.uk www.westmercia.police.uk

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Emergency responders on the Ayrshire isle of Arran have been named ‘Resilience Team of the Year’ at the UK’s annual Emergency Planning Society Awards. Arran Resilience comprises a team of emergency services, healthcare workers and local authority officials working together to protect their close-knit community. Firefighters, ambulance crews and police officers are joined in the team by lifeboat, mountain rescue and coastguard personnel, as well as doctors and staff from NHS Ayrshire and Arran.

Royal Navy crews from the HMS Gannet search and rescue Sea King helicopter, North Ayrshire Council, the Forestry Commission and ferry operator CalMac are also members of the partnership. Shortlisted along with London Fire Brigade and the Metropolitan Police, it was the island’s emergency responders who received this coveted accolade at the recent awards ceremony in Birmingham. www.firescotland.gov.uk

Following a review into the increasing use of thermal imaging cameras at incidents, Kent Fire and Rescue Service has fitted new cameras to every front line fire engine throughout the service. In total 74 new thermal imaging cameras have been purchased, funded by a national resilience grant. www.kent-fire.org.uk

The East Coast & Hertfordshire Control Room Consortium (ECHCRC) – a group of four fire and rescue services (FRSs) from Hertfordshire, Humberside, Lincolnshire and Norfolk – has selected Updata Infrastructure, a specialist managed service provider for the public sector, to design and manage a new shared Wide Area Network (WAN), connecting the Consortium’s emergency control rooms. The contract is worth £1.2m over five years. www.updata.net

A new high-rise training facility for West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) firefighters has been built at the service’s Oldbury community fire station. The six-storey tower was erected by crane over just two days, using 18 specially-designed interlocking metal containers. The containers can be configured to safely train firefighters to fight fires, and to understand fire behaviour, in multistorey residential and commercial premises. It is hoped that the facility will be operational by April 2014. www.wmfs.net

LFB leads multi-agency tower block exercise in Barking

Ambulance crews move into 21st Century ‘hub’ A new ‘Make Ready’ ambulance preparation and maintenance hub has opened in Birmingham. The site is home to a new and dedicated team of ambulance fleet assistants who clean, stock and prepare ambulances in readiness for when clinical staff start shift. It became operational in September.

Photo: Paul Bennett.

London Fire Brigade has staged a large scale a training exercise in a Barking tower block to further improve its emergency response to fires in residential high-rise buildings.

Twelve fire engines, around 80 firefighters and officers, as well as the brigade’s 999 control staff, responded to a mock fire on the ninth floor of the block. Synthetic smoke was used to simulate fire conditions and actors played the parts of injured residents who required rescuing from the blaze.

The multi-agency exercise, which was held in partnership with Barking and Dagenham Council, and the local Borough Resilience Forum, took place in a 17 storey block of flats on

the Gascoigne Estate on 14 November. The Metropolitan Police and London Ambulance Service also took part.

Cllr Mick McCarthy, Cabinet Member for Housing, Barking and Dagenham Council, said, “We were delighted to be able to assist the London Fire Brigade by providing Lexham House as the venue for this important training exercise. It is also a valuable exercise from the council’s point of view because it’s an opportunity for us to test our procedures for handling emergencies. I’d like to thank the residents of the Gascoigne Estate for accommodating the Fire Brigade during this exercise.”

EEAST now has two HART teams, groups of paramedics and emergency medical technicians who have specialist training and equipment that allows them to provide emergency patient care faster at the scene of a major incident.

The base in Great Notley will be manned 24/7, 365 days of the year and will be staffed by a team of six specialist HART medics, with 42 members of HART being based there in total.

Make Ready is a project to overhaul and modernise the ambulance service in the West Midlands. Based on 16 successful years in Staffordshire, the project involves the creation of new hubs and the sale of traditional ambulance stations, which are being replaced by smaller, lower maintenance and lower cost community ambulance stations. Ambulances are prepared at the hubs and then disperse to community ambulance stations from where they will respond to 999 calls.

Erdington Hub is the final of five hubs to open in Birmingham and the Black Country and completes the ‘Make Ready’ project in the two areas.

Nathan Hudson, Birmingham General Manager, said, “We’ve been in the new hub in Erdington for a couple of months now, and I’m pleased to say that it’s operating smoothly and efficiently in delivering ‘Make Ready’ and means our ambulance crews are more available than ever before to respond to 999 calls.

“Our staff are settled into the new facilities, which are a marked improvement on our old traditional ambulance stations, which had seen better days and were no longer fit for a 21st Century ambulance service. The hub is fresh, clean and modern with comfortable facilities for staff and plenty of room for vehicles and equipment.”

www.eastamb.nhs.uk

www.wmas.nhs.uk

www.london-fire.gov.uk

Specialist ambulance base opened in heart of Essex A new base for the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) was opened in October. Local MP Brooks Newmark was guest of honour and officially opened the base at Great Notley, Essex.

Rob Flute, Head of Resilience and Special Operations for EEAST, said, “HART is a vital asset to Essex, whole of the east of England and indeed the whole country. It is reassuring to know that should there be a major incident, we have highly skilled medics who can reach patients quickly and safely.

“HART also carries out important work on a daily basis, from carrying out urban search and rescues in collapsed and damaged buildings, to providing medical assistance in difficult to access locations.”

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(From L to R) Phil Calow (Assistant Area Manager Birmingham), Dean Jenkins (Area Manager Birmingham) and James Williams (Area Support Officer).

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The Emergency Services Show 2013 proves biggest and best yet after move to NEC The Emergency Services Show’s move to the NEC in Birmingham has been heralded as a success after an increase in exhibitors and visitors made the event the biggest and best to date. Exhibitors reported brisk traffic and strong interest from across all the emergency services throughout both days of the show, while visitors enjoyed the diversity of exhibitors, demonstrations, training and networking opportunities across all blue light services.

Run in the last week of September, the show hosted some 449 exhibitors (including stand-sharers) and had a total of 5553 visitors over two days (a six percent increase on 2012).

David Brown, Joint Managing Director of organiser Broden Media, said, “The show’s move to the NEC has been a tremendous success and I am delighted with the very positive feedback we have received from visitors and exhibitors alike. We have been able to make the most of the excellent facilities, transport links and increased space available and the extensive outdoor demonstration area.”

Innovation and networking Jon Hall, Chief Fire Officer, Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, commented, “The Emergency Services Show really is a great platform to have a good look at innovation and networking with like

minded people. It was a great success in terms of the location, accessibility and numbers of exhibitors and visitors.”

Show visitor Amy Smith, Senior Emergency Planning Officer at Leeds City Council, said, “We are not always able to research new products in our busy day-to-day work as emergency planners and responders. This event showcases a vast range of cutting-edge products and services that can increase our resilience to emergencies.”

Dominic Regan, of the marketing team at exhibitor CPDme, said, “This is our third time at The Emergency Services Show and it’s been busier than ever before. Not only have we met our target people from the healthcare sector, we’ve also had very strong interest from the police and fire service, which has given us excellent new contacts and lots of ideas for developing our business into new markets.”

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Right type of visitors Samantha Amena, Marketing Associate at Physio Control, added, “It’s been a fantastic show: great venue, great facilities and we’ve been attracting the right type of visitors to our stand. Our Learning Booth has been packed throughout and we’ve had lots of interest in our CPR Challenge.”

“Every single person we have had on the stand today has been a key strategic person from within the brigades,” said Oliver North, Managing Director, North Fire Plc. “The Emergency Services Show is our number one priority event in the emergency services calendar every year. This has been a great year for us and even better than last year.”

The Emergency Services Show returns to the NEC in Birmingham from 24-25 September 2014. www.emergencyuk.com

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See you next year

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Disaster relief: relying on rugged Words: Peter Molyneux, President of Getac UK. The recent typhoon in the Philippines again highlighted the difficulty, and value, of getting information in and out of disaster areas as quickly as possible. Information gathering and processing is absolutely vital in these situations if emergency teams are to assess local needs and conditions, and plan and execute priority activities as quickly as possible.

Advances in rugged mobile computing technology mean that emergency services can now arrive on scene with fully integrated network solutions, which allow activities to be coordinated across a number of teams. These solutions must have high performance communications, connectivity and computing capability – and all in the most demanding environments.

Peter Molyneux is the President of Getac UK, which provides a comprehensive range of rugged computing solutions.

Rugged Mobile Server The recently launched Getac X500 Rugged Mobile Server was designed with all these capabilities in mind. Its Intel® Core™ i7 quad-core processor and 16GB of RAM provide state-of-the-art computing power and speed. The expansion chassis holds up to five shock-protected disk drives for up to 5TB of storage and while weighing just 8.6kg, is built fully rugged from the chassis up. This unique profile means the X500 Server enables multiple crews to set up a central command network in the most demanding of environments.

Until the launch of the X500 Server, the only comparable option was to use commercial technology, which is not designed for use in harsh terrain. The X500 Server is designed specifically to operate in tough conditions: it is MIL-STD 810G certified and IP65 rated, meaning it’s protected against drops, shocks, spills, and vibration, as well as dust and moisture. A 15.6in QuadraClear sunlight readable display (800nits) and NVIDIA GeForce GT330 superior performance and 1GB VGA controller also enhance readability and graphic capability in outdoor conditions.

Advanced software applications One of the benefits of being able to deploy a high performance server in emergency situations is the potential to use advanced software applications, such as for Geospatial information management and analysis. Such information can be used to plan medical evacuation, peace keeping operations, or any other activities where detailed knowledge of local terrain is essential.

One of the pioneers of geospatial solutions is Gloucestershire-based Helyx Ltd. For more than 11 years Helyx has been developing solutions for the defence and security sectors, and specialising in the development of geospatial systems. The emergency services are now beginning to see the similarities and potential benefits for such systems for their own operations.

A collaboration between Helyx and Getac on the new X500 Rugged Server was therefore an obvious decision. The result is the ideal server solution for those working in tough conditions. Built as a desktop or portable server solution, it offers web-based geospatial information, even when teams are disconnected from the internet, allowing informed decisions to be made on the ground by teams that may have no local knowledge.

Unfortunately we cannot stop disasters and emergencies from happening.

However, the development of new fully rugged, mobile computing solutions such as the X500 Server mean that we can have access to reliable, high performance information technology support, even in remote areas with significant infrastructure damage. www.getac.co.uk

If you would like to discuss any aspect of your rugged computing requirements, call 01952 207 221, e-mail: Sales-Getac-UK@getac.com or visit www.getac.co.uk

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Safety on show from Scott

Supacat unveils Utility Vehicle 600

Scott Safety, a specialist in respiratory and personal protective equipment for fire, rescue and military and civil defence forces across the globe, displayed a range of its latest innovations on Stand G27 at this year’s Emergency Services Show. Both new and existing products were on display, including a preview of the new adjustable ProPak range of selfcontained breathing apparatus (SCBA) with the 379bar high-pressure cylinder, as well as the renowned First Responder Respirator (FRR), the popular Eagle Attack thermal imaging camera and its Firstbase 3 police bump cap variants.

The PROPAK-F/PROPAK-FX.

The new Eagle Attack thermal imaging camera.

Due for launch in early 2014, Scott Safety previewed a new range of high specification breathing apparatus that will provide the ultimate in comfort, reliability and performance for professional fire and rescue services and workers in high risk industries. The new ProPak offers the wearer the ultimate in comfort and ease of movement, with the ProPak-fx featuring an adjustable backplate while incorporating a rigid backframe construction for durability and performance.

Scott Safety’s new 379bar cylinders, at 25 percent higher pressures than the current 300bar, offer significantly increased duration with minimal

increases in size and weight of the SCBA. A key advantage of the new technology is that a cylinder the size of a typical 60 minute cylinder will now provide a duration of 75 minutes, providing users with a convenient method of utilising an extended duration breathing apparatus.

Also on show was the company’s First Responder Respirator (FRR), which provides protection against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats and is compatible with conventional round filters with a Din 40 thread, Powered Air Purifying Respirators (PAPR), SCBA and compressed air airline breathing systems.

The Eagle Attack thermal imaging camera delivers all the performance, quality and durability that firefighters demand. Developed for on-the-job reliability, durability and ease-of-use, the Eagle Attack imager is one of the lightest and most portable imagers in the industry. It also provides users with great image quality and functionality not normally available in lightweight imagers.

The new First Base 3 Police bump cap range is a

The First Base 3 Police bump cap range.

modern alternative to the police custodian or traffic officer hats and consists of three different styles for search, firearms and road policing. Each design incorporates baseball style bump protection that is designed to provide protection against lacerations and other superficial head injuries. www.scottsafety.com The First Responder Respirator (FRR).

High mobility vehicle specialist Supacat launched its all-new Supacat Utility Vehicle 600 (SUV 600) concept at The Emergency Services Show 2013. The SUV 600 cost effectively fills a gap in the market for a rapid response vehicle, which also offers an offroad capability with the agility to access narrow routes and difficult terrain.

Using fresh thinking to develop the SUV 600, Supacat has adapted a production standard Land Rover Discovery 4x4 and added a third axle to increase payload capacity and physical space. This allows heavier and larger systems to be fitted, which broadens the usability of the vehicle.

At The Emergency Services Show Supacat exhibited the SUV 600 concept in a chassis cab configuration with separate functional box body, manufactured by Strongs, in the fire and rescue services role. This configuration offers 750kg and up to 2000-litres of fire equipment payload. This configuration includes an integrated water tank with 500-litres of water, pump compartment with a Godiva HPX75, high pressure booster hose and reel, Foamlogix® foam proportioning system, BA Storage and four crew. There is also an option to fit a Compressed Air Foam System (CAFS) with integral foam tank.

The SUV 600 is also available in two other potential configurations based on an elongated body, both in low roof and high roof configurations, to perform further emerging requirements, for example for police, ambulance or outside broadcast roles.

Supacat is a new entrant in the emergency services sector, bringing proven experience in the design and production of specialist vehicles combined with fresh thinking. The company has developed and integrated vehicles for specialist operations in the military, marine and oil and gas sectors and is responsible for the ‘Jackal’ high mobility patrol vehicle used by British Forces in Afghanistan. www.supacat.com

Balcan hails show a success Designer and manufacturer of first-line rescue equipment Balcan was delighted with the success of exhibiting at The Emergency Services Show in September. Hundreds of people visited the Lincolnshire firm at the show, including police services, ambulance staff, fire and rescue crews and first response teams from across the country.

Compact, reliable, accurate and lightweight, Balcan Emergency Lifelines (BELLs) are perfect for rescue scenarios where time is of the essence. Used in numerous situations, the devices are carried by emergency services teams across the country, who

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find them easy to use and quick to deploy.

“Exhibiting at The Emergency Services Show proved a real success for us,” said Julian Rinfret, Director at Balcan. We were able to discuss the latest industry developments with some of the country’s leading emergency services professionals and talk to them about our range of effective lifesaving equipment. As well as generating some great leads, our team also received highly positive feedback about rescues that emergency teams had carried out using BELLs. Being prepared for every eventuality is key, and, by specifying effective

lifesaving equipment, emergency services can be confident in the knowledge that they have a longrange line capable of performing in any situation.” www.throwlines.com

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Innovation in motion

RUD Chains Ltd is a leading manufacturer and supplier of chain systems and components, and the company displayed its impressive winter product portfolio at the show. RUD’s winter range consists of snow chains, shoe chains and the innovative automatic snow chain system ROTOGRIP®.

ROTOGRIP® is an automatic snow chain system that has been specifically designed for emergency and commercial vehicles. The versatile automatic snow and ice chain enables emergency vehicles to reach their destination regardless of bad weather, a necessity in such a volatile industry, and is deployed with just a flip-of-a-switch from the driver’s seat, while the vehicle is in motion. The system also works as well in reverse as it does moving forward, providing excellent traction at speeds as low as (3-4-mph), and is designed for a wide range of vehicles and suspensions.

Ballyclare takes safety to a new level Ballyclare Limited is one of the UK’s leading providers of protective clothing and equipment to the emergency services, military, transport and construction industries. For many years it has been one of the main suppliers of structural fire fighting and rescue kit to the majority of UK fire and rescue services.

Today, the business sits on a strong financial footing and is staffed by an extremely dedicated and knowledgeable team of people, whose combined experience is unrivalled in the industry.

“As a group we have an in-depth understanding of the market, the legislation, the standards and the technology behind high performance PPE. It is in our DNA,” said Carlton Greener, Managing Director.

Safe future Given the management’s recent successes at driving through change, nobody should doubt that Ballyclare Limited’s future is in safe hands.

Under the direction of the existing team the business has restructured its operations, moved to new premises, secured several major contracts, pushed through a £10m investment in firefighter PPE and made a significant investment in its IT infrastructure in recent years; not to mention orchestrating the current rebrand from Cosalt to Ballyclare Limited. The team is certainly light-footed and able to respond quickly to changing customer demands and new market opportunities.

At the heart of Ballyclare Limited is its focus on structural fire fighting PPE and the industrial workwear market. The business also supplies: hi-vis technical clothing to the rail, aggregates and highways sectors; the Ministry of Defence with highly complex aircrew flying suits; and the police with a range of technical PPE, clothing and public order suits.

There is a strong design capability within the business and a history of developing, testing and trialling new garments to meet a specific need, rather than supplying a standard product range, off the shelf.

Ballyclare has an extremely dedicated and knowledgeable team.

Improving efficiencies Ballyclare Limited’s strengths run deeper than its ability to design and develop market-leading products. In the South East and Eastern regions the framework agreement that was awarded in 2010 is going from strength to strength, attracting additional fire and rescue services up and down the country. The framework includes fire tunics and overtrousers, hoods, helmets, boots and gloves. At the heart of this agreement is the option to choose Ballyclare Limited’s fully managed service. This is helping fire and rescue services to cut costs and improve efficiencies by taking advantage of a complete support package that covers testing, sizing, fitting, supply and personnel management.

The managed service option is a turnkey solution that takes safety to a new level.

Ballyclare will take on the responsibility for laundering and maintaining the garments and making sure they are fit for purpose and comply with health and safety standards. The company will maintain the exacting quality control and product management procedures that allow every garment to be tracked and traced and finally decommissioned.

Central to the success and longevity of the company’s customer relationships is its commitment to producing garments that are not only fit for purpose but also surpass legislative requirements without compromising on wearer comfort and fit. www.ballyclarelimited.com

Collapsible traffic cone shines at ESS2013

A defining element of RUD’s business strategy and vision is leading the field in technological innovation and providing customers with top quality products and an outstanding level of customer service and training. The company knows how important it is for the emergency services to operate in dangerous conditions. With the help of the ROTOGRIP® high 999 response rates can be maintained, downtime reduced and safety increased over the winter months. www.rud.co.uk

Viewbrite Europe, a provider of high quality safety products has developed and produced one of the first collapsible traffic cones, designed to comply with European traffic regulations. The company received a great response to the cones from visitors to The Emergency Services Show 2013.

Working in conjunction with Viewbrite Safety Products, a Miami-based occupational safety specialist already supplying the cones to the NYPD, Washington State Fire Department and the US Army, Viewbrite Europe Ltd spent 12 months on an R&D project with the view to producing a cone for the European market. The result is a revolutionary safety cone that is easily deployed and collapsed, storing almost flat – saving space in vehicles.

Stephen Donnelly, Chief Executive of The Dunellen Group, which includes Viewbrite Europe Ltd and Star Instruments Ltd, said, “We are absolutely delighted at the finished product and the response to it so far. Working in conjunction with

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police forces, fire and rescue services, local authorities and councils we believe that we have produced what will be a ‘must have’ item for the emergency services.”

The cones are made from a durable fluorescent orange waterproof material with a highly reflective band, a heavy weight black base made from recycled rubber and has the same height and dimensions as standard rigid cones. A directional light can also be added. www.viewbrite.co.uk

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Export success for FlamePro

TenCate outer shells perform better during turnout gear lifecycle

FlamePro’s new financial year has got off to an exciting start with a full order book and a record number of visitors to the company’s stand at The Emergency Services Show.

Firefighters face tough conditions, and so do their garments. This requires firefighter turnout gear to be developed with lightweight, but above all strong fire resistant (FR) fabrics, which give protection that they can rely on, over and over again.

FlamePro’s Gillian Johnson with Kevan Whitehead of The Stirling Group at ESS2013.

Cleaning and maintenance It is important to carefully clean and properly maintain firefighter turnout gear, so that the protective properties of the fabrics are retained and the lifespan of the garment is extended. Certain European Norm tests, according to EN 469, are executed on new fabrics and do not require the fabric to meet the standard after washing. TenCate does not focus on just meeting test requirements but exceeding them. When lives are on the line, firefighters need to rely on their turnout gear, even after heavy use. Always look further than the minimum requirements.

Much of the increase in business has come from a rapidly expanding export market. FlamePro has recently won new business from three Irish fire and rescue services – Leitrim, Longford and Donegal – and the company will be working hard to build on its success in the Irish market. Further afield, FlamePro is now supplying the national fire services in Mongolia and Nepal, together with the Oman Royal Navy, and has secured lucrative contracts in the Middle-Eastern petro-chemicals and African mining industries.

TenCate Gemini XTL TenCate Protective Fabrics is a leading producer of high-tech fabrics for firefighter turnout gear. The company’s latest innovation is TenCate Gemini XTL™. This protective fabric is made from PBI® fibres and is reinforced with a patented highstrength grid, which, according to TenCate, results in the best performing PBI® based fabric on the market today.

The fabric shows excellent performance in all tests, for example tear and tensile strength, abrasion and thermal resistance. In addition to the strong performance of TenCate Gemini XTL™, the fabric is very comfortable and it offers an excellent appearance even after washing. www.tencate.com/gemini

New partnerships Alongside these breakthroughs, exciting new partnerships have been forged with industry leaders Survitec and Stirling Groups. FlamePro will supply Survitec with kit bags containing full sets of MEDapproved EN469 fire fighting equipment for distribution at their marine outlets worldwide. The Stirling Group, a leading provider of Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE) and support services to the Middle East and Africa (MEA) oil and gas industry, enables businesses by providing them with specialised training, manpower and equipment. The partnership with FlamePro will provide the group with fire fighting kit and station wear for trainers and operatives, enabling them to fulfil their contracts with global giants like Gazprom and PetroChina.

On the home front, FlamePro continues to supply its customers in fire and rescue services and industrial and airport fire brigades with its trademark quality fire fighting PPE, together with a range of specialist garments for associated activities. The company is also continuing to innovate, reacting to its customers’ requirements with new designs. A partnership with Arco has produced a new first responder paramedic suit for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, while a move towards greater industry flexibility in Level II fire kit reflecting the firefighter’s multiple roles is being addressed in several current projects.

Power management solutions It is now possible to connect two identical Fischer Panda iSeries generators in parallel to double the available power. Two independent generator systems, both with their own control panel, are installed and can be operated individually, resulting in the security of a constant power supply at all times.

Synchronising the 230V output is via a data cable connecting each of the generators’ AC inverter/control boxes. This has the advantage that no parallel switch cabinet is required and more space is available on board. The generators are equally loaded at all times. The parallel connection is of particular interest for larger ICUs, for example, where full redundancy is possible, or meeting higher power demands is required.

Fischer Panda iSeries generators are very popular: engine rpm follows the AC demand on board reducing emissions and operating costs by an average of 25 percent compared to fixed speed models.

The diesel engine is always optimally loaded meaning less wear and tear, and longer service intervals. The unique format of the Panda design, where the AC windings as well as the engine are fully water-cooled, even the first and second exhaust mufflers are pre-cooled and fitted inside the sound shield with the generator. The result is exceptional quiet running, even at full load. Fischer Panda

www.flame-pro.com

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generators are designed to operate in ambient temperatures of at least 50°C. There are over 150 Panda generators available, from 4-200kW based on 3000/1500rpm diesels or the latest iSeries from 4-45kW with smart digital remote control and monitoring. By working with its customers, the company can ensure the on-board power budget is comfortably served by an engineered solution, with reliability always in mind – backed by its own technicians across the UK. Renowned for silent running and clean, pure sine wave AC output (or high amperage DC – for coaches or for range extension on electric vehicles), Fischer Panda generators are suitable for any application, especially where sensitive equipment is to be powered.

Fischer Panda also offers the DuraSea ruggedised rooftop air conditioner. Highly efficient and with a UV air purifier as standard, it has 12,000Btu/3.5kW cooling. The DuraSea is easy to install, the internal panel gives air control and speed options.

Fischer Panda is a distributor for Mastervolt, the market leading Dutch manufacturer of inverters, battery chargers, Combis, lightweight isolation transformers etc and the company’s entire catalogue is available, either as stand-alone power solutions or as part of a generator based system. www.fischerpanda.co.uk

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AAA hosts Capital conference The AAA’s first annual conference in London provided inspiration, ideas and debate to the 170 delegates who attended the packed one-day conference.

Professor Christopher Moran, the National Clinical Director for Major Trauma, spoke about the first year of Major Trauma Networks in England. Although the introduction of Major Trauma Networks was always expected to take time to bed in, it is clearly already paying dividends with a 20 percent increase in the first year in the chances of surviving a major trauma in England. Air ambulances clearly make a positive contribution to this situation and Professor Moran said that he expects the new model to lead to more transfers, including helicopter transfers, which will mean new helipads will become more and more essential.

Professor Moran acknowledged, in response to a question from the audience, that as well as continuing the development of Major Trauma Networks, there is still work to do further down the line in major trauma rehabilitation and this will be the next focus.

Professor Sir Keith Porter is one of the leading trauma specialists in the country and gave a fascinating address on advances in haemorrhage control. He pointed to a number of lessons to be learned from the way the military deals with major trauma, and emphasised how Damage Control Surgery as part of the initial resuscitation period dramatically increases patients’ chances of survival.

Specialist speakers The day continued in such a high quality vein, with specialist speakers addressing all three areas of AAA members’ work – clinical, aviation and fundraising.

Dr David Rowney, Chair of the UK Paediatric Air Transport Group, unpicked the challenges and debates in paediatric air transport, starting with the logical first question, ‘Why fly?’ When it comes to paediatric air transport, said David, ‘There are a few facts and a lot of opinions, and we need to address the challenges facing us, putting our patients – babies and children – at the centre of the solution.’

David raised and addressed many of the challenges facing paediatric air transport and called the lack of helicopter landing sites ‘the Achilles Heel’.

The day continued to be rich in content, with 27 sessions through the day and Guy Opperman MP, air ambulance advocate and Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Air Ambulances, bringing the day to a close.

One final session that deserves a mention covered how charities communicate and find their fundraising niche in a packed marketplace. The session, delivered

by Martin Edwards from the charity Julia’s House, was packed with useful practical advice, pithy observations and heartfelt insights into what motivates people working in the charitable sector. It was an invaluable reminder to everyone in the room of just why they do what they do. www.aoaa.org.uk

Life Connections brings life savers to Kettering Life Connections 2014 is a unique two-day multiconference event bringing together delegates from many professions who are responsible for saving lives. The event, which takes place at the Kettering Conference Centre from 14-15 May, is supported by a trade exhibition positioned at the hub of all conference areas in order to provide delegates with the opportunity to see the latest equipment and technology currently available.

The 2014 Paramedic Practice Conference Programme has now been finalised and the following presentations will be given to those in attendance: • Why Trauma Patients Die? Professor Sir Keith Porter • Advancing Airway Practice for UK Paramedics Jamie Todd • Away from the Numbers – Quality Issue in Survival from Cardiac Arrest Ken Spearpoint • The Importance of Clinical Navigation in Integrating Emergency and Urgent Care Mark Newton • Trauma – Cardiac Arrest Dave Bramley • Striving for New Best Practice – Spinal & Pelvic Pre-Hospital Care Mark Bloch • The Cycle of Life Alex Strong.

The College of Paramedics will also be hosting a question and answer session at the end of the programme.

Future Events Cyber Security Scotland 2014 6 February Gogarburn Conference Centre, Edinburgh www.ndi.org.uk/cyber-security-scotland

CBRN: First Response 2014 Conference 11-12 February Mercure Hotel, Leicester www.cbrn-firstresponse.com

Resilience Now 2014 12-14 February ICC, Birmingham www.resiliencenow2014.com

Security and Policing 11-13 March FIVE Farnborough, Hampshire www.securityandpolicing.co.uk

British APCO 1-2 April Manchester Central www.bapco.org.uk

Professional Clothing Show 1-2 April NEC, Birmingham www.workwearshow.com

Ambition 29-30 April Olympia, London www.ambition-2014.com

Counter Terror Expo 29-30 April, Olympia, London www.counterterrorexpo.com

Hazmat 2014 30 April – 1 May Eastwood Hall, Nottingham www.the-ncec.com/hazmat-event

Speed Congress 7 May IMechE, London www.speedcongress.com

Value for money Over 150 delegates from trusts countrywide preregistered for the 2013 conference and from feedback received everybody found it to be informative, interesting and value for money.

Delegate rates start from just £36 and it is no surprise that over 50 delegates have already registered for the 2014 Conference, which takes place on Wednesday 14 May. On Thursday 15 May Exmed will again be running a Difficult Airway Course, which was also well attended this year. For those wishing to attend a rate of £72 including VAT is again being offered.

Trade exhibitions With over 60 trade stands displaying the latest equipment and supplies those registering as delegates can be assured of a full and rewarding day. For those purely wishing to attend the exhibition admission is free.

Additional conferences are likely to be announced over the coming months. To keep abreast of what Life Connections has to offer or to register please go to the dedicated website. www.lifeconnections.uk.com

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Fleet Safety Conference and Awards 5 June, St John’s Hotel, Solihull www.fleetsafetyawards.com

Life Connections 14-15 May Kettering Conference Centre, Northamptonshire www.lifeconnections.uk.com

Blue Light Fleet Exhibition 3-4 June The International Centre, Telford www.napfmevent.org.uk

Ambulex 9-10 July Ricoh Arena, Coventry www.ambulex.com

The Emergency Services Show 2014 24-25 September The NEC, Birmingham www.emergencyuk.com

INTERSCHUTZ 2015 8-13 June Hannover, Germany www.interschutz.de

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FRS national operational guidance programme gets under way London Fire Brigade is working with the Chief Fire Officers’ Association (CFOA) and the Local Government Association (LGA) to deliver a programme of new national operational guidance (NOG) for fire and rescue services.

Words: Susan Ellison-Bunce, Head of Strategy and Performance, London Fire Brigade, To many within and outside of the fire and rescue service, the structure and content of existing national operational guidance can be confusing.

Previous guidance took many forms, including manuals, technical bulletins and information circulated to chief officers. Finding the current guidance that applied to a particular situation was sometimes challenging and often involved searching a number of paper documents. It was difficult to see what the guidance was based on and whether the version you were looking at was the latest one.

Frequently overlong and written in formal language, the guidance attracted criticism, notably at the 7/7 Inquest and at a hearing into the fire at Atherstone-on-Stour that killed four firefighters.

Therefore, following discussions with the Department for Communities and Local Government, the London Fire Brigade, the Chief Fire Officers’ Association and the Local Government Association began working together to develop a programme of guidance to replace the existing manuals and bulletins with a programme team established in London to carry out the work.

Compiling the guidance The new guidance is based on the identified hazards, controls and activities at incidents. It doesn’t cover corporate guidance, technical information, information about appliances and equipment, operational procedures or training, though it may have links to all of them. NOG doesn’t prescribe detailed working practices and procedures – that will be for individual fire and rescue service to determine – but will set out the issues that need to be addressed in those detailed procedures. In essence, NOG sets out what can be done, not how to do it.

“The new national operational guidance sets out what can be done, not how to do it.”

Individual project teams made up of subject matter experts from inside and outside the fire and rescue service will be created for each area of guidance and will be coordinated by a project manager from the NOG programme team. It will contain: • Previous guidance: Over 6000 items of current and historic legacy material have been identified and reviewed by the central programme team.

Much of this work remains relevant, although it may need to be updated

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• Performance feedback: Input from incidents, debriefs, public inquiry or inquest outcomes, legal judgments, changes to legislation and technology • Expertise within the service: To be successful, guidance needs to draw on the wealth of knowledge within the UK fire and rescue service • Expertise outside the service: Guidance must be developed through stakeholder engagement with others, when they are better placed to inform fire and rescue service actions • Risk analysis: The programme team has catalogued the series of generic risk assessments produced by DCLG and will address their identified control measures in the appropriate guidance.

Once the material has been prepared, technical editors will ensure a consistent house style in plain English that reduces any chance of ambiguity or confusion. Its layout will be simple: knowledge, hazards, controls and actions.

Approval, consultation and publication Two bodies will oversee the work of the programme team. The Operational Guidance Group contains representatives from the fire and rescue service, the fire industry, the representative bodies and the Health and Safety Executive. The Operational Guidance Strategy Board comprises:

CFOA’s Director of Operations, the LGA’s Director of Programmes (Safer and Stronger Communities), London’s Fire Commissioner and the Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser. Both bodies consider and agree draft guidance before it is released for consultation with the fire and rescue service and a wide range of stakeholders. Following consultation, the work will be re-evaluated by the relevant project team before the Operational Guidance Group and the Strategy Board approve the final guidance.

Completed guidance will be published online in a Wikipedia-style format. This will allow guidance to be easily searched and quickly and easily revised or updated should circumstances change.

The first two pieces of new national operational guidance (on Environmental Protection and Water Rescue and Flooding) were released for consultation with the fire and rescue service and a wide range of stakeholders in October 2013. Following consultation, assessment and review, the completed guidance is intended for publication early in 2014.

Work is underway on producing the next pieces of national operational guidance. Project boards have recently been established to draft new guidance on incident command, fires in the built environment and marauding terrorist firearms attacks. Project executives have also been appointed to lead the production of new guidance on fires and fire fighting, performing rescues and operations. www.ukfrs.com

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The Argon Programme: national site specific planning and response The three-year Argon Programme, which ran from 1 January 2009 until 31 March 2012, was the Home Office programme for the validation of Multi Agency CBRN Site Specific Plans (SSPs), across the UK. The programme was aimed at promoting the development of local SSPs: flexible multi-agency tactical plans for responding to a CBRN event, based on identified assets and local arrangements capable of delivering a coordinated and effective local response.

So what did we learn and how will methodology developed during the programme be taken forwards?

Words: Gerry Harvey, Police National CBRN Centre.

In 2006, within its pages, ‘A Model Response to CBRN Events’ outlined an aspirational and coordinated multi-agency timeline for responding to CBRN events in the UK. The document describes the coordinated activities required in respect of the police, fire and rescue service, health services, local authorities and other agencies in response to a CBRN attack.

During this time there was collaboration between OSCT and emergency planners at MR sites to develop a template for such plans, which resulted in a number of iterations.

Between 2007 and 2009, the UK Government invested approximately £250m in the UK emergency services to provide a capability towards delivering the ‘Model Response’ (MR). The subsequent strategy was to ‘cluster’ emergency service CBRN resources towards centres of population and vulnerable sites, to provide a local, regional and national response capability. These locations are often referred to as ‘MR sites’.

Following the delivery of these capabilities to the emergency services, a number of multi-agency CBRN exercises demonstrated some significant challenges in achieving a timely and effective response to a CBRN event.

During 2007/8 the Home Office’s Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism (OSCT) asked multi-agency planners at MR sites to provide sitespecific multi-agency tactical level response plans for a CBRN event. These plans were to provide assurance that the emergency services and other partner agencies could provide a coordinated and interoperable response to a CBRN event at a tactical level.

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Multi-agency plans OSCT tasked the Police National CBRN Centre (PN CBRN C) to design and deliver a validation process for Site Specific Plans (SSPs) across the UK and to support their further development.

Consequently, the Argon Programme was the Home Office programme for the validation of Multi Agency CBRN Site Specific Plans (SSPs), across the UK. A specialist multi-agency team from the Police National CBRN Centre managed the programme on behalf of OSCT. The three-year programme, which commenced on 1 January 2009 and formally closed on 31 March 2012, aimed to promote the development of local SSPs: flexible multi-agency tactical plans for responding to a CBRN event, based on identified assets and local arrangements capable of delivering a coordinated and effective local response.

“The methodology and approach used within the Argon Programme was utilised to validate and test the venues for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

Methodology The Argon Programme was delivered in three distinct phases: Argon Check, Argon Choice and Argon Shield. The Argon Team supported SSP

development, designed and delivered bespoke tabletop validation exercises and assessed live exercises at each site.

The methodology and approach used within the Argon Programme was utilised to validate and test the venues for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The same methodology was used to provide other CBRN planning guidance elsewhere within the UK. Argon methodology is currently being used to assist European partners in the development of frameworks for CBRN Site Specific Response planning.

The programme has formally closed and findings from it (along with other sources of learning) are being used to inform a review and reconfiguration of the Model Response. While this review is underway the requirement for Site Specific Response planning in line with the existing Model Response, still exists.

Outcomes Throughout the course of the programme, the Argon Team has contributed observations, findings and recommendations to support on-going national work at OSCT and PN CBRN C, and inside individual emergency services, towards improved response, capability and interoperability. The focus of the Argon Report was to make post-programme recommendations to further enhance UK CBRN and European preparedness and response.

It must be emphasised that local learning from each individual site was owned locally. The Argon findings are the headline issues that arose, which were promulgated to the appropriate government departments for consideration and implementation. www.college.police.uk

For further information please contact: cbrnadmin@college.pnn.police.uk

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National response capability to CBRN(E) incidents is a multi-layered approach CFOA National Resilience provides a 24/7 capability through fire and rescue services (FRSs) across England and Wales to be able to respond to a large scale CBRN(E) deliberate release of hazardous materials, which could affect large numbers of members of the public. Decontamination of the public is a requirement as an emergency order under Section 9 of the Fire Services Act 2004 and is provided by the fire and rescue service to the ambulance service under a Memorandum of Understanding between the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Department of Health.

Words: Glen Gorman MSc, National CBRN(E) Capability Officer.

The response capability to a large scale CBRN(E) deliberate release of hazardous materials is multilayered and includes: mass decontamination (MD); Detection, Identification and Monitoring (DIM) of hazardous materials; Decontamination of Body Bags (DBB); and expert advice from a cadre of CBRN(E) Subject Matter Advisors (SMAs). A team of National Inter-agency Liaison Officers (NILOs) further supplements this capability.

Mass Decontamination (MD) A wide range of equipment is carried on the 72 Incident Response Units (IRUs) across England and Wales that enables specialist firefighters on each unit to decontaminate up to 300 people per hour in the event of a CBRN(E) release; this includes the facility for members of the public to disrobe, undergo warm water decontamination showering and to be able to rerobe with dignity at the end of the process.

“Workshops and studies are being carried out to ensure that there is an international interoperability capability should the need arise.”

In the event of large numbers of people being involved (300+) this capability is backed by dedicated mass disrobe and rerobe facilities to supplement resources already at the scene.

Firefighters carrying out the decontamination process are protected from being contaminated themselves through the use of personal protective equipment such as self contained Powered

Respirator Protective Suits (PRPS) and a rigorous decontamination process with a safe undressing procedure.

Detection Identification and Monitoring (DIM) To enhance the safe working procedures of emergency service staff, there are 19 highly trained DIM teams across England and Wales equipped with sophisticated, specialist equipment to detect the presence of hazardous atmospheres, identify the substance(s) that are responsible for the hazard (this can include a wide range of solids, liquids and pastes, volatile organic compounds and vapours and radiation sources) and to monitor the atmosphere for a safe working environment.

Decontamination of Body Bags (DBB) Currently four fire and rescue services, namely London, Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and Wales, provide support to the national CBRN(E) Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) process and can provide specialist decontamination of body bags to enable the safe and speedy identification of those unfortunate enough to have lost their lives in a suspected terrorist attack.

Subject Matter Advisors (SMAs) To supplement the safe systems of work employed by the firefighters on scene at a CBRN(E) event, there are a cadre of specialist SMAs available 24/7 who are highly trained and experienced officers, available to attend anywhere in England and Wales. These officers are experts in the processes of MD, DIM and DBB with a wealth of experience in all of these areas. They are available to provide support and guidance to emergency service responders on good practice and they have access to continual scientific advice, through a reach back arrangement, to a team of scientific advisors from a range of specialist providers such as the Defence, Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) at Porton Down.

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National Inter-Agency Liaison Officers (NILOs) A specially trained team of security vetted officers exists across England and Wales and they provide a communication link between the FRS and a wide range of partner agencies other than emergency services, including the Military Security Services.

These officers are experienced incident command practitioners and are available through an on-call rota that provides a national response capability.

The future Scientific research is continually enhancing the national response to CBRN(E) incidents and currently an initial operational response programme (IOR) is being rolled out as a multiagency response to provide emergency decontamination and protection to members of the public in the initial stages of a CBRN(E) event occurring. This enables early emergency action to be taken at the outset while the mass decontamination facility is being resourced.

Workshops and studies are being carried out to provide a formalised and consistent approach to the overall response to CBRN(E) mass decontamination events across the European Union to ensure that there is an international interoperability capability should the need arise. www.cfoa.org.uk

All photos courtesy of Hampshire Fire & Rescue Service

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Improving patient outcomes in the Hot Zone The Hazardous Area Response Teams (HART) began to roll out within ambulance trusts in 2009. The previous year had seen the pilot of two core skill sets – CBRN and USAR. The focus of the HART programme has always been based upon current or emerging threats, a process that continues today some four years later with new skills added to reflect the risks the Government believes need to be mitigated.

Words: James Price, HART Manager, West Midlands Ambulance Service & Chair of the HART National Operations Group.

The UK is well served by Anti Terrorist laws and policies borne out from our significant experience from Irish Republican and Islamic Fundamentalist terrorism. One key component in the fight against terrorism is the CONTEST strategy. This is divided into four pillars with different agencies having responsibilities within them. They are: • Pursue – To stop terrorist attacks • Prevent – To stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism • Protect – To strengthen our protection against terrorist attack

The inner cordon of an incident is a semi permissive environment and while the full paramedic skill set is not brought to bear the experienced practitioner will be able to deliver life saving treatments such CAT Tourniquet, Blast Bandages and Chest Seals. We have also leaned extensively from military colleagues and their clinical experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan and, like them, we make use of devices such as EZIO where we drill into the bone and gain an access route for drugs such as Morphine for pain relief and fluids to stabilise blood pressure.

• Prepare – To mitigate the effects of a terrorist attack.

“In the civilian environment we have to triage, treat and evacuate the public.”

The NHS is involved in the Protect and Prepare work streams and HART is specifically mentioned in CONTEST to deal with mass casualty incidents, be they by accident or design, such as with CBRN(E).

One single aim The introduction of HART within UK ambulances services has always had one single aim – improve patient outcomes. What we know from extensive research is that the earlier a patient receives treatment the better their outcome in the long term. Therefore HART need to make entry with fire and rescue service colleagues into the inner cordon to provide patient treatment, not wait for them to be brought out to a warm or cold zone with treatment taking place from there.

Easy as (C)ABC What the paramedic also brings is the ability to triage patients quickly and effectively so as resources deployed within the inner cordon are maximised to the patient’s benefit. What we also now know is that the accepted paradigm of ABC will not work in mass casualty situations but now needs to be (C) ABC – Catastrophic Haemorrhage, Airway, Breathing then Circulation.

closed circuit linked to the mass oxygen system.

This allows us more time to deal with a patient who cannot be extricated promptly.

What other equipment can HART bring to a CBRN(E) situation? We are able to provide Mass Oxygen systems that are able to treat up to 48 patients at any one time and we can also use that system to pump oxygen up to 100m away to four patients. We are also able to provide a secure airway through i-gel with an attached VR1 ventilator. This prevents further respiration taking place in a contaminated atmosphere, as it is a

Triage, treat and evacuate The UK has developed extensive experience in CBRN Terrorism over the last 10 years and what started as a reliance on the military has moved towards having a CBRN Centre at the College of Policing in Ryton. While the knowledge the military are able to provide is still used today, CBRN in a civilian environment is different to a military one. The simple difference is that CBRN in the military can be used as a ‘denial of ground’ option to either aid attacking forces or cover the retreat of a defeated one but both sides are usually well trained and well equipped. In the civilian environment we have to triage, treat and evacuate the public.

James Price, HART Manager, West Midlands Ambulance Service & Chair of the HART National Operations Group.

HART teams can make use of devices such as EZIO to drill into the bone and gain an access route for drugs such as Morphine for pain relief and fluids to stabilise blood pressure.

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HART teams are able to provide a secure airway through i-gel with an attached VR1 ventilator.

The future risk What of the future of CBRN as a risk to society?

The Government and its associated intelligence departments will always focus on the current risk and so there has been a focus on Nairobi type events, which are straightforward to carry out and do not require the technical capabilities of a CBRN scenario, however, a recent report from the MoD1 predicts that terrorists will continue to try and obtain CBRN materials to carry out attacks and they may well look to organised crime to supply what they need for the right price.

The Government strongly believes that CBRN is a real threat and as such has a National Counter Proliferation Strategy so as CBRN materials and expertise does not fall into the wrong hands2. Events across the Middle East have shown that regimes that possess CBRN materials can lose control of them during times of civil war thus leading to a wider risk.

In the meantime a Home Office programme is aiming to ensure greater joint working between agencies at Major Incidents. The Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Programme (JESIP) has developed an initial training package that is

delivered to the multi-agency audience who would attend an incident within that region thus fostering the relationships that always ensure effective incident resolution. www.wmas.nhs.uk

References: 1. Ministry of Defence Strategic Trends Program Global Strategic Trends – Out to 2040 2. National Security Strategy Annex 12 National Counter Proliferation Strategy 2012-2015

Setting the standard for CBRN protection The recent events of CBRN incidents in Syria has raised awareness and served to focus attention on CBRN equipment and its related capabilities. For over 40 years the Bluecher Group has researched, developed and innovated, making Bluecher the world market leader for CBRN protection. Over 12 million of Bluecher’s SARATOGA® brand protective suits and systems in-service in over 40 countries should speak for themselves.

For even the most demanding tasks, users – including such groups as OPCW inspectors, who are confronted with real CBRN hazards every single day – rely on Bluecher SARATOGA® technologies. SARATOGA® is the only system that fulfils all of the essential requirements for practical integrated individual CBRN protection.

Bluecher Covert CBRN suit combinations.

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SARATECH Filter technology incorporated in the new Bluecher Drinking Water Purification System.

Innovative design The core business of the Bluecher Group is the development and manufacture of highly efficient filter systems predominately based upon spherical, high-performance adsorbers, which massively outperform traditional activated carbons. Toxic and other undesirable substances are reliably filtered out of gases and liquids and securely bound. Optimum wear physiology and innovative design, as well as superior performance under real world conditions, emphasise the uniqueness of the company’s products. Standard ‘off the peg’ products are usually no match for the complexity of the problem. On the other hand, depending upon the particular requirements, tailor-made solutions guarantee optimum filtration results with no compromises.

For decades, SARATOGA® systems have set the standards for CBRN protection. The latest generation of the SARATOGA® air permeable CBRN protective material is lighter, more flexible,

and provides longer operational capability than any comparable material.

Drawing upon its many years of experience in the development and manufacture of protective equipment for the military sector and civil protection organisations, Bluecher has now expanded into industrial and other applications for its technology. In today’s high-technology world ever-increasing requirements are being placed on highly efficient filter technologies.

The Bluecher SARATECH® brand is based around high-performance synthetic sorptive materials (including also the same military-grade spherical adsorbents family used in the SARATOGA® brand) working on both chemi- and physisorptive principles and are produced in a unique process. The SARATECH® filter technology from Bluecher provides class-leading gas and liquid filtration solutions, which now include a water purification system able to readily remove Organophosphates, heavy metals, VOCs and a host of other contaminant groups to produce volume water cleaned to WHO drinking water quality standards, all within an extremely cost effective package needing only very austere energy requirements.

Whether the CBRN solution needed is personal protection or the remediation of gaseous or liquid contaminated, the optimum solution path invariably lies through a Bluecher technology based route. www.bluecher.com

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Interoperability and the CBRN response Assuming that you accept the definition of interoperability as something like ‘enabling different functional capabilities to work together to optimal effect’ then most of the work that has been done in the UK on the CBRN response has been about interoperability. Indeed I would assess that of all the work I did with the emergency services and other responders only about 20 percent was actually specific to CBRN. What I learned in over 10 years of leading the Home Office’s CBRN response programme was the importance of keeping it simple, logical and accessible.

Words: John Jones, Director, CBRNExcellence Ltd. Let’s look at the history of CBRN response in the UK, firstly to provide context and secondly to ensure that we do not re-live it!

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Armageddon was seen in terms of catastrophic chemical, biological or nuclear releases delivered by terrorists who either had developed industrial-level capability (think of Aum Shinrikyo in Tokyo in 1992) or intended to acquire and deploy Weapons of Mass Destruction (Osama Bin Laden c.1998).

Contamination was seen as the major issue to be dealt with (by a Decontamination Steering Group in true civil service fashion!) and was so pervasive that surviving casualties were seen as THE problem. The emergency services, in particular the police, would have to ensure that nobody could leave the scene without being decontaminated in case previously unaffected areas were ‘dirtied’.

Tactics were drawn up to restrain anyone leaving the scene using large numbers of police officers in vast cordons equipped with respirators and protective suits. We even researched the legal powers, which would allow this. More importantly, other emergency responders would not go forward to deal with casualties until the scene was secured in this way.

what was going on. The fundamental problem, however, was that the three services had no concept of how to ‘interoperate’ and, while they were working out how to get along with one another, the casualties became a second-order nuisance factor.

Interestingly this was all being filmed by Sky, the BBC and Al-Jazeera – it was a quiet news day. I’m not sure if it made good watching but for me this was a pivotal moment.

“What I learned in over 10 years of leading the Home Office’s CBRN response programme was the importance of keeping it simple, logical and accessible.”

Focus on the casualties Fears of a Mumbai-style attack had given added impetus to ensuring the emergency services could all respond effectively to marauding terrorists. The parallels with CBRN were pretty clear to me – here was another difficult operating environment (bullets flying as opposed to poisonous gas) in which responders needed to carry out their business as usual tasks with absolute priority being given to saving life – the focus was firmly on the casualties. Home Office colleagues asked me to help.

I used the CBRN model to assemble a multiagency concept of operations, which set out the basic principles for the response and which not only determined joint roles and responsibilities but also would be signed-up to by all of the emergency services. This, in turn, I fed back into the CBRN programme, which is now being revised as a result, to restore the focus on casualties not the operating environment or the process of decontamination –

Imagine my embarrassment and confusion when I was an observer at Exercise Horizon in 2004, at the NEC in Birmingham, when neither fire and rescue service nor the ambulance service would attend to casualties until the police had arrived in sufficient numbers to control anyone who had the temerity to leave the scene or indeed challenge

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Revision of tactics My team collaborated with each of the emergency services to put in place the Model Response (MR) to CBRN incidents, which for the first time laid out what was expected of each of them across a set of post-release timelines.

A lot has happened since that Sunday in the West Midlands. But the fundamental challenge of delivering police in sufficient numbers as envisaged in the MR could not be met (not to mention afforded). A revision of tactics was required but there was no great appetite to do this. The MR had become the bedrock on which the UK’s CBRN programme had been built and there was a degree of nervousness about changing it. It took developments elsewhere to force the pace.

About the author: John Jones retired in October 2013 from the Office for Security and CounterTerrorism Government Service where for 11 years he led the work to put in place the UK’s response to a CBRN attack and to design policies to make it harder for terrorists to gain access to CBRN or explosive materials. In 2002 John became the Programme Manager for the first UK cross-department CBRN programme.

Since then his achievements include the CBRN Model Response and associated site-specific plans, authoring the UK’s CBRN Strategy, leading the UK contribution to EU CBRN and Explosives Action Plans and Centres of Excellence initiatives, and establishing the multi-agency ConOps for marauding terrorist firearms attacks. John is now lead director with CBRNExcellence Ltd. the initial operational response guidance now being rolled out is a very good example and, I would say, is making us safer in a more efficient way.

What are the key lessons?

Firstly, government has a vital role in creating a common approach for the blue light services and although reluctant to be perceived as interfering in operational matters (which of course it does when it suits) it has been the only way to get the three services on the same page. This absolutely requires the establishment of a centre of expertise.

Secondly, a common (perhaps common-sense) approach to risk management where various mnemonics are jettisoned in favour of a simple assessment of what can and must be done immediately and what requires specialist support.

Finally, as there are so many vested interests, which thrive on complexity but not always helpfully – keep it simple, it saves lives. www.cbrnexcellence.com

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1965 – Woollen Tunic T63 Fire coat

Ensemble specification

Features & Benefits: • Fire coat made from wool fabric • Uniform styling • Good heat protection when dry • Relatively flame resistant

Manufactured by Bristol Uniforms to meet first Home Office Standard A1 for firefighter clothing in 1965.

At this time firefighter PPE was manufactured using what limited fabrics were available and focused on protecting the wearer from external hazards.

There was little, or no, scope for design or comfort considerations.

Disadvantages: • Heavy when wet • Difficult to clean/absorbs dirt, hydrocarbons and blood borne pathogens

Trousers Features & Benefits: • Wet Legs made from Polyvinylchloride (PVC) • Waterproof Disadvantages: • No heat resistance • No flame resistance • Flammable

PVC wet legs

Woollen tunic with PVC wet legs

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Nomex coat with PVC wet legs

Some of the basic elements of today’s PPE were absent in 1965. In a male dominated public sector organisation there was no provision for female firefighters in shape, styles or sizes. There was no provision, or need in some cases, for extra pockets for radios, torches and other accessories. The same uniforms were worn by every fire brigade in the country – occasionally provision was made for use of a fire brigade’s own buttons.

Firefighters were expected to maintain their own protective clothing, including washing and repairing their garments.

Early Wessex

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2013 – XFLEX™ Structural Firefighter PPE By 2013, fibre and fabric manufacturers have developed a wide range of natural and man-made fabrics in composite materials, which afford high performance resistance to heat and flame, tear and abrasion resistance.

Modern three-layer PPE construction, incorporating a variety of fabrics, enable today’s designs to focus on the ergonomics of clothing to provide enhanced flexibility, movement and comfort.

Lighter weight constructions also provide enhanced scope to reduce heat stress on firefighters.

Fire coat Features: • Double zip flap extends to neck with internal zip guard to protect throat • Soft knitted inner lining on collar • Deep return on cuff hem ensures gloves fit well inside sleeve • Ergonomic threedimensional articulated elbow • Hem of sleeve curved over back of hand for additional protection

Trousers

General

Features: • H Braces with unique webbing slide adjuster • Inside hem lined with Neoprene to minimise abrasion from boots • Fully articulated threedimensional ergonomic knee shaping which goes through all layers • Very flexible reinforcement fabric used

• Reflective tape is breathable and stitched with ‘Trimsaver’ metaaramid braid • Brigade names can be added to the back or on a vertical sleeve graphic on the coat • 28 sizes – ie seven chest fittings and four height fittings available in both male and female ranges

Wessex 1990s

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Ergotech Action™ 2003

XFlex™ with ECO-dry 2011

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34 | ESTCOMPANY PROFILE

Training 4 Resilience: specialist training provider putting customers first Beverley Osborne and business partner Adrian Seward established Training 4 Resilience (T4R) in 2011. Having worked together in training for a number of years for large organisations, they decided to set up their own business in order to provide customer focused training solutions for both the public and private sector in the fields of resilience and business continuity. Beverley spoke to Emergency Services Times about the specialist training company.

Emergency Services Times (EST): Which markets are key for Training 4 Resilience (T4R)?

Beverley Osborne (BO): Since 2007, we have been designing and delivering collective training events, validation exercises and other bespoke training events for the UK public sector – both single and multi-agency groups – and the public sector remains a core focus for our business. Our services are not confined to the public sector however, and we deliver a wide range of solutions for community groups and the voluntary sector, as well as private sector businesses. More recently, we have been providing our services to organisations that have responsibilities for delivering safe and secure festivals and events – this year we delivered an exercise in support of the Glastonbury Festival team’s preparations and we will be expanding our work in this area.

EST: How does T4R deliver its training?

BO: Both Adrian and I deliver a large number of the exercises and training courses, but we are also very privileged to have a number of Associates who work with us on a regular basis to help us with individual events. All our Associates are experienced and recognised practitioners in their field, and this enables us to handpick the right team for each job. We also team up with key companies to deliver some of the core elements of our work – for example Crown Media work with us to provide media teams for exercises and training events; and Greenwich University work with us for the provision of the Pandora Advanced Training System.

For us the key to success is working closely with the organisations that use our services so that we can adjust the training and exercises to meet their very specific requirements. A good example is where the principles and concepts are commonly understood but the terminology used is uniquely local as is the geography and operating conditions.

It is important that the training content is adjusted to address the differing and specific needs of every training audience.

EST: Does T4R offer bespoke training courses?

BO: Yes we do. Some of our customers have very specific requirements – for example they may use a particular software application for their incident logging, and therefore they require us to tailor our standard course delivery to take into account how they use their application, and their own internal processes. Other customers are looking for bespoke courses that we don’t currently offer as open courses – for example Strategic Coordinating Group (SCG) Training, which is tailored specifically for the group of individuals who will be working together in a particular area. In this way we are able to work with the team beforehand to

Beverley Osborne and business partner Adrian Seward established Training 4 Resilience (T4R) in 2011.

understand what their training needs are, and focus the sessions to address those specific needs, rather than simply delivering a general course, much of which may not be relevant to that team. We also offer one to one coaching sessions for individuals who would like a bespoke coaching service applicable to their role, and again these are discussed and agreed on a case by case basis.

We work hard to make sure we listen to the needs of our training audiences. Some clients contact us directly, and we chat through their needs and either design a bespoke course for them, or recommend attendance on one of our open courses. In other cases, the needs of our potential clients are articulated through articles that are published, both

by Central Government and others, and reports and findings from specific incidents. It is a combination of all of these methods that help us define the aim and objectives for training courses.

As with all training, it is important to evaluate the sessions afterwards, and this feedback also helps us ensure that we are meeting the needs of our clients, and adjusting our materials as necessary.

EST: Are live exercises of more benefit to emergency responders than tabletop exercises?

BO: Both live exercises and tabletop exercises are important to prove that a detailed plan is workable – and therefore the type of exercise you conduct is not based on the capabilities of the participants, but on the purpose of the exercise. When participants come to a tabletop exercise they should be familiar with their plan, and the concept behind a tabletop exercise is to test the plan against a particular set of circumstances presented as unfolding scenarios. In

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this way, any weaknesses in the plan or procedures can be teased out and explored. The timeline for the simulated scenarios can be adjusted to allow a single exercise to cover the different stages of an incident – initial response, consequence management and recovery, which would not always be possible during a live field exercise.

A live exercise is essentially a rehearsal for a planned response and they are particularly useful for testing aspects such as logistics, communications and physical capabilities.

Within a tabletop exercise, participants and exercise control staff will make assumptions regarding how long actions take to implement (ie they will assume how long it will take to evacuate a village). With a live exercise, a true measure of the length of time the evacuation actually takes can be made. Live exercises are expensive to set up, particularly when compared to tabletop exercises, and they require extensive preparation. However, they are a very visual reminder of the planning and preparation that takes place across the UK. The involvement of large numbers of participants also provides excellent media opportunities for agencies to highlight the need for personal preparation and community resilience.

EST: What is the Virtual T4R Classroom?

BO: The Virtual T4R Classroom is the latest training environment that we offer to our clients.

Virtual classroom training is real-time training conducted by live T4R instructors in an online environment. You get the same high quality course content as our corresponding classroom-based courses, but in a more convenient package. The

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ESTCOMPANY PROFILE | 35 training can be completed from virtually anywhere, therefore eliminating all travel and subsistence costs for participants. Furthermore, training modules can be scheduled to support flexible work arrangements – for example part time workers, shift workers and voluntary workers. The Virtual T4R Classroom is a very flexible environment and can be used for one-to-one training sessions as well as team training and open courses.

During the course, the T4R instructor will deliver the training session as if they were delivering in a normal classroom environment. Training modules last for a maximum of 90 minutes, and a course may consist of a number of different modules.

In terms of equipment, course participants simply need a computer or hand held device, broadband access, and a set of headphones and a microphone.

(Note: the software works with all devices except iPhones and iPads).

EST: Your Exercise Design Courses are launching this autumn – who are they aimed at?

BO: We have designed these courses to support anyone who has responsibility for designing riskbased tabletop/workshop style exercises to train and/or validate their organisation/multi-agency group in support of crisis and emergency management, and business continuity. Often exercise design is just one of many tasks that individuals have within their portfolio of additional work related responsibilities. These courses are therefore designed to help and support individuals by providing training and techniques as well as some helpful templates.

“For us the key to success is working closely with the organisations that use our services so that we can adjust the training and exercises to meet their very specific requirements.”

We have focused each of our courses on a different risk – for example Severe Weather Flooding or Pandemic Flu – and the course takehome pack includes a top level scenario and injects that participants can then add to in order to complete their own, individual exercise.

Having designed and delivered over 70 different high quality single and multi-agency exercises to organisations in both the public and private sector, Adrian and I look forward to sharing our experiences with participants, including some of the pitfalls and humorous anecdotes!

EST: T4R designs and delivers Gold Standard exercises though the Emergency Planning College (EPC) – how did this relationship develop?

BO: Adrian and I have been involved in the Gold Standard contract since the original bid back in 2006. At the time we both worked for AgustaWestland, who tendered, and subsequently won the competition for the Gold Standard contract. At that time, the Emergency Planning

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College was still owned and operated by the Cabinet Office, and therefore the relationship with the EPC was established. Over the years the contract moved from AgustaWestland to SELEX SI and finally to Serco (who now operate the Emergency Planning College for and on behalf of the Cabinet Office) but Adrian and I have been the constant design and delivery team for all of the public sector Gold Standard exercises since the beginning. We now provide our exercise design and delivery services for public sector Gold Standard courses for Serco, and we are currently working with them to deliver a multi-agency exercise early next year for South Yorkshire.

EST: What is T4R’s involvement with the Cabinet Office’s National Resilience Extranet (NRE) project?

BO: In July 2011, we became the sole training provider on behalf of Ultra Electronics for the National Resilience Extranet (NRE). Working closely with Ultra Electronics we developed and enhanced the core training package as well as introducing new courses, such as the User Training Course. In the build-up to the London 2012 Olympic Games we also ran a series of short, multiagency exercises on the NRE, in which all users could participate. These events, known as Exercise HERMES, enabled NRE users to polish their skills ahead of the Games when they were required to access information and submit reports using the NRE. Currently we are working with Ultra to explore using our Virtual Classroom capability to offer Sponsor/Administrator Conversion Courses on the NRE within the virtual environment for people who are unable to attend our standard classroom-based courses.

The core concept of the NRE – to provide the whole of the resilience community with a common system that enables timely, efficient and secure communication and exchange of information – addresses one of the fundamental elements of emergency planning and response, which is information sharing. Good information sharing and collaborative working ensures that the right decisions are made at the right time, and that can mean the difference between life and death.

EST: Is the NRE being widely used by the resilience community?

BO: The NRE is in use by the resilience community across the UK in a number of different

ways. For some organisations, it simply provides them with the connectivity to access national guidance and information; others use it to manage and share all of their documentation; while others use it for document and information sharing to support both planning and incident response.

The next generation of the NRE, ResilienceDirect will look to build upon those areas of functionality that have proved most useful for information sharing and collaboration, and make it even easier for the resilience community to access the system.

EST: Who is your Community Resilience training aimed at?

BO: These courses are aimed at individuals and teams who are looking to develop community resilience within their area; or to test the plans that they have put in place. Most of the people who attend the courses are volunteers who are committed to their community, and who recognise that they need to work together in the event of a local crisis or emergency. They understand that they will be more effective if they have a Community Resilience plan, rather than making something up on the day, and so we help them work through the process. There is some excellent guidance and materials that have been produced by the Cabinet Office, but sometimes volunteers are unsure how to access the information and how to get started – and this is where we can help.

EST: T4R is delivering a course in January entitled Decision Making Under Pressure – which areas will this course be looking at?

BO: We all make decisions every day of our lives – from the simple such as what to have for tea; to the more complex such as which house to buy.

However, when you are making a decision in a pressured environment such as an incident, trying to determine the best decision to make can be a lot harder. In this course we look at some techniques for decision making – such as evaluating when a decision needs to be made (do you have time to wait, or must you decide now); and how do you evaluate what is the best (or least worst) decision.

We are also using the Pandora Advanced Training Environment during the course – a simulation system that allows students to consider a scenario, make a decision and then examine the consequences of that decision. www.training4resilience.co.uk

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36 | ESTPEOPLE

Temporary Chief Constable Bernard Lawson has announced that Assistant Chief Constable Jerry Graham has been chosen as the new Deputy Chief Constable of Cumbria Constabulary.

ACC Graham will take up his appointment with effect from 1 January 2014.

Ambulance charity thanks Fire Service College Emergency Services Show organiser role for Jon Hall

www.cumbria.police.uk

Bill Lawson has been appointed as President of PBI Performance Products Inc. Bill has been with the company since 1981 and has been PBI’s Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director since 2005.

Bill’s leadership of the company has strengthened PBI’s market presence and operational excellence, which is reflected in the strong performance of the business. www.pbiproducts.com

Lord McKenzie of Luton has become President of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA). He was elected to the office at the safety charity’s annual meeting in Birmingham on 8 November and succeeds Lord Jordan of Bournville CBE, who held the post for five years. www.rospa.com

Airwave’s Head of Business Continuity and Emergency Planning, Mark Jones, has been appointed as the Deputy Chair of the Electronic Communications Resilience and Response Group (EC-RRG) – a triparty emergency planning group made up of the major UK network operators, government and Ofcom. www.airwavesolutions.co.uk

Merseyside Police has appointed Andy Cooke as its new Deputy Chief Constable. DCC Cooke joined Merseyside Police in 1985 and has served at every rank as a detective. www.merseyside.police.uk

Surrey Police has appointed Gavin Stephens as a new Assistant Chief Constable. Gavin, who has been in the post temporarily since May this year, will have responsibility for overseeing local policing across the county. www.surrey.police.uk

The Chief Fire Officers’ Association (CFOA) has appointed Paul Fuller as CFOA President for the term 20132014. CFOA also welcomes Paul Hancock, Chief Fire Officer at Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service, who joins the Presidential Team as Vice-President Elect. Completing the Presidential team is Vice President Peter Dartford, Chief Fire Officer at Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service. www.cfoa.org.uk

The ASBF has shown its appreciation to David Brown, organiser of The Emergency Services Show, by presenting him with the ASBF wall shield. Presenting the shield at the Charity’s stand, ASBF Chairman Paul Leopold, said, “We are so grateful to David for his continued support with

the space he donates to our charity each year and it gave me great pleasure to present him with a small token of our appreciation.

With the generosity of people like David promoting the ASBF would be so much more difficult.”

The ASBF was set up over 27 years ago with the aim to care for the carers and continues to develop its future care programmes to improve the help and support for all ambulance service personnel in their time of need.

parts of the Force area.

“It is also good to see someone born and bred in North Wales, and whose first language is Welsh, achieve such a prominent position in the area.”

Gareth, the ACPO lead for Search and Rescue nationally, is also the National lead for Dangerous Dogs and holds the Dangerous Dogs Portfolio for Police in England and Wales. As part of this portfolio he liaises with both DEFRA and the Welsh Government seeking to improve public protection in this field.

Jon brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise with over 30 years’ experience in the fire and rescue service, most recently as Chief Fire Officer for Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service. In his role as Chair of the National Resilience Board for the UK, Jon also has first hand experience in delivering civil resilience as well as commanding a number of major incidents.

Jon will act as the senior professional officer at the College and as the key interface into the fire and rescue service. Jon will focus on providing effective leadership for the design and delivery of training, learning and conducting exercises as well as supporting the fire and rescue service in ensuring safe and cost effective development of its organisational capability.

Jez Smith, Managing Director at the Fire Service College, said, “I am pleased to be able to appoint such an experienced and high calibre director to our team, Jon’s knowledge and expertise in the fire and rescue service will be a great asset to the Fire Service College and I look forward to working with him. This is an exciting time for the College and Jon’s appointment further strengthens our commitment and vision to become a world-class centre for fire and multi agency training and leadership development.”

Commenting on his appointment, Jon added, “I am delighted to be joining the team at such an important time for fire and rescue services. With chief officers facing unprecedented challenges, it is vital that the College understands these and develops innovative solutions to assist.”

Jon will leave Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service on 1 February 2014.

www.north-wales.police.uk

www.capita.co.uk

www.asbf.co.uk

Interim Chief Executive appointed at EMAS Sue Noyes has been appointed as the new Chief Executive of East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS).

Her interim role at EMAS is expected to last at least nine months while a permanent successor can be found.

Sue has more than 20 years’ experience in the NHS – most recently as acting Chief Executive at the Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust.

Sue said, “I’m looking forward to getting started at EMAS. I know that all staff in the organisation are committed to serving the people of the East Midlands in the best way possible and I see my role as helping the organisation reach its full potential in this mission.”

Pauline Tagg has been appointed as acting Chair of EMAS for up to six months following the recent resigna-

tion of Jon Towler, who served in the role for two and a half years. www.emas.nhs.uk

North Wales Police appoints DCC Gareth Pritchard has been appointed the new Deputy Chief Constable (DCC) of North Wales Police. Mr Pritchard has been acting DCC since the retirement of Ian Shannon earlier this year.

Chief Constable Mark Polin said, “I am very pleased to announce that Gareth Pritchard has been appointed as the Deputy Chief Constable. This is a key appointment and Gareth will bring many qualities to the role and offer continuity in the chief officer team, having served in a variety of positions over many years in different

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The Fire Service College has announced the appointment of Jon Hall as Director of Training and Organisational Development.

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EST | 37

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38 | ESTVEHICLES

London Fire Brigade gets FIRED-uP about innovative vehicle technology Following its successful showcase of the FIRED-uP project at The Emergency Services Show, London Fire Brigade (LFB) launched a procurement exercise in November to pilot data telematics and equipment tagging solutions on a number of front line appliances in 2014.

A framework agreement is being set up, which will be accessible to other fire and rescue services and authorities in the UK and across Europe.

Expressions of interest were invited from suppliers for the following lots: • Lot 1 – Supply of telematics hardware and software for fire fighting vehicles • Lot 2 – Supply of equipment tagging system • Lot 3 – Systems integration.

LFB is leading the three-year project to target innovation in the environmental performance of its frontline fleet. This has been made possible by a European Commission grant, financing a partnership with the City and Fire Brigade of Ghent, Belgium. FIRED-uP was originally conceived to establish what fire and rescue service vehicles may look like at the end of the century and what environmental impact they may have.

The first step was to look at the whole life-cycle impact of the vehicles: from raw material extraction

to emissions, fuel and power consumption during use, through to end-of-life disposal and material recovery. The use phase dominates, especially given the relatively long lifespan of pumping appliances of approximately 12 years. The preponderance of urban driving for fire and rescue service vehicles means that technologies that can improve efficiency by addressing aerodynamics or rolling resistance are less relevant than for other heavy duty vehicles.

Electric or hybrid engines offer greater potential gains – but the technology is not yet mature enough to make this a viable and affordable option for large fire and rescue service vehicles.

Early market engagement activities targeted suppliers of vehicle telematics systems, identified as

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the most promising area for further research and procurement in the short-term that could be applied in a fire and rescue service context and the potential for innovation, for example by collecting data from on-vehicle pumps and electronic tagging of equipment.

The market is developing quickly and many fleets have already realised benefits from telematics.

LFB has spoken to fleet managers from police and ambulance services that have achieved fuel savings of up to 20 percent. In an emergency services context, the biggest gains may be from improving driving and reducing wear-and-tear when vehicles are operated off blue-lights. Other potential benefits include supporting geographic or dynamic mobilising, reducing accidents, assisting with investigations and a longer life span for components and tyres. Information about pump usage can also contribute to more efficient and effective use of water in fire fighting.

Other fire and rescue authorities with an interest in the project or potentially availing of the framework are invited to contact the project team: Abby Semple (abby.semple@london-fire.gov.uk) or Nick Brennan (nicholas.brennan@londonfire.gov.uk). www.fired-up.eu

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ESTNATIONAL RESILIENCE | 39

National response to East Coast tidal surge Over a two-day period from 4 December, the UK felt the effects of a coastal tidal surge peaking on consecutive high tides. A great deal of activity was undertaken to ensure the areas at greatest risk were identified to enable the provision of equipment and personnel. Areas including Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Humberside, Lincolnshire, Kent and North Yorkshire were inundated with calls throughout this period and early requests were made for mutual aid.

Words: Jon Hall, CFOA National Resilience lead.

The National Coordination and Advisory Framework (NCAF) arrangements were established, with the Department for Communities and Local Government Operations Room being established. A timely request was sent to all fire and rescue services requesting they update the FRS Reporting Tool in advance of the predicted coastal surge. The National Strategic Advisory Team (NSAT) were briefed and the National Resilience Assurance Team (NRAT) coordination cell ‘stood-up’ in order to pre-deploy the team to specific Strategic Holding Areas (SHA) when requested by fire and rescue services through the Fire and Rescue National Coordination Centre (FRSNCC) in London.

“Thirty-nine flood rescue teams available from the national register of 140 teams within England and Wales were mobilised.”

Effective coordination Vital information was received from each incident and a battle rhythm was established to provide timely information of what was happening on the ground from a fire perspective, this was forwarded to CFRA in order to present a clear picture during the COBR briefings.

The FRSNCC played a key role throughout this event, ensuring the effective coordination of both flood response and HVP assets and personnel.

Enhanced Logistic Support (ELS) vehicles and personnel were established within Suffolk and Norfolk with NRAT Officers undertaking their roles as Enhanced Logistic Support Officers (ELSOs).

As the water levels continued to rise, Strategic Coordination Groups (SCG) continued to plan the protection of the infrastructure while simultaneous activity was taking place by fire and rescue services within the affected area.

Mutual aid Subject Matter Advisor (SMA) support along with further mutual aid in the form of ELS, high volume pumps (HVPs), boats and an Incident Response Unit (IRU) were utilised and assisted with the development of planning in areas including the substation, BT exchange and the Sea life Centre at Great Yarmouth.

Visual surveys were undertaken along the coastline during hours of daylight to assist in protecting life, national infrastructure property and the environment.

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One hundred and seventeen calls were handled through Norfolk Fire control. The Fire Minister Brandon Lewis took time out of his schedule to see first-hand the effects of the storm surge and of the effective use of local and national assets.

Suffolk suffered similarly, and all services worked cohesively with the mutual aid provided including SMAs and boat assets to search low level flooding around Lowestoft, while having the reassurance of HVPs on standby if the need arose.

Offering reassurance Essex utilised 10 boat crews to great effect throughout the night and while undertaking 10 rescues were able to offer reassurance to those residents remaining out of the 6000 who were evacuated from the Clacton-on-Sea area.

Humberside were heavily engaged in pre-planning on the run-up to the event and received large volumes of calls for assistance.

Six high volume pumps were placed on standby in the early stages although there was no movement during the hours of darkness following a comprehensive assessment of the risks, which were compounded by the unavailability of an air support unit. Two of the six HVP units were deployed to Immingham Docks along with one ancillary module and nine ramp sets to deal with rising water levels.

Further floodwater inundated Hull city centre, which necessitated the rapid intervention of flood assets to effect 140 rescues.

Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue handled 140 incidents, with 210 properties affected. Ten boat assets crewed by both fire and police personnel were deployed throughout the event and carried out over 40 rescues, while offering reassurance to members of the public throughout.

Kent requested mutual aid from Surrey’s HVP for pre-deployment to work alongside its HVP and crew overnight in supporting operations to protect multiple Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) sites within the area.

North Yorkshire used both of their HVPs to pump rising floodwater at the coastal town of Whitby.

Asset Type

Wales stood-up an SCG to make provision for the pre planning, positioning and deployment of two HVP assets for the duration of the coastal surge.

“Seven fire and rescue services bordering the East coast of England requested assistance with the provision of national assets under mutual aid arrangements.”

Summary of activity A total of seven fire and rescue services bordering the East coast of England requested assistance with the provision of national assets under mutual aid arrangements. Assistance was provided by 18 fire and rescue services and a range of voluntary agencies.

Twenty-four high volume pumps formed part of the pre-emptive deployment to the affected FRS areas. The deployment utilised almost 50 percent of the total HVP assets normally available in England and Wales.

Thirty-nine flood rescue teams available from the national register of 140 teams within England and Wales were mobilised by several fire and rescue services and non-governmental organisations to assist in the affected areas.

Four specialist enhanced logistical support (ELS) teams were mobilised and established in order to support the effective and timely deployment of assisting assets into the areas affected by or at risk from tidal flooding.

The overall deployment of specialist assets utilised 394 personnel from FRSs and other organisations. www.fireresilience.org.uk

Total Assets

Total Personnel

Prime Mover

40

High Volume Pump (HVP)

20

HVP Double Hosebox

20

Type B Flood Rescue Team

35

210

Type C Flood Rescue Team

15

90

Flood Rescue Subject Matter Advisers (SMA)

10

10

HVP Subject Matter Advisers (SMA)

6

6

Enhanced Logistic Support Teams (ELS)

4

24

120

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Three-pointed star shines bright over the blue light sector The motoring press has reported record successes for Mercedes-Benz in the UK throughout 2013; following record firsthalf-year results for the company, September was the most successful month in the history of Mercedes-Benz in the UK, with every division reporting best-ever results. The company’s passenger car presence in the public sector, and the emergency services sector in particular, has been underwhelming in recent years but with new marques in its fleet offering and a collective strategy of promoting the whole-life costs of its vehicles, the brand is looking to capitalise on this year’s strong showing and carry that momentum into 2014.

The new E Class as featured in Mercedes-Benz print advertising.

The success of Mercedes-Benz this year has continued the steady growth the company enjoyed in 2012 and has been achieved following a revamp of its fleet strategic account manager team just over a year ago. Part of that seven-strong team is Rob Morris, who is responsible for passenger car sales in the blue light and public sector, which was identified by Mercedes-Benz as a market that could make a big contribution to the growth predicted and expected by the brand as a whole in the UK. Rob Morris’s appointment added significant ‘blue light’ specialist knowledge to the Mercedes-Benz team, gained during his seven years with the fleet team at Skoda UK. It also gave the passenger car side of the emergency services fleet market some much needed TLC and showed that the company had decided to take this specialised sector seriously.

In terms of new registrations, the company has reported an increase of 300% year on year to date and by the end of 2013 is forecasting 450% growth within this channel. So, you might say, the company’s sales strategy seems to be paying off.

Rob says, “Year to date for true fleet and business sales, Mercedes Benz fleet is actually up 13% year on year and the market is only six percent up so we’re outperforming the marketplace.”

Of course, although his contribution is significant, this level of improvement isn’t simply down to

Rob’s appointment and subsequent good performance. Mercedes Benz has invested heavily in this sector – the company’s expanding product portfolio and facelifts of some of its existing core products have assisted Rob and his team in reaching these impressive registration figures.

Furthermore, the company has invested heavily in vehicle testing to reach the high standards required by such a demanding sector.

Whole-life cost journey Probably the biggest hurdle for the brand to overcome was, and probably still is, the perception held by the public, and the public sector more specifically in this instance, that Mercedes-Benz the luxury brand comes with a luxury price tag and is therefore ‘off limits’ to the blue light fleet manager.

“Fleet managers have a perception that a Mercedes Benz product will cost them more,” says Rob Morris. “It’s my job to sit down with them and to take them through that whole-life cost journey to say, actually, we are competitive and get them to re-look at Mercedes-Benz.”

The brand as a whole is asking fleet managers in all sectors to ‘Take another look’ at its products.

The Mercedes-Benz Marketing and PR machine is working hard with account managers and leasing companies to emphasise the whole-life cost savings

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available when purchasing its cars while being unapologetic that Mercedes-Benz cars are a desirable product. Rob says, “In our print advertisements, for example, we’re featuring a sharp new E Class, and when you flip over to the next page it shows exactly the same picture with the strapline, ‘Take another look’. It’s a national campaign that we’re bringing down to a fleet level.

The rest of our strategic account team are also out there driving that same message with the leasing companies. The exposure of the products, that’s what we need to get to people.

“We want to capture the hearts and imaginations of people who perhaps haven’t looked at MercedesBenz for quite some time and get them to see it less as a ‘job need’ vehicle but to see it more as something that they want and they desire.”

The question is, however, are people allowed to ‘want and desire’ with public money? Aren’t they supposed to be looking for the ‘best value’ solution for the taxpayer? Rob says, “When you compare the number of Mercedes-Benz cars with the number of other premium manufacturers that are being utilised within the public sector, we are competitive. When you look at whole-life costs, our product is probably better value to operate than say your run of the mill volume car because we’ve got such strong reliability and good residual values.

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ESTCOMPANY PROFILE | 41

The new generation of compact cars, including the A Class (left) and B Class, are opening up new channels for Mercedes-Benz in the public sector.

“It all comes back to perception – the new generation of compact cars that we have within our Passenger Cars division shows how Mercedes-Benz is moving forward. We’re saying to fleet managers, look we’ve got this product, it’s here, it’s competitive, it does exactly what you want it to and actually it can save you money – that’s ultimately the key decision, the fact that it can save them money.”

The company’s success in 2013 was recognised in May when Mercedes-Benz won Fleet World’s Most Improved Fleet Manufacturer award, an endorsement, if one were needed, that the company was heading in the right direction. The aim now is to build on this momentum. Rob says, “We are looking at achieving an overall five percent share in the UK this year for passenger cars as a total. We want to get a positive message out there to say – yes, the doors are open for business, we’re here to talk, we’ve got such breadth in product range and we are competitive as well. So again, take another look.”

Compact cars As well as fulfilling the need for its vehicles under the Home Office National Framework Agreement, for Category A (high performance) and Category R (standard fleet) vehicles, the company’s new generation of compact cars are opening up new areas of business for the brand. “The new generation of compact cars, the A Class, the B Class, the CLA and the GLA, are key core products that are all opening up channels that we’ve never been able to exploit before,” says Rob. “Now, as a brand, we can offer small, medium and large

vehicles, as well as the 4x4s, the commercial vehicles, the trucks and the Smart brand as well.

We’re also looking at the use of electric vehicles by the public sector.”

Dominance of van market Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicles dominate the public sector and blue light market, with the brand’s Sprinter and Vito vans in particular; success that the Passenger Cars division is striving to emulate. What’s more, the launch of the Citan small van in April 2013 meant that for the first time Mercedes-Benz could shake off the tag of only being able to offer medium and large vans.

Stephen Anderson is the company’s Emergency Services & Environmental Strategy Manager, with responsibility for van sales in the sector, and echoes Rob’s pride in the breadth of product range now available from the brand. He says, “With myself, Rob and our truck colleagues, we can offer everything from an electric bike, through to Smart cars, to a small van, to a workhorse car, up to an executive car, up to a 44-tonne truck, up to a Unimog. There is no other manufacturer that has that breadth or that portfolio.”

Strong market position From a van perspective Mercedes-Benz has a very strong market position, with approximately 70% of blue light customers running the company’s products. The ambulance service, in particular, uses Sprinter vans with some doing upwards of 100,000 miles a year. “The reason that we dominate this market is because it’s a great product and we look after it properly. Our customers in the emergency

services sector value that,” says Stephen.

It’s clear that part of the brand’s success in the van market can be attributed to the fact that blue light fleet managers value the after-sales service levels displayed by Mercedes-Benz. Stephen says, “It’s a key element that they’ve got a dedicated guy on the fleet team, ie me, just looking after this quite select fleet size. My colleagues do a lot bigger numbers than me but we see this as being very important to the overall brand of Mercedes Benz.”

Professionalism in the sector Part of that after-sales service is ensuring that the customer relationship is maintained throughout the year. Stephen says, “I speak to every ambulance trust, every police force and nearly every fire brigade in the UK three to four times a year and bigger customers maybe 10 times; every week almost! On the ambulance side, which is perhaps where our biggest success is, we have regular, six monthly, after-sales meetings, here in Milton Keynes [Mercedes-Benz HQ], where we invite every NHS ambulance trust in the UK to go through any outstanding technical challenges that we have. It’s an open forum with a full agenda for discussion. Our strategy at that point is to reinforce the fact that we are backing them up.”

Both Rob and Stephen are keen to stress that their customers in the public sector are as professional as any fleet managers you’d find in the commercial world, and with public money in their budgets they’re under a lot of commercial pressures to deliver value for money for the taxpayer. Stephen Anderson says, “All the ambulance trusts in the UK, all of them, will soon be running Mercedes

The ambulance service, in particular, uses Sprinter vans with some doing upwards of 100,000 miles a year.

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42 | ESTCOMPANY PROFILE Benz Sprinters as a frontline A&E vehicle. Why do they buy Mercedes Benz? It’s not the three-pointed star, it’s all about the fact that it’s the most reliable, it’s got the performance, it’s got the technical back up and the dealer support that you need for a vehicle in a critical environment. And that has been the case now for a number of years.”

Of course, influencing the fleet managers is one thing, ensuring the message of whole-life cost savings is passed on to the procurement teams is another. Stephen says, “Anyone can buy cheap.

Procurement often sits in isolation and just sees X and Y. They don’t actually see all of the back up that we provide in terms of the warranty, in terms of the technical assistance level that we provide, the dedicated account management that we give. Some of them will only see Price X and Price Y and in those cases it’s actually very difficult for us to win our case. They’ll look at Price X and see that it’s Mercedes Benz and say ‘hang on, we’ll buy the cheapest’. So that’s why we have to be in front of the customer and actually prove our ability in terms of cost of ownership.”

Rob Morris, Strategic Account Manager, Passenger Cars.

Fuel efficiency If he or she does ‘look again’, it would seem that the budget-conscious public sector fleet manager has a lot to see. Rob says, “I think they’ll be very surprised by the reduction in the CO2 levels that we’ve managed to achieve. If you look at the E Class hybrid, that’s down at 109g/km, which is a fantastic level to be at for a car of that size. The standard diesel E Class is 120g/km so there’s not a lot in it in terms of CO2 but in terms of mpg the saving is somewhere around the 20mpg, so across a whole fleet it really does add up. Fifty percent of the orders we’ve received through the public sector have been for the hybrid drive train so it just shows that those end users are looking at the whole life costs of that product and they’re saying, actually that’s the right one to go for.

“We’ve got the introduction of the S Class plug-in hybrid next year as well – a ‘big’ car with CO2 levels of sub 100g/km – another fantastic achievement. On the standard combustion engines we’ve also made huge, huge strides in reducing the

CO2 emissions from those products. The new A Class comes in at 92g/km, which is a big leap forwards and the C Class is down at 109g/km. It all adds to the fuel saving.

“On top of that, of course, we as a fleet team are managing the relationships that we have with the leasing companies much more strategically so that we don’t impact the residual values of the vehicles.

We need to keep those high to ensure that lease rentals are going to be low for public sector drivers.”

Role-specific vehicles As national budget cuts continue to impact on the emergency services, fleet managers and operational leads are carefully analysing the cost of sending large vehicles to respond to incidents where smaller vehicles are equally suitable and, importantly, more cost effective. For the fire and rescue service, the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van, for example, is ideally suited to take on some roles currently fulfilled by pump type appliances. More surprising, perhaps, are plans to trial a 6x6 G Class in the UK. Rob says, “I am exploring with our factory colleagues the potential of bringing a 6x6 G Class to the UK. We have a model currently produced in Australia that this is based on. We need to assess whether there is an appetite for this type of vehicle in the marketplace and, if so, establish whether we can we bring it in, of course, at the right cost so that the services would want the vehicle.

“I have already sought feedback from a number of forces out there and a lot of them have shown interest. If we do proceed the likelihood is that we will build and bring in one demonstrator vehicle, get the forces to actually utilise it operationally, get their feedback and go from there.”

This forward thinking approach is refreshing and shows how Mercedes-Benz is giving the public sector passenger car market the attention it deserves. Rob has identified how one of the brand’s products could benefit the sector and isn’t waiting to be approached to fulfil a role-specific need.

Joined-up business approach The company has recently brought all its divisions under one roof, from the accounts and HR functions to the R&D and sales teams, unifying the various facets of Mercedes-Benz and bringing a more cohesive approach to the way it runs the business as a whole. Much as the emergency services are looking to collaborate to achieve interoperability and an improved service for the public, Mercedes-Benz is reaping the

The Citan small van was launched in April 2013.

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The company plans to trial a 6x6 G Class in the UK.

benefits of co-locating. Rob Morris is quick to reassure fleet managers, however, that this cohesive working won’t mean a loss of specialist knowledge.

He says, “One thing we will always retain is the individuality, because commercial vehicles is so specialist, passenger cars is so specialist and trucks likewise.”

Stephen Anderson echoes Rob’s sentiments. He says, “There’s a lot of commonality there; we talk to the same customer base, but a van requirement is very different to a car requirement.

“It’s refreshing, however, that we’ve now got a multi-brand approach to this market. We’re not joined at the hip, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve been at the company 14 years and I talk to my car colleagues and truck colleagues now whereas before we were in silos – there was van, there was truck, there was car, and now it’s joined up.

“It’s refreshing, it really is. It’s great.”

What’s clear is that Mercedes-Benz isn’t resting on its laurels after its record-breaking year. “I think from a Passenger Cars perspective I see no reason why we cannot continue that growth trend into next year,” says Rob. “Bearing in mind 2013 was just Year One of our entry back into the public sector marketplace and with our continued investment in product expansion, which is so critical to our success, there are some exciting times ahead.

“The coming year will see changes to some of our core products: the E Class has just had a major facelift; we’ve just had a new S Class introduced; the GL’s new; the ML’s new; the A Class is new; the B Class was refreshed in 2012; there’s the new CLA; and the new GLA. And with these improvements also come further reductions in CO2.”

These are exciting times indeed for MercedesBenz in the public sector and the emergency services fleet market. The high level of investment in the products, the continuing pursuit of reduced CO2 emissions across the fleet and the specialist knowledge within the team are just three reasons why the makers of the three-pointed star brand are confident of continued growth in the public sector in 2014.

“Yeah,” says Rob. “No pressure!” www.mercedes-benz.co.uk/fleet

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W H Bence are one of Europe’s leading specialist vehicle manufacturers based in Bristol.

We have been designing and manufacturing specialist vehicles for over 27 years, from command and control units to community liaison vehicles and negotiation suites. Creating high quality, specialist vehicles requires a highly skilled team of designers, fabricators, procurement specialists and finishers, it also means working with the best external suppliers to meet the demanding communications, medical and computer technology requirements of many of our clients.

We ensure the best environment for the installation of state-of- the- art communication equipment to meet the needs of modern frontline services.

Bence’s expert design and fabrication process has earned them a reputation as one of Europe’s leading specialist vehicle manufacturers.

W H Bence (Coachbuilders) Ltd, Great Western Business Park, Armstrong Way, Yate Bristol BS37 5NG Tel No 01454 310909 Website www.whbence.co.uk

www.whbence.co.uk

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Throw-line challenge reveals only one in four throws on target Words: Damian Hall, Occupational Safety Specialist, Royal Life Saving Society UK. Throw-lines (or throw-bags) are a highly effective way of reaching a conscious casualty in a waterbased emergency. How important technique and knowledge of how to use such a rescue aid was clearly demonstrated at the RLSS UK’s Throw-line Challenge held at the recent Emergency Services Show in Birmingham.

Like most rescue kit and related PPE, reliable and efficient use of a throw-line is dependent on two key factors: 1. Using the right type of throw-line 2. Having sufficient training and experience to prepare the line and throw with confident accuracy.

“The emergency services should have access to a throw-line and should receive an appropriate level of training in safe and effective deployment.”

Over the two days of The Emergency Services Show, 209 people took part in the challenge. Of those, only 46 reached the target. The target was a wooden outline of a drowning person (from arms up), placed 15m away from the point of throw. A throw was deemed successful if the line landed ‘over’ the target and between outstretched arms or, within 12 inches of the target.

The Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) is the drowning prevention charity. More than 400 people drown in the UK every year and the RLSS UK aims to prevent drowning through water safety

and throwers could pick whichever bag they preferred.

education. Damian Hall, RLSS UK’s Occupational Safety Specialist, said, “This figure is quite shocking really. Another, perhaps more telling way, of expressing it could be to say that three out of every four throws missed the target!

“Although the challenge was a light-hearted diversion for exhibitors and visitors, the results clearly prove the need for training.”

Experience matters The fastest and most accurate throws (by a wide margin) were made by two Royal Marines who confirmed that they train with throw-lines and similar equipment on a regular basis. A large number of participants with no experience threw wildly off target.

Damian added, “These results are not surprising.

But what was a little more startling is that some lines actually landed behind the point of throw! On two occasions the lines went directly skywards and landed on the throwers heads!”

Perhaps most telling were the throws by people who had received ‘some’ training or who had used a throw-line before. These throws generally headed in the right direction but mostly fell far short of what might be considered a successful throw. Almost all of these throwers went on to hit the target after some brief tuition and further practise throws.

We used a random selection of different types of line available from a range of suppliers. All throwlines met standard specifications: bright buoyant line, easily deployable, effective strength and durability, clean lines (nothing to get ‘caught up’ in)

The fastest and most accurate throws (by a wide margin) were made by two Royal Marines who confirmed that they train with throw-lines and similar equipment on a regular basis.

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Training programme The Royal Lifesaving Society UK, the drowning prevention charity, recommends, in principle, that any member of the emergency services who may find themselves at water-based emergency – and especially those who might be first on scene – should have access to a throw-line – and that they should receive an appropriate level of training in safe and effective deployment.

The National Water Safety Management Programme (NWSMP) provides a flexible, modular approach to water safety management training and is particularly suited to entry level within the emergency services.

“We take a pragmatic approach and believe that individual capability should be at least suitable and sufficient,” said Damian.

RLSS UK offers all emergency services a range of training packages, including cost effective, licenced, Train the Trainer Programmes and joint badged, certificate schemes.

As well as proving a point, the Throw-line Challenge was great fun. If you think this may be helpful to you in the promotion of water safety, RLSS UK can visit your site or an event you are running for your staff and visitors to test their skills.

For further information on selection and use of throwlines and related equipment or about the NWSMP please contact Damian Hall, RLSS UK, Occupational Safety Specialist on 07855 844598 or 01789 773994. www.rlss.org.uk

A throw was deemed successful if the line landed ‘over’ the target and between outstretched arms or, within 12 inches of the target.

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Underwater search, rescue and recovery At present there are few, if any, emergency services in the UK that can attend the scene of a drowning and deploy under the water to search for and recover a victim quickly. SARbot UK is a unique and efficient rescue and recovery charity operating around the UK. Words: Duncan Winsbury, CEO, SARbot UK. Once at a drowning incident scene the SARbot Team can deploy its equipment within four minutes. If the team is in the right place at the right time, this could mean the difference between saving a life and repatriating a body. Vast areas of open water can be searched in a very short space of time – an average size lake could be searched comprehensively in less than a day; a one-mile stretch of a canal can be searched in one to two hours and similar times with a river.

How effective is this equipment?

SARbot UK deployed on a number of occasions over the past 12 months to assist and complement emergency services’ search and recovery teams throughout the UK. The team has been instrumental in the recovery of several bodies using its equipment and expertise. Notable searches include the search for the remains of the missing Eastenders actress Jemma McCluskie, on the Regent Canal London, Dylan Cecil at BurnhamOn-Sea, April Jones in Wales and Sacha Schornstein, the pilot who crashed mid channel in July 2013.

“An immediate response to a drowning incident is essential.”

We are normally called upon to assist when all other search techniques have been exhausted. We can, however, help and be beneficial financially, as well as from a life saving perspective, from the outset of any search.

Search dog team The water search dog team, specially developed ROVs and sonar devices can quickly and safely identify where the body is without the need for divers spending countless hours in sometimes dark and dangerous conditions. Once the location of the body is identified divers or one of the ROVs can be deployed. Our ROVs can also provide information on the depth, water temperature and, using the onboard multi beam sonar, can see through the murkiest of water. Using the human limb grabber we can then ‘Grab’ to the body and recover it to the surface.

Practical and professional support SARbot UK volunteers are recruited from all walks of life, as well as calling on the experience from members of the emergency services. Currently we have volunteers from the fire and rescue service, police, Army, RNLI and HM Coastguard, as well as several members of the public. We work very closely with sonar and ROV manufacturers from all over the world, which ensures we have the latest

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The water search dog team, specially developed ROVs and sonar devices can quickly and safely identify where the body is without the need for divers spending countless hours in sometimes dark and dangerous conditions.

technology available at all times, complementing the resources of the emergency services. We also have some exciting new developments on the horizon, which will provide an enhanced search capability to our already impressive arsenal of equipment.

SARbot’s association with Reach and Rescue provides a safe solution to rescue the victim before they slip beneath the surface.

Reach and Rescue There is currently a very limited response in the emergency services search and rescue capabilities underwater; fire and rescue service, RNLI, Coastguard and volunteer rescue groups often don’t have an underwater capability. Police dive teams are an excellent resource that shouldn’t be understated, however, these teams are forensic and recovery units that are often staffed part time, which often means that an immediate response to a

drowning victim is not possible.

An immediate response to a drowning incident is essential and our association with Reach and Rescue provides a safe solution to rescue the victim before they slip beneath the surface.

The Reach and Rescue pole systems have helped to evolve water rescue techniques around the world to a new standard. The mantra of ‘reach, throw, row and go’ has been used with the water rescue teams for some time. The telescopic poles rapidly and accurately deliver the rescue equipment of choice to the victim safely and continue on to retrieve in seconds safely and in a controlled manner.

Seatronics partnership We will shortly launch, in association with Seatronics, an ROV that will accept GPS coordinates then pilot itself on search patterns. This will work in conjunction with the Side Scan Sonar Team, which is able to search vast areas very quickly; they will then pass the coordinates of the target to the ROV Pilot who will input them to the ROV before it goes on its mission.

SARbot UK’s success has led to number of European Countries taking an interest in the company’s services; earlier this year the team hosted the Dutch Fire Service and also attended a return visit to the Hague. Next year the team has been invited to Croatia to demonstrate its capabilities. France, Germany, Denmark and Norway are also taking a keen interest. www.sarbot.org.uk

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Resilience update: flood response Many areas of the United Kingdom have suffered the severe impacts of flooding and the consequent effects, which can be felt for a long time after the flood waters have receded. Following the floods of 2007, which impacted many areas, Sir Michael Pitt produced a report. This report examined both the response to flooding and made recommendations to improve that response to future occurrences of flooding.

In 2011 a guidance document was produced by DEFRA, the lead government department for flood. This ‘Concept of Operations’ set out in detail a model response to large-scale incidents of flooding. The composition and equipment of flood response teams is clearly designated. The level of qualification and training for responders is also laid out to underpin safe operations within the flood environment.

2013 saw the CFOA National Resilience team incorporate a new position within the team for an officer responsible for the area of flood rescue and coordination of several important elements of work within that area.

Flood rescue assets Unlike other capabilities within national resilience, flood rescue is not solely carried out by fire and rescue service assets and personnel; a wide range of voluntary and non-statutory organisations is also prepared to respond to national level incidents.

Following the publication of the DEFRA Flood Rescue Concept of Operations a register of nationally available assets, corresponding to two of the defined flood rescue team types within the Concept of Operations, was created and is held within the Fire and Rescue Services National

Coordination Centre at Merton in London.

The team typing specification clearly defines all aspects of the composition and skills of the designated responding teams – those that are nationally declared teams correspond to Team Types B and C. Teams deploying as Type B utilise a powered craft while Type C teams operate with a non-powered water rescue craft. Personnel within both team types meet the relevant qualification for their role, which is also clearly defined in the DEFRA Concept of Operations.

“The National Resilience Assurance Team is currently undertaking a review of all nationally declared flood rescue assets on behalf of DEFRA.” Currently there are approximately 60 different organisations contributing flood rescue teams to the national asset register and in total there are over 150 teams located across the United Kingdom with a balance roughly equal between Type B and Type C response. As noted above, organisations contributing to the register include 39 fire and rescue services, as well as many voluntary organisations. These include several teams from the RNLI and RSPCA, mountain rescue teams as well as locally based voluntary groups. Despite this diversity in organisations, the DEFRA Concept of Operations prescribes the standards to which teams should adhere. Application to the National Asset Register is confirmed by a Memorandum of Understanding between DEFRA and the relevant organisation.

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Team review process The National Resilience Assurance Team is currently undertaking a review of all nationally declared flood rescue assets on behalf of DEFRA. This review process will report its findings in Spring 2014 and the information gathered will be used to develop flood rescue and associated command and control functions. It will also help to identify and promote good practice and, in addition, identify where further development could be targeted.

Earlier in 2013 a group of flood rescue Subject Matter Advisers (SMA) undertook one of three training courses delivered at the CFOA National Resilience Centre, based at the Fire Service College. By the beginning of 2014 it is anticipated there will be in excess of 60 personnel available for national deployment within this role. These SMAs will operate at all levels of the command and control structure for flooding incidents and can equally be deployed to the locations and roles identified within the National Coordination and Advisory Framework (NCAF). Their training and experience has equipped them to offer relevant practical advice and guidance, which can include deployment of resources, identification of appropriate tasks for flood rescue teams and briefings on current and future developments within a flooding situation. www.fireresilience.org.uk

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Manikin overboard!

One of the most popular models in the Ruth Lee range of manikins is the Water Rescue Man Overboard model, which was initially developed alongside Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service Water Incident Support Section and later refined by the British Royal Navy.

The carcass of the man overboard model is manufactured from a heavy-duty nylon mesh and non-absorbent closed cell foam for buoyancy.

Polyethylene strips run from the shoulder area to the knee joint, allowing flexibility in and out of the water but preventing the manikin from bending in half when using stretchers or recovery devices like a Jason’s Cradle.

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Weighting vs buoyancy The secret to the realistic Water Rescue manikin performance is the designed balance of the weighting vs the buoyancy – and the tough nylon mesh carcass.

When the manikin enters the water the nylon mesh allows the water to rapidly penetrate the manikin. After a few minutes the legs of the manikin will drop below the surface, resting at an angle of about 45 degrees to the surface, the head and shoulder will be above the surface.

When retrieving the manikin the water will flood out; the rate at which the water drains out is directly related to the speed of the retrieval – the faster the retrieval the more water in the manikin and therefore the heavier the manikin will be. As a guide, a fast ‘snatch’ retrieval may almost double the dry weight of the manikin ie: 40kg manikin will weigh about 70kg. A more realistic retrieval rate will result in a haul of 50-60kg. www.ruthlee.co.uk

Boat hire scheme launches in January Rigiflex Boats UK’s Rescue/Safety Boat Hire scheme will be launched on 15 January 2014.

Utilising the robust and versatile Rigiflex Newmatic craft, already in active service with many organisations and services, Rigiflex UK is able to offer both short-term and long-term hire on very short notice.

Each craft will be equipped with an easy launch trailer, outboard motor with propeller protection fitted and other essential kit ready for immediate use. Immediate delivery of the craft can also be arranged, if required.

Paul Martin, from Rigiflex Boats, said, “After consultation with several emergency services, we could see that reduced capital budgets would not allow the purchase of new or replacement equipment, which was not required on a daily basis. By offering a simple short term hire option, emergency situations could be catered for efficiently and quickly.”

With the recent record of heavy flooding throughout the UK, essential equipment can be hired in short term at relative lost cost and you only pay for the time the craft is required.

To ensure the swift process of any immediate requirements for this service, Rigiflex recommends that a simple process of pre-registration is completed, which will save time and aggravation. www.rigiflexboats.co.uk

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Water rescue pushes expertise to its limits

Training in the ‘real world’ Words: Chris Onion, Training Director, R3 Safety and Rescue.

Members of the emergency services are attending a wider range of incidents, especially during times of extreme weather, often involving vehicles in the water or rescue from height. As a manager of emergency services personnel you will be expecting your team to risk assess the hazards in a very dynamic environment, to form and execute a rescue plan while considering the safety of all team members as a priority. They should have back-up plan if plan ‘A’ does not work and they should extend the best level of care to their casualties as possible.

AA SORT acquired a Zodiac MILPRO UAB® Scout River Runner to back-up other emergency responders during major floods.

A water rescue for an emergency service might be car fallen into a fast flowing river, a child stranded on a weir, pensioners on the roof of their flooded house, an incoming tide threatening walkers trapped in mud. These diverse but typical situations can challenge the capabilities of any rescue service but a unifying feature of them all is Zodiac Milpro’s ability to supply the means for the rescue teams to do their job.

With around 80,000 of its inflatable boats in daily use by military and professional organisations around the world, Zodiac Milpro can reasonably claim to know its job. The company is often admired for its spectacular high performance RIBs (Rigid Inflatable Boats) used by professionals, government agencies and armed forces, yet in numerical terms most sales relate to the tough, dependable inflatable boats that enable so many people to do their work with confidence.

Important customers Fire and rescue services in the UK are important customers for Zodiac Milpro and they have been using the company’s boats for many years. The 4m long Zodiac ERB 400 emergency rescue boat is used by 15 UK fire and rescue services as it was specifically designed to meet the demanding requirements of search and rescue organisations throughout the world.

The boat can carry eight people and owes much of its popularity to its high-pressure inflatable floor that enables the boat to be made ready for use in moments when inflated from a compressed air cylinder. Rigid or slatted roll-up decks can also be chosen and it may be powered by a 30 or 40hp engine, which gives it the power needed to cope with fast flowing water.

The AA joined the water rescue fraternity after buying a Zodiac boat but chose to rely on human power for its propulsion. The AA’s C-Type Special Operations Response Team (AA SORT) acquired a Zodiac MILPRO UAB® Scout River Runner to back-up other emergency responders during major floods. The bright yellow 3.73m long craft is used by the AA’s inland water rescue team whose DEFRA Level 3 SRT-certified crew use paddle power to provide a C-Type capability that qualifies the team to be listed on the DEFRA Water Asset Register as an available resource.

Rescue Track With over 60 different Zodiac Milpro boats, from four to 12m, rescue services can find plenty to choose from. They can also now be equipped with the means to access perhaps the most difficult cases of all – those who may have fallen through ice or become stranded in mud.

The new Zodiac Milpro Rescue Track is available in five or 10m lengths and carried as a compact package that is inflated in seconds from a standard air cylinder. It immediately creates a safe and durable walkway, 1.3m wide, over potentially dangerous surfaces. It has been designed for use in conjunction with Zodiac Milpro boats, such as the ERB 400, and is ideal for rescue services whose operational areas include marshes and river estuaries.

The Rescue Track now makes it possible for crews to transport their rescue boat across expanses of exposed mud and launch it in open water close to the incident and being fully buoyant it will remain available for use as it floats on an incoming tide. www.zodiacmilpro.com

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A model approach It’s a big ask! So how do you prepare your team members to attend such events and return safely and be able and willing to do it again in the future?

A model including the provision of quality training, followed by practice of techniques and systems ‘back on station’ with frequent application during real operations, increases the degree of experience and will enable rescue personnel to develop judgement in the field. There is no shortcut to this desired end point!

The underpinning of this pathway, giving your personnel the best chance of success, is to invest in quality training within a setting similar to that in which they will later be working. If, for example, we expect our rescuers to access a casualty stuck in a car in moving water, it would make sense to give them the opportunity to learn within a realistic setting – a real car in moving water conditions, before being presented with it during a time-critical real rescue. Similarly, if you are tasking rescuers in times of flood to conduct power boat rescue evacuations in fast moving flood waters, then giving them the opportunity to gain the necessary skills through training in venues with fast water, and all of the associated eddy currents and hazards, will give them the best chance of success.

There is no substitute for learning within a representative environment.

No substitute Such a strategy gives personnel a chance to evaluate the risks involved and to formulate rescue solutions, without the real-time pressure of an actual rescue. Simply put, there is no substitute for learning within a representative environment.

R3 Safety and Rescue is a safety and rescue training company, based in North Wales, which specialises in water, rope and boat training for the emergency services and industry. www.r3sar.com

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Emergency Services Times 14.6 - December 2013.qxp_– 12/12/2013 17:07 Page 51

ESTINTEROPERABILITY | 51

A year in the life of JESIP As the largest and most ambitious joint training programme ever undertaken by the three blue light emergency services begins, we reflect on an exciting year for the JESIP programme. JESIP – Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Programme – is a two-year project created specifically to further improve the way ambulance, police and fire and rescue services operate together on scene in the early stages of their response to major incidents. The programme also embraces the crucial roles played by a wide variety of other responders such as HM Coastguard and Highways Agency.

Words: David Jervis, JESIP Communications Advisor.

Before looking at progress made during the year, it is worth reflecting on why the programme exists.

To underline why JESIP is needed a workforce survey run by Skills for Justice took place during the summer with almost 2000 staff from the emergency services taking part. The results spoke volumes and the findings matched those that had been established in other reports.

Strong views emerged from the survey – staff felt that the biggest barriers to interoperability included: lack of joint training; lack of joint exercising; lack of information sharing joint practices and protocols; and lack of knowledge regarding each other’s approach.

This was the first time a survey into the perceptions and knowledge of interoperability had taken place across the emergency services.

Based on these views and the lessons from many major incidents in the past, JESIP was clearly needed. A final version of the Skills for Justice report will be placed on the JESIP website.

So what has happened?

The key guidance – Joint Doctrine: The Interoperability Framework – has been published.

This is the bedrock of the programme, outlining the principles of joint working for ambulance, police and fire and rescue services. It has been finalised following consultation with over 100 organisations. Feedback was reviewed by a panel of representatives from the relevant services with an independent chair.

The final version of Joint Doctrine was subject to scrutiny through the JESIP governance processes and approved by the JESIP strategic board in

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September 2013. The document, which has been described by a senior lawyer as an ‘impressive piece of work’ and a ‘major step forward in joint working’, has been widely circulated and can be read on, and downloaded from, the JESIP website (www.jesip.org.uk).

A smaller ‘pocket-sized’ aide memoire is also available from the website.

Ambitious training programme Joint training is at the heart of JESIP. Planning together and training together, the three blue light services aim to create a seamless partnership in the management of that crucial first stage of responding to a major incident.

The training programme was carefully and comprehensively created by many people with considerable experience.

The first two courses, which have been tested, piloted and validated, are aimed at the priority audience – operational and tactical commanders.

Following a series of Train the Trainer workshops held across the country, there are now almost 300 licensed JESIP trainers equipped to deliver the JESIP courses, supported by professional training materials and tools.

A series of delivery workshops were also held around the country to assist in a smooth launch of the training programmes, answer any questions and demonstrate the electronic registration process.

Some courses have already been held but the bulk of them will take place between January and September 2014. By then it is expected that many thousands of operational and tactical commanders will have been trained. Trainers from the three blue light services working together will run every course and trainees will be from the three services.

That is a core JESIP principle – training together and being trained together.

JESIP on film….

To illustrate the messages around the importance and value of this training, JESIP has produced a DVD to be used to open each training course. It will feature input from the Home Secretary, the JESIP Strategic Leads as well as interviews with survivors of major incidents. A version of the film will be placed on the JESIP website.

What is next?

A course for Control Room Managers is being developed alongside a range of other training and

Leading the team

The JESIP team is led by a Senior Responsible Officer - Charlie Hall, Deputy Chief Constable, Norfolk Police (right) - and Deputy Senior Responsible Officer Steve Wheaton, Assistant Chief Officer, West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Foundation trust (left). awareness products. A key development will be the production of an e-learning package for all emergency service operational staff and a specific package for wider responder organisations. It is worth remembering that this programme isn’t for the few, it will reach hundreds of thousands of emergency responders.

What next?

Other activities in 2014 will include the introduction of tabards to ensure police commanders can be more easily identified on scene.

The JESIP programme will then be tested and evaluated through a number of exercises.

As those at the core of the programme – the three blue light services – begin their journey towards even better joint working, it is important that JESIP embraces the other responder organisations who often play a crucial role in the response to major incidents. Local partnerships among the wider emergency community need to be strengthened through sharing the JESIP principles.

JESIP is encouraging all services to consider their partners and neighbours in their planning activities and encourage as much collaboration and joint exercising as possible.

As we enter the New Year and the training gathers pace, the JESIP team’s minds have already turned to its legacy arrangements – what happens when the two-year programme ends? What comes after JESIP? Well, we are certain that the JESIP training and the principles enshrined in the Joint Doctrine will continue well beyond September 2014. We are looking to the creation of a Tri-Service Governance Board, who will ‘own’ interoperability in the future, and securing organisational learning arrangements.

Meanwhile, there is much to do and we hope you follow our progress with interest. If you want to know more about JESIP, or contact us, please go to our website or follow us on Twitter @jesip999. www.jesip.org.uk

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Emergency Services Times 14.6 - December 2013.qxp_– 10/12/2013 16:12 Page 52

52 | ESTVEHICLES

Jaguar Land Rover continues to excel and innovate Jaguar Land Rover is the UK’s largest automotive manufacturing business, built around two iconic British car brands with a rich heritage and incredibly powerful global consumer appeal and loyalty.

Under the ownership of Tata Motors Limited since 2008, Jaguar Land Rover has been transformed to realise the full potential of its brands and deliver profitable results. Driving the business forward is a global team of nearly 26,000 people. The company also supports more than 170,000 UK jobs through the supply chain, dealer network and wider economy. Jaguar Land Rover has recruited nearly 9000 people since 2011.

All of the company’s cars are engineered and designed in Britain and while it has ambitious plans for global growth, the heart of the business remains in the UK. Jaguar Land Rover has invested hundreds of millions of pounds in its production and R&D facilities in the UK and more than 80 percent of the cars produced at its three advanced manufacturing plants – in Halewood, Solihull and Castle Bromwich – are exported to more than 180 markets worldwide.

Capacity outside the UK Jaguar Land Rover is now supplementing these production facilities with capacity outside the UK. Land Rover Freelander and Jaguar XF models are assembled at a factory in Pune, India and a new factory under construction as part of its joint venture with Chery Automobile Ltd near Shanghai will make cars in China for the company’s growing China market.

Today’s car industry is as high-tech as aerospace and Jaguar Land Rover is at the centre of the UK

automotive industry’s drive to deliver technical innovation in all areas of vehicle development at its two engineering and design facilities in Whitley and Gaydon in the West Midlands.

Jaguar and Land Rover now make a number of vehicles using revolutionary allaluminium bodies, all greatly reducing the car’s weight, and thus improving fuel economy – as well as improving performance, handling and comfort.

Jaguar Land Rover is the biggest investor in R&D in the manufacturing sector and Britain’s third largest investor in research and development of any kind. The company is also in the top 100 for all companies for global R&D spend. In the year to

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March 2014 Jaguar Land Rover will invest £2.75bn in R&D and CAPEX. Advanced engineering As the company focuses on its commitment to becoming a carbon neutral manufacturing company by 2020, a new family of British-designed fuel-efficient low-emission four cylinder petrol and diesel engines are under development and will be made at its new £500m advanced Engine Manufacturing Centre, which is currently under construction near Wolverhampton.

Jaguar Land Rover is also committed to reducing the weight of its cars. In this area, the company is already the global leader. Jaguar and Land Rover now make a number of vehicles using revolutionary all-aluminium bodies, all greatly reducing the car’s weight, and thus improving fuel economy – as well as improving performance, handling and comfort.

The latest Range Rover, for example, is up to 400kg lighter than the outgoing model. Its aluminium body actually weighs less than the steel body of a much smaller BMW 3-series.

Lightweight aluminium architectures are an area in which Jaguar Land Rover will continue to excel and innovate.

Jaguar Land Rover has been named Responsible Business of the Year by Business in the Community. www.jaguarlandrover.com

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Emergency Services Times 14.6 - December 2013.qxp_– 10/12/2013 16:12 Page 53

ESTUTILITIES | 53

Think before you attend an emergency UK Power Networks delivers power to the doors of eight million customers across the East of England, London and the South East. Its vast electricity network includes 46,000 kilometres of overhead lines, 138,000 kilometres of underground cables and 120,000 substations. The company wants to promote safe working for emergency workers who may have to work in close proximity to its electricity network when attending an incident.

The network can pose a hazard to emergency workers in the event of a fire or any other incident where people have come into contact with equipment on the network.

Incidents can involve anything from people being injured while operating agricultural machinery under overhead power lines, to road traffic accidents that involve a collision with an electricity pole or workers damaging underground cables while excavating.

The guidance highlighted here will help you, your colleagues and the people you are trying to help, to stay safe if you find yourself working close to UK Power Networks’ electrical equipment.

What to do in an emergency • Don’t be tempted to start a rescue before safety has been confirmed • Your control centre should already know the electricity company emergency telephone numbers.

Call the electricity company urgently with a precise location of the incident • Do not enter an electricity substation without authorisation from the electricity company • Look out and Look up for overhead wires before you start.

Remember • Make sure you call the electricity company responsible for the network in your area as soon as you know the incident involves electricity poles, wires or substations.

• Always assume the wires are live or could become live at any time without notice if the electricity company has not been made aware of the incident • Once an electricity wire is on the ground, you do not have to touch it to be killed. The current will travel a reasonable distance. Stay clear.

• Touching electricity wires or objects/people/vehicles in contact with the wires can be fatal

Working together to promote safe working practices If you are working in a UK Power Networks area (Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex, London, Surrey, Sussex or Kent) and are dealing with an incident which involves, or is in close proximity to, our network call us immediately: East of England – Tel: 0800 783 8838; South East of England – Tel: 0800 783 8866; or London – Tel: 0800 028 0247.

If you are unsure of your network operator then please visit www.energynetworks.org. http://powerup.ukpowernetworks.co.uk

• Electricity can jump gaps To download copies of UK Power Networks ‘Think before you attend an emergency’ leaflet visit www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/internet/en/safety.

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• Rubber boots will not protect you • Trees, string, ropes, highway crash barriers and water can conduct electricity.

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Emergency Services Times 14.6 - December 2013.qxp_– 10/12/2013 16:12 Page 55

ESTLIGHTING SOLUTIONS | 55

Passion for perfection leads to improved lighting performance LED Lenser® has made significant improvements to its H7 range of personal lighting solutions.

The new LED Lenser® H7.2 Head Lamp is the result of a passion for perfection in hands-free lighting. This new version of the high performance classic, the H7, has been significantly re-engineered to provide superior comfort, better light distribution and improved performance.

The careful selection and addition of one of the very latest CREE® LED light chips into this stunning new head lamp, together with a reconfigured lens, enables the light to be both bright (250 lumens on Boost) and light up a much larger area than its predecessor.

The H7.2 features the patented spot to flood beam Advanced Focus System™ optics, which are complemented by Smart Light Technology™ (SLT)

Foam, which adapts itself to every user.

The adjustable ‘twin-forked’ headband design is so comfortable that users will forget they are wearing a headlamp at all.

options. SLT offers up to five light options (High Power, Low Power, Boost, Dim, Signal) spread over three pre-set light programs. These are all controlled by a clever new Dynamic ‘Wheel’ Switch – a simple turn or click of which will deliver the option required.

A ‘Low Battery’ warning light, a transport lock to stop accidental battery discharge, upgraded light tilt mechanism and superior robust cabling are all welcome additions too.

The H7.2 is also a step up in comfort. The battery pack and light head compartment are both contoured to fit snuggly around any head shape.

Additionally, the reverse of the light head compartment is lined with a skin-friendly PU-

Popular torch updated The new LED Lenser® P7.2 is an evolution of one of the company’s most popular torches, the P7.

Intricately re-evaluated from the inside out, this brilliant all-rounder offers an upgraded CREE® LED light chip, which when combined with the recalibrated patented Advanced Focus System optics, delivers a significantly improved level of lighting performance. Lumen output is now a stunning 320 on the ‘Boost’ light while both the spot and flood beams shine over a wider angle and with a stronger intensity of light.

Combine these improvements with a larger switch, smart new matt black anti-slip finish, lower weight (only 175g) and overall handy size, and it’s clear to see why the LED Lenser® P7.2 should remain the torch of choice for many professional users.

The LED Lenser® H7.2 Head Lamp and torch reinforce LED Lenser’s reputation as innovators and leaders in LED lighting for professionals. www.ledco.co.uk

Five steps to choosing the right headlamp The combination of long winter nights and poor weather conditions makes even the most straightforward of tasks difficult. Efficient lighting in these situations is not a luxury it’s a necessity.

PETZL has been a specialist headlamp manufacturer for over 40 years and has been inventing and developing products that offer professionals maximum freedom and efficiency for working in the dark.

Five questions When choosing a headlamp for your needs PETZL recommends that you ask yourself five questions: 1. Does the energy management of this headlamp suit my needs?

Constant (regulated) systems ensure stable lighting for a pre-determined period through microchip-controlled electronics. Neither the luminosity nor the lighting distance will change during this period. Traditional standard lighting systems get dimmer minute by minute.

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2. Is the energy source appropriate for my frequency of use?

Regular batteries work for occasional use, but the cost is greater over time. Integrated rechargeable batteries are designed for frequent or high power use. They are expensive to purchase but more economical over time.

3. Are the lighting options appropriate for my activities and environment?

Headlamps may have variable lighting modes.

These may change the beam (wide, focused, mixed etc) and the lighting performance (light output, lighting distance and battery life). The user’s requirements will differ depending on the task in hand; close range, movement or seeing at a distance.

4. Is it a ‘comfortable’ light A perfectly uniform beam maintains comfort in use. Dark spots, halo’s or intense pin-points cause fatigue.

5. Is the construction rugged enough for my working environment?

Headlamps should have passed stringent tests on shock, fall and water resistance, functional reliability and quality.

PETZL’s range of compact, versatile, high performance and emergency headlamps is the product of tens of thousands of hours of use and field testing. Whatever you combination of answers to the five questions there is a PETZL headlamp for your needs. www.petzl.com

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Emergency Services Times 14.6 - December 2013.qxp_– 10/12/2013 16:12 Page 56

56 | ESTLIGHTING SOLUTIONS

Instant silent Hands-free lighting for illumination Trellchem suits

The 9440 is lightweight and portable, ideal as an emergency scene light.

Peli professional lighting products include portable area lights, torches and intrinsically safe lighting products. Over many years Peli has built a reputation for quality and reliability in its products, which are trusted by police forces and emergency responders across the world.

The Peli 9420 LED area light is ideal for illuminating fire investigations and scenes of crime.

Weighing only 3.81kg, it is compact and easily portable and the mast extends above 1.5m, allowing a wide area of illumination. The unit folds down quickly to a handy 74cm long, so it can be easily carried. The 9420 LED can be set up in seconds and the battery pack can be charged independently to the lighting system.

The Peli 9440 LED is a larger version and is also designed to be easily portable, retracting telescopically to less than a metre long in the closed position. The 9440 is shown above, at an extrication training exercise, illuminating areas where there is no mains power.

The 9440 is lightweight and portable, ideal as an emergency scene light. Weighing only 7.3kg, it is supplied with a shoulder strap and an optional vehicle charger is also available.

Peli Area lighting systems offer instant, silent illumination. This powerful, rechargeable, LED lighting is a safe, economic and convenient alternative to using generators. There are no trailing cables to create a trip hazard, no fumes are emitted and no liquid fuel is required.

Peli ATEX certified torches are built tough for rugged durability in all weathers and hostile conditions; they are extremely resistant to chemicals, drops and shock. The range is designed for police and emergency service personnel and includes hands-free torches, rechargeable versions as well as head torches www.peliproducts.co.uk

Ansell, a global leader in protection solutions, has announced the launch of the TRELLCHEM Hands-Free Visor Light System, US patent pending. The system offers hazmat responders in encapsulating Trellchem suits a built-in hands-free LED lighting solution with a panoramic view with no risk of blinding reflections.

Access to light and good visibility plays a vital role in creating a safe environment for most kinds of work. Trellchem encapsulating gastight suits are used by a variety of responders in emergency situations where the environment can be both very dangerous and most often very demanding in terms of access to daylight or any other light sources. Typical situations include visibility limited by smoke from the off-gassing of chemicals to the dark, non-lit space of an industrial building where lights are out. The responder must also normally carry a wide range of tools to be able to complete the mission. A solution that offers hands-free operation of a light source therefore contributes both to safety and efficiency for the entire response team.

“The Trellchem Hands-Free Visor Light System adds true value for any responder working in demanding and hazardous environments,” says Thomas Draskovics, President and General Manager, Ansell Specialty Markets. “By adding an integrated lighting solution into our suits we are convinced that we will help create a safer environment for responders working in these sometimes life-threatening operations.”

The Trellchem Hands-Free Visor Light System is a ‘short throw’ illumination system based on a LED panel mounted along the top inside of the visor. It is connected to a standard 9V battery, which eliminates the need of any recharging management, and giving the user an expected duration of more than one hour. The wide beam of the LED panel creates a panoramic view in poorly illuminated environments. It helps the responder

with better orientation as well as safer and more rapid performance since it frees up both hands.

The design of the system eliminates any risk of reflection back into the eyes of the user and mounts easily in both new and existing suits without the need of any special tools.

The system fulfils EMC (Electro Magnetic Compatibility) requirements and does not interfere with any radio communication devices. Further, it does not influence or interfere with any regulatory certification regarding the Trellchem suit. For decontamination and cleaning purposes, once the battery pack is dismounted, the system will remain unaffected inside the suit when being washed. http://protective.ansell.com

Portable powerhouse Are compact size and high output really mutually exclusive? Not in the case of the PD35 from Fenix.

Weighting only 87g and measuring less than 14cm long, the PD35 delivers a stunning 850-lumen maximum output from one 18650 battery or two CR123 cells. Six outputs including strobe mode cover you from daily use to outdoor and professional use while a simple press on the side switch is all you need to select output mode. Portable becomes powerful with this goeverywhere, category-changing model from Fenix.

The latest CREE® LED XML2 (U2) and Fenix circuitry and engineering skill is the secret behind

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this remarkable output to size ratio. The torch is also completely waterproof and tested to IPX-8 standard (2m below surface level) and impact resistant for drops from 1m.

The body of the torch is made from durable aircraft-grade aluminium and it has a toughened ultraclear glass lens with an antireflective coating.

The run-time ranges from 140 hours to one hour 15mins continuous runtime depending on the output mode.

This torch is available at an approximate retail price of £65. www.casstrom.co.uk

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Emergency Services Times 14.6 - December 2013.qxp_– 10/12/2013 16:12 Page 57

Emergency Services Times 14.6 - December 2013.qxp_– 10/12/2013 16:12 Page 58

58 | EST

Supply+ is the leading supplier to the UK Fire & Rescue market of our product portfolio.

Our brands, AS Fire & Safety, Bayley and Collins Youldon collectively have 298 years of experience and knowledge of customer requirements and the demands of the world we live in today.

Our AS Fire & Safety brand is the leading supplier of EN1147 ladders in the UK and we are determined to innovate and continue the journey that began with AS Fire & Rescue in Totten.

We have designed and manufactured ladders with new safety features . The AS Powerbeam gantry addresses issues related to both Health & Safety and today’s diverse workforce.

Our role is to lead rather than copy the achievements of others.

Our Collins Youldon brand delivers innovation as well as proven reliability with hose reels that are basically fit and forget.

Supply+ continues to export to over 40 countries supplying our specialised equipment to our diverse international customer base.

The world is changing around us and as we continue to thrive as a business we must look ahead, understand the trends and forces that will shape our business in the future and move swiftly to prepare for what is to come. We must prepare for tomorrow today and ensure we manufacture quality products and services for our customers. We do this based upon our critical values of quality, reliability and cost effectiveness from a company that people know and feel comfortable to deal with.

Tel: +44 1480 832200

www.supplyplus.com

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Supply+ ... Safety by Engineering

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Emergency Services Times 14.6 - December 2013.qxp_– 10/12/2013 16:12 Page 59

ESTLIGHTING SOLUTIONS | 59

Light weight LED floodlight CFM Services The Solaris 10K from NightSearcher Ltd is a portable, light weight (7.9kg) floodlight, which can flood huge areas with white, shadow-free light. It is a breakthrough in LED technology and sees an end to a reliance on generator-powered halogen or fluorescent sources.

By changing over to this advanced technology, companies could save up to 3000 tonnes of CO2 a year while offering a more reliable floodlight in terms of durability and safety. Its unique high power LED design allows the beam to cover greater distances, superb performance at 10,000 lumens on high, 6000 lumens on medium and 3000 lumens on low where an extended running time is required.

This makes it ideal for a range of applications such as road traffic incidents, scenes of crime etc, as a single head can illuminate a 50m area.

reveals product updates CFM Services, a provider of specialist lighting equipment, has announced the arrival of the new Lighthawk LED Vision-600.

The latest Li-ion battery technology ensures that the unit is ultra-compact and lightweight for maximum portability yet will operate for three hours on full power, six hours on medium and nine hours on low, giving an intense white light that generates over 1300 Lux at 5m. Supplied and incorporated in a specialist outdoor case, the Nightsearcher Solaris Lite can be set up in less than 60 seconds. Incredibly robust, the unit is made from tough ABS plastic and is water and shock resistant to allow operation in all weather conditions.

Added benefits The added benefits are the reliability as Li-ion can be left for long periods of time without charging, produces no heat, operates silently and offers a huge saving in carbon emissions.

Registered to ISO 9001:2008, Nightsearcher Ltd is one of the leading manufacturers and suppliers of a range of portable LED floodlights (mains voltage also available), searchlights, head-torches and flashlights. www.nightsearcher.co.uk

The Bright Star Lighthawk LED Lantern.

The Bright Star Lighthawk LED Lantern has been used successfully throughout the UK emergency services for the last seven years, offering a high performance light with remarkable reliability. Originally designed for the fire and rescue sector, with its robust construction, long lasting battery and the ability to cut through smoke, the Lighthawk has proved itself as a powerful fire fighting torch. Many other UK emergency services and rescue organisations have also adopted the Lighthawk LED as their standard light, recognising its high quality, excellent performance and value for money.

The original Lighthawk has a narrow, long-range beam. The new Lighthawk Vision-600 is physically identical to the original but now offers an output of 600 Lumens and a broad flood beam with a range of 250m.

Daylight saving time

A rechargeable, cordless floodlight has been introduced to the market by eKonomical; FLOODIT, has been given an IP rating of 65, which means it’s suitable for wet and dusty conditions. It has also been designed to be incredibly robust to withstand being used by the emergency services.

In an emergency situation it is imperative to react quickly and accurately, more often than not you can find yourself in a difficult cramped situation with light being a major issue. FLOOD-IT is a range of cordless, fully rechargeable floodlights and the health and safety benefits are clear – no cables running to the mains or a generator makes this a very portable and safe piece of equipment, literally saving hours of rigging up floodlights from the mains and bulky equipment. The lights can be

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charged using a mains or car charger (included) so on-the-go these lights are great.

The battery is over/under discharge protected, meaning the charging cycle can be interrupted, left to charge or run from the mains and it won’t affect the durability of the battery.

The FLOOD-IT uses LEDs, which means it runs cool, unlike halogen, which can be very hot to touch, a potential fire hazard. eKonomical has stated that feedback from users stressed the need for a product that is robust, reliable and safe – in FLOOD-IT these users have bright light in the palm of their hand, at the touch of a button. www.myflood-it.com

The FoxFury Nomad Area Scene and Spot Light has been updated and improved.

One of CFM Services’ most successful products, the FoxFury Nomad Area Scene and Spot Light, has also been updated and improved. The updated Nomad Prime has been reinforced to improve stability, plus the light head can now be locked in both vertical and horizontal positions, the later aiding use in windy conditions.

The Nomad Prime has three settings (low, medium and high) with an output of 4000 Lumens on the high setting. A new ‘blinking’ mode has been added and on the low setting it will now burn for a full 24 hours. The smaller version, the Nomad NOW and the 7000 Lumen Nomad 360 also now have burn times of 24 hours on low. www.cfmservices.co.uk

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ESTLIGHTING SOLUTIONS | 61

Fantastic UK response Thomas Jacks makes Tactical to new COAST LED range advance Already established as a leading LED torch brand in the US and Canada, the COAST range has enjoyed a fantastic response to its first year in the UK and Ireland since its introduction by UK-based BBB Investments Ltd. Over 100,000 COAST products have already been sold in the UK and Ireland, via over 450 appointed sales outlets. With sales figures growing each and every week, what has attracted so many businesses and torch users to this new range?

Specifically for police use, COAST also offers several of its torches in special ‘TAC’ format, which means that Strobe mode is added to the existing high and low light settings, plus the entire torch is turned black (inside and outside), in order to remain covert on operations.

Several COAST models also feature options of red, green, blue or Ultra-Violet LEDs to assist in preserving night vision, aid in tracking of blood, or in identifying human DNA or fingerprints at a crime scene.

Build quality and warranty Torch casing is made from aircraft grade aluminium, with solid gold-plated contacts for optimum conductivity and rustproofing, and fitted with CREE LED chips guaranteed for 100,000 hours of use. On top of this all COAST products are covered by a full five-year warranty, backed in the UK and Ireland by BBB, and have USA Military Approval.

The COAST range caters from the simplest pentorch right up to the 1132 lumens long-distance HP314 capable of seeing up to half-a-mile away. It caters for a wider range of applications and spans four key areas: LED torches, LED head-torches, LED lanterns and LED multi-tools. Part of the success of the range, as BBB is quick to point out, is that price-points are important even for a premiumquality range; prices start at £9.95 (RRP) and move up in small steps to ensure options are within the reach of a wide range of customers.

High performance – low cost The whole COAST range uses standard AA, AAA, C or D-Cell alkaline batteries, which are both widely available and low in replacement cost.

This is in contrast to many ‘tactical torch brands’, which require expensive lithium or li-ion batteries.

Many COAST products include: ‘One-Hand Finger-Tip Focusing’, enabling rapid adjustment from spot-to-flood beam; ‘Beam-Lock’ to either fix the beam at a required/preferred setting, or also to ensure it is completely secure/stable when worn in a belt holster; Tail-switches are recessed to prevent damage or risk of accidentally switching-on; and many torches are designed so that they can be used standing-up on a flat surface.

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Multi-Tools Already a major player in the USA multi-tools market, COAST has quickly proven a popular choice in the UK and Ireland as well. All models are made from 400-series stainless steel, with spring-loaded pliers for instant one-handed use, inbuilt comfort grips to assist firmer hold, plus tools can be easily and quickly accessed from the outside without the need to open handles.

A unique feature added by COAST is either one or two LEDS within each model, which act as back-up lights when the handles are closed and are designed to shine ahead of the plier-head and knife blade when used in dark or confined spaces.

It came as a shock to many – including exclusive distributor Thomas Jacks Ltd – when, in late 2012, Energizer®, without warning, closed down its Military Products Division, producer of the increasingly popular Hard Case® Tactical® lights range. Now, a Phoenix is rising from the ashes.

ReMAPP International, the manufacturer/ supplier of circuit boards for this range, has finalised a deal to produce the Energizer® Hard Case® Tactical® lights under license. Thomas Jacks Ltd has, in addition, been re-appointed as the exclusive distributor for the UK and Ireland.

Thomas Jacks Energizer Hard Case Tactical Range cw logo.jpg

Beam quality Beam purity is one quality that probably every torch user most notices and cares about, especially in more unpredictable and demanding situations, such as those faced by emergency services personnel. The COAST range’s long-range beams have a super-bright core surrounded by a constant outer light to see more of the scene at long-distance, while their flood beams are, BBB claims, the widest on the market and feature beam purity and consistency across the whole spectrum.

Military and emergency services The Energizer® Hard Case® Tactical® range has been designed from the outset for military (sand bodyshell) and emergency services (black bodyshell) use. All models use an advanced polymer construction ensuring that, in normal use, the housings are virtually indestructible, are IPX7 waterproof (1m for 30 minutes) and drop-tested to 3m (Vest Light 2m). So confident are the manufacturers of their durability, ruggedness and dependability that they offer a Limited Lifetime Warranty.

The entry-level model, the 1AA Vest Light, is an ultra-compact right-angle torch fitted with a breakaway clip allowing hands-free attachment to webbing, Mollé or clothing that also features two magnets, which in turn allows attachment to a metal surface for use as a work light.

The 2AA Swivel Head Gen 2, which offers four output spectrums, can be used as a hands-free right-angle torch – it too can be attached to webbing, Mollé or clothing by a tough built-in clip and fitted to Klickfast/Airwaves adaptors – or the head can be swivelled for use as a normal torch.

The ultra-compact – and probably the most versatile light currently on the market – 1AA Helmet Light comes supplied with five mounts (Helmet/Picatinny/Headstrap/Mollé and Cap/Vest/Klickfast) and can also be used handheld. It has a main white light output plus a secondary LED (available in either red or blue), both of which have three output levels, plus an IR LED and IR IFF facility.

www.bbb-leisureproducts.co.uk

www.thomasjacks.co.uk

Emergency lanterns There are four models in the COAST Emergency Lanterns range, all of which are equipped to provide two to three light settings in white light, plus solid red or flashing red. Light outputs of up to 375 lumens are available while run-times vary up to 100 hours from standard alkaline batteries.

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62 | ESTPRODUCTS

The latest must-have kit 1

ARB® Differential Breather Kit – Arbil 4x4

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www.arbil4x4.co.uk

Most drive-train assemblies are fitted with a factory fitment differential breather; however these cannot compete or cope with the ‘under water’ driving undertaken by the emergency services, especially during periods of localised flooding. The ARB® Differential Breather Kit is a high flow, zero backpressure and zero vacuum breather system, which allows up to four drive-train assemblies to be vented to one central location on the vehicle, which will be above the water level at all times. This universal fitment kit is designed to replace factory breathers and contains push in fittings to make installation both quick and simple.

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Silver cap badge – ASBF www.asbf.co.uk

Specially commissioned by the Ambulance Services Benevolent Fund (ASBF) this solid silver cap badge makes the ideal presentation gift for personnel retiring from the ambulance service. This unique badge is presented in a smart case and comes at the offer price of £87 each, which includes postage and packaging.

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Rugged Android tablet – Becrypt and Getac

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www.becrypt.com

Becrypt and Getac have launched the first secure Android tablet solution suitable for defence and government markets. The Getac Z710 7in Android 4.1 tablet provides a more secure system from which to support a wide range of bespoke applications that government and defence markets can use with confidence. The device weighs just 800g and has a battery that gives over 10 hours of operational time. It includes a 1D/2D barcode reader that enables rapid data capture – up to three times faster than other devices using software-based scanners. Engineered for extreme conditions, the ultrasensitive touchscreen can be operated even while wearing gloves.

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Chito-SAM 100 haemostatic dressing – SP Services www.spservices.co.uk

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Chitosan is a unique haemostatic material with proven antimicrobial properties that produces localised clotting. It is not a procoagulant that engages or stimulates the normal clotting cascade, minimising the risk of an embolism, and is broken down and absorbed through normal metabolic pathways. The Chito-SAM 100 is a high performance, 100 percent pure Chitosan haemostatic dressing designed to stop lethal bleeding fast. It is easy to use, extremely effective, safe and works independently of the body’s normal clotting processes. The haemostatic performance of the dressing, which is available from leading UK medical supplier SP Services, is extremely effective compared to products impregnated or coated with Chitosan haemostatic agents and it clots three times faster than competitors in in-vitro clotting tests.

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EasyFix Vacuum Mattress – Ferno www.ferno.co.uk

Ferno, the patient handling equipment specialist, has launched a revolutionary new vacuum mattress for the search and rescue sector. EasyFix is ideal for immobilising patients who have suffered trauma to the spine, pelvis or limbs, and uses a new V-shaped body design to optimise the vacuum mattress capabilities while a ground breaking X-shape restraint system immobilises the upper body and/or hips and pelvis, creating a versatile solution for transporting patients. The mattress folds up for easy storage, taking up to 20 percent less space than other vacuum mattress designs – particularly important for those involved in search and rescue operations. It also comes with 10 ergonomically designed handles to give smooth handling.

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5

FreeFold – Worldline Luggage www.free-fold.com

Cycling has become an increasingly popular transport method due to government funding and increasing commuter costs, however it isn’t always the easiest mode of transport for workers who wear suits or uniform for work. FreeFold is an award winning, suit folding system, designed to change the lives of the 760,000 people that cycle to work. Worldline Luggage, the creators of FreeFold, is dedicated to developing new products that remove the barriers people experience when choosing to cycle to work. The FreeFold product, which currently sells at £39.99, is a lightweight suit folding system made from EVA foam. The product resembles a coat-hanger shape, with folding sections and straps to keep everything in place. In addition to FreeFold, there is also a commuter travel system messenger bag, which is also available for purchase.

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Emergency Services Times 14.6 - December 2013.qxp_– 10/12/2013 16:12 Page 63

ESTCLASSIFIED | 63

VEHICLE MOUNTED BOILING WATER SYSTEM

Cold, wet and dehydration can reduce performance and impair safety.

By fitting a ‘TeaMate’ water boiler, crews can make themselves a cup of tea, coffee or other hot beverage to keep warm and hydrated, therefore maximising concentration and keeping fatigue to a minimum.

KNEE & ELBOW Protection

Comprehensive range to suit every application Ergonomic design Comfortable and secure fit Reliable protection Tough and hard wearing Manufactured to the highest standards from selected quality materials

marking throughout NATO Stock No: 22c 8415-99-8873869

Gotec Trading Limited Boulton Road Pin Green Stevenage Her ts SG1 4QL Telephone 01438 740400 Fax 01438 740005

• Compact commercial grade throughout.

• Self contained fully automatic.

• 24v and 12v models available.

• Makes up to 9 mugs per filling.

WHISPAIRE LTD Email: info@whispaire.co.uk Web: www.whispaire.co.uk T: + 44 (0)1794 523999 F: + 44 (0)1794 519151

Get all the latest news by signing up for the FREE EST E-newsletter www.emergencyservicestimes.com

MAKE IT EASY WITH

HOT PACK™ Self-Heating Nutritious Meals In 12 minutes, you can create a delicious hot meal, with Hot Pack Self Heating Meals, anywhere you need it. Everything is in the pack to produce a satisfying hot meal without using any other equipment. Even cutlery and a dish are included!

Choose from seven great tasting, ready to eat recipes: Chicken Casserole, Lancashire Hot Pot, Chicken Dopiaza Curry, Sausages and Beans, Spicy Vegetable Rigatoni, Meatballs & Pasta and Vegetable Curry.

Make it easy. Enjoy a HOT PACK™ meal – anywhere!

Contact Canland UK Ltd, Wellington House, Lower Icknield Way Longwick, Bucks HP27 9RZ Tel/Fax: 01844 344474 E.mail: info@hotpackmeals.co.uk Web site: www.hotpackmeals.co.uk

HCPC Registered Paramedics County Durham Emergency Medical Services Ltd (EMS) is looking to extend its current bank of HPC registered paramedics to fulfil its current and future urgent care/front-line commitments.

All applicants “must” be currently registered with the HPC and not have any current, pending or on-going investigations. All applicants must hold a current UK driving licence, have CI/DI entitlement, must have no more than 3 penalty points and hold an IHCD driving qualification.

We are also looking for IHCD Technicians, ECSW & ECA’s All enquiries along with current CV are to be sent initially to mark.scott@countydurhamems.co.uk

we urgently need to recruit for 999 work w w w. e m e r g e n c y s e r v i c e s t i m e s . c o m

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64 | ESTLAST WORDS

Supply Plus supports sustainability and a greener work environment Supply Plus is a leading manufacturer of aluminium ladders, shutters and gantries for the fire and rescue service, police forces and commercial markets worldwide. The company also designs and manufactures hose reels, road and tanker fittings, cable drums, pressure and vacuum relief valves. It considers itself to be a responsible business in the community within which it is located.

Based in Papworth Everard, Cambridgeshire, Supply Plus is located near the Papworth Trust, a leading disability charity. The trust’s mission is to support disabled people to have equality, choice and independence in their lives, working with people with any kind of disability, including anyone who has a longterm health issue, learning difficulty, physical disability, sensory impairment, mental health issue or a combination of these or other impairments.

Environmental sustainability As a responsible company, Supply Plus has given immense consideration to the importance of environmental sustainability and sincerely hopes its dedication is a benefit to the local community. The company’s aim is to demonstrate this by reducing and, if possible, eventually eliminating the environmental impact of its manufacturing processes, something it considers is its responsibility to do.

The company is committed to contributing to a sustainable and environmentally friendly future by exercising the three ‘Rs’ – Reduce, Re-use and Recycle.

As awareness of global warming and other environmental problems increases, and as a manufacturer of a diverse range of products, Supply Plus has commenced a ‘Green’ Project. The objective is to audit the company’s suppliers and the materials that they supply to establish their environmental ethic and eco friendly principles, giving Supply Plus the peace of mind that it is

buying, using and selling environmentally friendly products.

Having audited its suppliers of materials for its ladder manufacturing process Supply Plus can confirm that the stiles, channels and rungs fitted on all AS and Bayley Ladders are made from remelt material. Remelt material uses 20 percent of the power required to produce virgin material, which lowers carbon footprint. All of this material is extruded in the UK and can be recycled at the end of a ladder life.

The following items can be found on various AS and Bayley ladders: roller wheels, fasteners, stirrup, various springs, cable guards and handles, rubber feet, straps, axles, cam and AAD housing bracket.

Supply Plus confirms that all of these items can be recycled at the end of the ladder life.

Reduce, Re-use and Recycle Supply Plus has a duty to ensure that all of its waste is disposed of responsibly; using approved registered waste contractors in order to preserve the environment and the activities of its surrounding community. The company is committed to contributing to a sustainable and environmentally friendly future by exercising the three ‘Rs’ – Reduce, Re-use and Recycle.

Reducing: the company will use only the amount that is essential, and seek alternatives that will

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reduce use. This includes purchasing resilient, enduring goods endeavouring to use fewer raw materials without compromising its products performance.

Re-use: Supply Plus will consider items that are resilient and re-usable. Extending the life of a product is an effective means of re-use. This is considered superior than recycling because the item does not need to be re-processed before it can be used again.

Recycling: the company will use materials that would otherwise become waste into valuable resources that can be used to make fresh products. It is considerably better than throwing materials away, which then get sent to landfills. Recycling also includes buying products with recycled content.

Sustainability Coordinator Supply Plus complies with all relevant legislation and regulations, to strive to achieve best practices throughout its entire site with the commitment of its workforce. The company has appointed its H&S Manager as the Sustainability Coordinator, who has responsibility for ensuring ongoing environmental performance, identification of environmental risks, recording and monitoring of impacts and implementing environmental and social sustainability measures.

Special consideration is given to employing and empowering staff locally and wherever efficient and environmentally sustainable, products and services are sourced locally too.

Supply Plus encourages staff to be vigilant and aware of their surroundings, alerting line managers or the H&S Manager of any concerns. Its staff are trained through inductions and H&S training on awareness of environment issues and are fully committed to its success. www.supplyplus.com

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