EST Feb 2011

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FEBRUARY 2011

VOLUME 12 | 1

ᔡ News: proposal put forward for a shared fire and rescue service in Cumbria and Northumberland ᔡ Launch of an emergency services show in Glasgow, Scotland ᔡ Severe weather – how services coped during the snow ᔡ Profile: specialist vehicle converter Halls Electrical opens a south east branch ᔡ Trauma care: learning lessons from the frontline ᔡ More for less – how the emergency services are finding ways of reducing costs while still maintaining frontline services ᔡ Civil Resilience: preparations near completion for Exercise Watermark ᔡ Profile: Falck, Europe’s largest private emergency service ᔡ A guide to some of the latest products and services available ISSN 1472-1090

www.emergencyservicestimes.com

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Emergency Services Times 12.1_– 24/02/2011 16:13 Page 1

CONTENTS | 1

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Regular features First Words Baroness Neville-Jones, Minister for Security and Counter-Terrorism, provides an update on the 2012 Olympic Games security plans

3

News South Central Ambulance Service’s HART is now operational and a shared fire and rescue service is proposed in Cumbria and Northumberland

4

Events

Page 10 – Organisers of The Emergency Services Show collaborate with the Emergency Planning Society to launch Emergency Scotland 2011.

A review of last November’s Emergency Services Show and a round up of industry events to come in 2011

9

Inside this issue

Company Profiles

Emergency Scotland 2011

Specialist vehicle converter Halls Electrical Ltd opens a new branch in the south east

32 34

A focus on Falck, Europe’s largest private emergency service

Resilience Preparations nearing completion for Exercise Watermark and SEPA gets a new flood warning system

39

Technology National ‘address book’ free for emergency services and Met Police prepares for the Olympics

56

Organisers of The Emergency Services Show collaborate with the Emergency Planning Society to launch Emergency Scotland, a comprehensive exhibition and conference, bringing together resilience professionals under one roof – the roof of the SECC in Glasgow to be precise – from 5-6 July 2011

10

Trauma Care Learning lessons from pre-hospital care practitioners in the military, law enforcement tactical medicine and medical equipment available to treat major trauma injuries

19

Comms & IT Life after FireControl – where did it all go wrong? And what does the future now hold for fire and rescue control rooms?

36

Severe Weather Emergency response teams across the UK brave the hazardous conditions at the end of 2010 to help those most in need

41

Delivering More For Less Collaboration, outsourcing, restructuring and economising – how the emergency services are finding ways of reducing costs while still maintaining frontline services

63

Contracts & People New Chiefs for Gwent Police, Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service, City of London Police and Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service, and Mazda police vehicles now available on an NPIA framework

58

Product Information Including thermal imaging binoculars, rescue tool carry handles, rugged smartphones and a portable gas detector

73

Last Words Sue Slipman, Director of the Foundation Trust Network discusses the benefits of Foundation Trust status

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Page 19 – Learning lessons from pre-hospital care in Afghanistan.

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2 | A-Z

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Companies Company Name

Page No

3tc Software.......................................................................................38 The AA Special Operations Response Team .................................42 Airmed 2011......................................................................................14 Airwave..............................................................................................38 Ambition 2011 ..................................................................................11 Amputees in Action .........................................................................24 AnsuR ................................................................................................74 APD Communications.....................................................................61 Astracasting.......................................................................................56 ATS Euromaster...............................................................................54 Bay Search and Rescue ...................................................................52 Bedfordshire Police ............................................................................6 Blazepoint..........................................................................................74 Blue Lamp Trust...............................................................................58 Blue Light Foundation......................................................................4 BOC Healthcare................................................................................27 British Red Cross .......................................................................39, 41 Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service .....................................4 BW Technologies by Honeywell .....................................................74 Calibre HR & Training ....................................................................71 Capita.................................................................................................69 Carnation Designs............................................................................58 Chevin Housing Group....................................................................64 City of London Police......................................................................61 Cleveland Police ...........................................................................4, 71 College of Paramedics ......................................................................11 Community Resilience.......................................................................6 Computacenter UK ..........................................................................58 Counter Terror Expo 2011...............................................................17 Cumbria County Council...................................................................6 Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service ...............................7 Dorset Fire and Rescue Service ........................................................4 East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS)..................................49 Emergency Planning Society (EPS) ...........................................6, 10 Emergency Scotland 2011 ...............................................................10 Emergency Services Show...............................................................10 Environment Agency.............................................................6, 47, 64 EP Barrus Ltd...................................................................................54 ESRI UK ...........................................................................................64 Essex Police.......................................................................................63 Exercise Watermark .........................................................................39 Falck ..................................................................................................34 Fire Brigades Union (FBU) ..............................................................6 FLIR Systems...................................................................................74

Company Name

Page No

Company Name

Page No

Foundation Trust Network..............................................................76 Frequentis AG ..................................................................................56 GGP Systems ....................................................................................56 Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service.......................................42 Great North Air Ambulance ...........................................................19 Great Western Ambulance Service (GWAS) .................................32 Gwent Police .....................................................................................58 Halfords.............................................................................................64 Halls Electrical Ltd..........................................................................32 Hampshire Constabulary.......................................................7, 61, 64 Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service ..............................................58 Help for Heroes ..................................................................................4 Hertfordshire Police.........................................................................58 Holmatro ...........................................................................................74 Honda ................................................................................................32 Hornbill.............................................................................................61 HTK ..................................................................................................39 HumanConcepts ...............................................................................69 Humberside Fire and Rescue Service ............................................67 Humberside Police ...........................................................................71 Kent Police..................................................................................24, 63 Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance ......................................14 Lancashire Police .........................................................................7, 47 Land Rover .......................................................................................41 Life Connections 2011 .....................................................................11 Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service ...........................................58 London Fire Brigade .......................................................................17 London's Air Ambulance ................................................................61 LXE ...................................................................................................69 Mallon Technology...........................................................................67 Marco Trailers...................................................................................74 Mazda.................................................................................................61 MEL Secure Systems .......................................................................74 Metropolitan Police .........................................................................56 Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service...............................61 Midland Rover Owners Club 4x4 Response Group......................42 Moog Aircraft Group .......................................................................58 National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) ...................57, 61 NHS Yorkshire and the Humber....................................................54 North West Ambulance Service (NWAS)......................................54 Northern Constabulary......................................................................7 Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service....................................61 Northumberland County Council ....................................................6 Northumberland Police .....................................................................7

Olympic Delivery Authority .............................................................3 Ordnance Survey ..............................................................................56 Outreach Rescue...............................................................................52 PageOne Communications ..............................................................39 Pavilion Publishing..........................................................................14 Peli Products...............................................................................52, 74 Pickup Systems.................................................................................67 Police Firearms Officers Association (PFOA) ..............................30 powerPerfector..................................................................................64 Public Sector Efficiency Expo ........................................................71 Renovotec..........................................................................................69 Rig Equipment Ltd..........................................................................73 RNLI ...................................................................................................7 Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service......................................36 Royal College of Surgeons ..............................................................27 SafeLinQ UK....................................................................................56 Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS).........................................4, 6, 49 Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) .......................39 Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service.................................................7 Software Europe ...............................................................................61 Sonim.................................................................................................56 South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS)................................4, 47 South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb)...................24, 49 South Staffordshire First Responders............................................49 South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service......................................45 South Yorkshire Police .........................................................6, 64, 71 St John Ambulance ......................................................................4, 45 Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service .............................................4 Steria..................................................................................................71 Surrey Police.................................................................................6, 69 Sussex Police .....................................................................................71 Thames Valley Police ...................................................................4, 64 Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service ..........................................7 UK Mail ............................................................................................64 UK Rescue Challenge 2011 .............................................................17 Vemotion Interactive........................................................................56 West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) .........................49, 58 West Midlands Fire Service ............................................................64 West Midlands Police...................................................................4, 58 West Yorkshire Police ................................................................56, 61 Willcox & King Engineering Ltd (WKE).....................................71 Workwear & Corporate Clothing Show .........................................14 Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS)..............................................67

Company Name

Company Name

Advertisers Company Name

Page No

3TC ....................................................................................................35 The AA ..............................................................................................43 AgustaWestland ................................................................................46 Airwave...........................................................................................IFC Allbatteries........................................................................................51 Ambition 2011 ..................................................................................72 Amputees in Action .........................................................................21 Anderco Safety..................................................................................69 Babcock International......................................................................26 BAPCO 2011.....................................................................................68 BOC....................................................................................................22 British Red Cross..............................................................................75 Capita.................................................................................................62 Emergency Scotland 2011 .................................................................8 EP Barrus ..........................................................................................48 Event Medicine.................................................................................15 Falck ..................................................................................................16 Fenton................................................................................................18

Page No

Ferno..................................................................................................44 Goliath...............................................................................................48 Grumpygrip Ltd...............................................................................66 Halfords.............................................................................................65 Halls Electrical Ltd ...............................................................OFC, 59 Intramark ..........................................................................................73 Kussmaul Electronics Co Inc..........................................................15 Land Rover .......................................................................................40 Life Connections 2011 .....................................................................70 Lion Apparel.....................................................................................60 Lyon Equipment Limited ...........................................................5, 13 NAPFM.............................................................................................75 Niton..................................................................................................60 Peli Products (UK) Ltd ...................................................................53 PHS....................................................................................................25 Red Box Recorders Ltd ...................................................................28 Reliance Medical ..............................................................................25 Renovotec..........................................................................................22

Page No

Rigiflex ..............................................................................................53 RSG Engineering Limited ..............................................................51 SP Services..............................................................................OBC, 25 Strongs Plastic Products..................................................................26 Supply 999.........................................................................................66 Telent .................................................................................................35 Tempus...............................................................................................53 Thomas Jacks....................................................................................15 Tracerco .............................................................................................55 TXTOOLS........................................................................................51 Vauxhall.............................................................................................31 Vehicle Livery Solutions .................................................................66 Vimpex Ltd .......................................................................................48 WILL-BURT....................................................................................28 Willcox & King Engineering Ltd (WKE).....................................66 W L Gore & Associates....................................................................57 Workwear & Corporate Clothing Show.......................................IBC Zodiac ................................................................................................46

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Emergency Services Times 12.1_– 24/02/2011 16:13 Page 3

FIRST WORDS | 3

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Volume No: 12 Date:

Issue No: 01 February 2011

Editor: David J. Holden MEng(Hons) Twitter: @999editor davidholden@mmcpublications.co.uk Editorial Assistant: Alice Burton aliceburton@mmcpublications.co.uk Advertisement Manager: David Brown davidbrown@mmcpublications.co.uk Advertisement Sales: Carol Fox carolfox@mmcpublications.co.uk Circulation & Subscription Manager: Anne Ahier anne@mmcpublications.co.uk

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Managing Director: David Brown Directors: John Clarke David Holden Colin Robinson Ceinwen Clarke (Sec.) Published by

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Preparing for the London 2012 countdown There are a number of milestones that we will count down on the way to the eagerly awaited London Olympic and Paralympic Games next year. The first of these is in March, when tickets to watch the sporting talent of 200 nations go on sale. Next, lots of calendars across the country have a big circle around 27 July, which is exactly one year until the opening ceremonies of the Games. Excitement will flow and those responsible for safety and security of the Olympics will take their planning into its final phases.

To ensure planning is on track, the incoming Government commissioned an Audit and Review of Games security planning on getting into office last spring. It confirmed overall readiness – with effective plans in place and on budget – but also underlined that work to safeguard and secure the Games was entering a crucial phase in which specific plans and operations need to be fully tested and exercised.

“Work is also taking place to mobilise the resources of police, ambulance and fire services to meet the operational challenges of the Games during 2012.”

A number of multi-agency exercises have been held, most notably Exercise Citius Torch in July 2010, which brought together around 200 of those who will perform key roles underpinning the Games. To build on the success of this and other exercises, a National Olympic Exercise Programme is being developed. This programme will design and run exercises to test procedures in a range of scenarios including counter terrorism and the management of more conventional ones.

The Review also highlighted the importance of getting the level of security right at ‘parallel events’ – those activities running alongside the official Games which will add so much to the Games atmosphere.

These can be expected to take place all over the country. There will be a wide range from street parties and local festivals and will be attended by audiences ranging from the tens to the hundreds and the thousands. Making sure that the occasions are fun for those involved and are not vulnerable to attack or disruption is at the forefront of our planning.

The sale of Game tickets next month will involve several agencies working together to address the threat of cyber-enabled ticketing fraud. This does not apply just to organised fraud, other criminal activity targeted at the Games will not be tolerated. The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), LOCOG, police service and the Government are working together to clamp down on it in advance of as well as during Games time.

Work is also taking place to mobilise the resources of police, ambulance and fire services to meet the operational challenges of the Games during 2012.

The following months will be crucial as our planning matures and the transit to live operations begins. The Games are a national event that demands a level of logistical planning and coordination not seen in the UK before.

A solid base for safety and security of the many events that will take place has been laid on which to build. We shall monitor the landscape constantly to detect any changes in the threat environment; take forward our programme of exercising and the development of our security coverage with the aim of making the protection we give participants and public as unobtrusive, while being as effective, as possible.

Baroness Neville-Jones Minister for Security and Counter-Terrorism

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4 | NEWS

In brief . . .

A West Midlands Police Chief Inspector has been named the nation’s Most Inspirational Fundraiser at the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Inspiration Awards in London. Since being diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2010, Fiona Irving, from the force’s Learning and Development Department, has raised over £11,500 for the charity. She completed the London Marathon despite severe back pain caused by spinal tumours and wrote a book on supporting a cancer patient. “Being able to laugh in the face of cancer lets you continue to be in possession of yourself,” she said.

“You are not your cancer and I am determined to raise money and awareness for Breakthrough Breast Cancer.” www.west-midlands.police.uk www.breakthrough.org.uk

Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service has teamed up with Thames Valley Police and St John Ambulance to provide 13-19 year olds with a free emergency services course. They will be given a complete ‘blue light experience’ that will provide them with skills for a future job, be it with the emergency services or the private sector. Kendall Samuel, Assistant Youth Inclusion Officer at Buckinghamshire FRS, said, “Anyone participating in this course will have an educational but fun-packed four days with us.” www.bucksfire.gov.uk

Three police officers from Cleveland will be running the equivalent of five marathons in five days in aid of the Blue Light Foundation and Help for Heroes. Officers Simon Bage, Revis Phillips and Peter Littlewood, along with nurse Lynn Campbell and personal trainer Lyndsey Smith will run coast to coast from Whitehaven in Cumbria to Tynemouth in just five days between 25 and 29 May. To sponsor the runners or make a donation, visit www.wix.com/c2c555/coast2coast555 or follow their twitter: @coast2coast555.

Dorset Fire and Rescue Service has launched its own YouTube channel – www.youtube.com/user/DorsetFire. The service is constantly uploading videos of incidents, special events and safety messages as it hopes to educate and inform the community. The channel contains case studies about the service’s staff, advice and videos of fires that firefighters have attended so the public can get an idea of how fires behave and spread. www.dorsetfire.gov.uk

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South Central HART now operational after completing training

South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS)’s new Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) is now live and operational. After a year of hard work and training, the HART staff are able to enter a ‘hot zone’ to provide treatment without needing to rely on other emergency services.

The HART personnel have undergone training in using breathing apparatus, working at height and urban search and rescue. Mobilised via the Emergency Operations Centres but any ambulance service area can request the attendance of the HART.

“As ambulance staff, we have always prided ourselves on the level of care we give to our patients, but we always had to stop at the edge of any area considered too hazardous by the fire and rescue service,” commented John Dyer, Head of Emergency Preparedness at SCAS. “With this latest equipment and training, HART staff are now able to work safely alongside the other emergency service colleagues to bring highquality care to patients, wherever they may be.” www.southcentralambulance.nhs.uk

Scottish Ambulance Service Academy set to welcome new students The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) has entered into a partnership with Glasgow Caledonian University to create a new era of skills training and professional development for ambulance staff. The Scottish Ambulance Service Academy in Glasgow will welcome its first intake of students in April 2011.

The facility, situated in the University’s School of Health, will provide first class opportunities for learning in an environment that is purpose-built for modern adult education, with the flexibility to meet the current and future

Fire station rebuild project given the green light The rebuild of a further 11 fire stations in Staffordshire has been given the go-ahead following the Coalition Government’s approval. The £50m project was given the green light by the treasury in March 2010 but plans were put on hold as the new Government reviewed all Private Finance Initiative (PFI) projects. Fortunately the Government is backing the project, and building is scheduled to begin in autumn 2012.

Vote of confidence The stations to be rebuilt are: Burton-upon-Trent, Kinver, Lichfield, Leek, Stone, Chase Terrace, Rugeley, Codsall, Penkridge, Ashley and Longton.

“This is great news for both our staff and the communities who will benefit from these new facilities,” said Chief Fire Officer Peter Dartford. “The new Government clearly has confidence in us successfully delivering this project and has recognised how these new community-focused fire stations support their key priorities. These new facilities will empower our communities to become safer and stronger, therefore contributing to the Government’s ‘Big Society’ vision.”

needs of SAS staff.

Shirley Rogers, Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development, Scottish Ambulance Service, said, “The opportunity to train in clinical simulation areas alongside other healthcare professionals will have a significant benefit in terms of professional development. The close proximity of police and fire training facilities means that our students can work alongside emergency service colleagues in simulated traffic accidents.” www.scottishambulance.com

Welsh FRSs receive £1.3m funding The Welsh Assembly Government has announced that it will provide £1.3m of funding to fire and rescue services (FRSs) in Wales, with £750,000 going towards the refurbishment of the Earlswood Training Centre in Neath to provide new toilets and showers, a kitchen, dry-kit room and accommodation for up to 12 firefighters.

This refurbishment has many benefits to the firefighters’ working conditions and will allow more time to be spent on training and collaborating with other fire and rescue services.

The work will be completed by local businesses, putting money into the economy. The remaining money will be spent on operational equipment for FRSs across Wales, including radios and thermal imaging cameras.

Social Justice Minister, Carl Sergeant, commented, “Our firefighters undertake difficult and dangerous work and I believe it is essential that we provide them with the equipment and facilities they need to continue protecting the people of Wales.”

Fire Minister Bob Neill added, “As part of our commitment to frontline services we are continuing to support the modernisation of the fire service.

Investing in 21st century fire stations in the right locations will help save lives and deliver a service that meets the needs of today’s world, welcoming to local communities and offering improved working conditions for our firefighters.”

www.wales.gov.uk

www.staffordshirefire.gov.uk

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6 | NEWS

In brief . . .

Eight disused police boxes have gone on sale in popular Sheffield locations. Rebecca Schofield, from commercial property consultants Knight Frank, who act as agents for South Yorkshire Police, said, “Police boxes attract a lot of interest thanks to their history, their convenient locations and of course, the Doctor Who association. However they can be used in a variety of ways such as a small office or storage space.” Because of the use of mobile phones and handheld radios, many UK boxes have been withdrawn from service, prompting forces to sell off the properties. www.knightfrank.com www.southyorks.police.uk

Surrey Police is set to become the first force in the UK to pilot a mobile phone application, which will enable users to engage with their local neighbourhood teams. The interactive app, developed by independent UKbased social and mobile software specialist Multizone Limited, will allow people to see what action their local officers are carrying out and what crime is happening in their area. www.surrey.police.uk

Fire crews at Llanelli Fire Station have been trained by the Environment Agency to install flood protection gates at properties that are at risk of flooding during extreme weather. The floodgates are designed to fit into doorways to provide a temporary control measure against rising water levels. They are fully adjustable, are very quick to install and remove, and give firefighters additional options when flood protection is required. The partnership between the Environment Agency and the fire and rescue service will contribute towards improving service standards within the Llanelli area. www.mawwfire.gov.uk

Bedfordshire Police’s new website went live on 16 February. It has been developed in collaboration with Hertfordshire Constabulary who will be launching their own new website in the near future. Claire Hughes, Head of Corporate Communications, said, “Collaborating with Hertfordshire has yet again provided cost-efficiencies and enables information on collaborated units to be shared more easily.” The capital cost of the new website and staff intranet is £41,000 with running costs of less than one tenth of one pence per day per unique user across the combined web and intranet sites (based on £5600 a year spread across current site visitor statistics). www.bedfordshire.police.uk

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Paramedic preparation study wins research prize A study that helps paramedics prepare for emergencies has won a national research prize. The study, undertaken by the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) and the Nursing Midwifery and Allied Health Professions Unit (NMAHPRU), developed a prioritised vehicle check sheet (VECS) for use by paramedics in practice.

Dr Edward Duncan, Senior Research Fellow, NMAHPRU, explained, “Despite equipment checks routinely being undertaken on a shift basis there are occasions where ambulances need to respond to emergency calls before a full check can be completed. The prioritised nature of the VECS ensures that the most important items are checked first, so that ambulance clinicians can be confident that life-saving equipment is present and functioning, even if they are called to an emergency before a complete check can be carried out.”

(From L to R) Clinical Research Paramedic David Fitzpatrick at work with Dr Edward Duncan.

Collaboration The paper won the top research prize at the 999 EMS Research Forum, which was part of the Faculty of Pre-hospital Care Scientific Conference in Warwickshire. The funding

for the work came from an ongoing collaboration between the NMAHPRU and SAS, who have already produced a number of significant benefits to the people of Scotland. www.scottishambulance.com

Joint FRS proposal Half-price EPS membership for given go-ahead Community Resilience clients A feasibility study into a proposed shared fire and rescue service in Cumbria and Northumberland has begun after councillors in both counties gave the idea the go-ahead. The proposed merged service would share a Chief Fire Officer and senior staff.

Councillors from both services have decided to press ahead as both services could make significant savings following the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review. Both services are performing at similar levels, and both share similar risk profiles.

This is only the first step and the feasibility study will look into all possibilities, up to and including a full merger.

Northumberland County Councillor Alan Thompson said, “We will only proceed if there are clear benefits in bringing the two services together.”

Cumbria County Councillor Gary Strong, added, “Once we have the results of the study we will have a much clearer idea of the efficiencies that can be delivered across the two services. Although this is a big change in the way senior management will work, we have to remember that our driving aim is to protect frontline services.”

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has opposed the proposal, however, branding it ‘ludicrous’. The FBU has said that both areas deserved properly funded fire and rescue services. www.northumberland.gov.uk www.cumbriacc.gov.uk

Community Resilience has announced that it will refund 50 percent of the cost of membership of the Emergency Planning Society (EPS) to public sector employers if their organisation is a client of Community Resilience.

George Cook, CEO of Community Resilience, said, “With the Coalition’s austerity measures hitting public authorities hard, we’re delighted to be able to offer public sector organisations help to meet the costs of professional membership for their staff. Emergency planning and business continuity are critically important to the resilience of our communities, so cost should be no barrier to membership. If you’re an individual member paying EPS fees directly, it may now be worth asking your employer whether they can participate in this scheme, as it means they

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will be able to take advantage of this significant discount. EPS members benefit from vital access to professional development, retention and acquisition of new skills, recognition of best practice and knowledge sharing.”

Membership of the EPS is £125 per year for Associates and Members – under the new arrangement, public sector organisations that are clients of Community Resilience and fund membership of the EPS for their staff are eligible to claim up to £62.50 back.

Marc Beveridge, Chair of the Emergency Planning Society, said, “This move demonstrates Community Resilience’s commitment to the resilience profession. We are facing challenging times and financial constraints within all our organisations, so the EPS is delighted to be working with Community Resilience to offer halfprice membership to public sector employers if their organisation is a client of CR.” www.communityresilience.cc www.the-eps.org

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NEWS | 7

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Emergency RNLI releases latest statistics services rank highly in Stonewall index

In brief . . .

Northern Constabulary has issued a new DVD to staff on enhancing communication with members of the public who are deaf or hard of hearing.

The DVD aims to reinforce specific requirements and barriers for the deaf and hard of hearing and to encourage them to have the confidence to report crimes. Some subjects covered by the DVD include: when and how to use an interpreter; information on hearing loop systems; using gestures; the importance of writing things down and raising awareness of cultural differences between deaf sign language users and hearing people. www.northern.police.uk

Shoreham’s new Tamar class all weather lifeboat arrives on station with lifeboats from neighbouring stations

ACC Steve Dann leading the parade at Brighton Pride.

Stonewall has released its Top 100 Employers for lesbian, gay and bisexual people for 2011, with many emergency services scoring highly.

The highest scoring emergency service organisation was Hampshire Constabulary, who ranked fourth overall. This is the fourth year in a row that Hampshire has been named the UK’s most gay-friendly police force.

Chief Constable Alex Marshall, who is the force’s lead on Fairness and Equality, commented, “Not only is it a great honour, it’s also testament to our year on year commitment to providing an excellent service to our diverse communities. To remain in the top five, and to do so consistently, is a huge achievement.”

Top 100 Other emergency service organisations to rank in the top 100 are: Merseyside Police, 24th; Kent Police and North Wales Police, joint 26th; Cheshire Constabulary, 30th; British Transport Police and Thames Valley Police, joint 35th; West Mercia Constabulary, 38th; West Yorkshire Police, 54th; Tyne & Wear Fire and Rescue Service and West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, joint 60th; Dyfed Powys Police, 64th; South Wales Police, 68th; North East Ambulance Service, 72nd; Essex Police, 76th; Lothian & Borders Police and Sussex Police, joint 84th; and East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, 93rd. www.stonewall.org.uk www.hampshire.police.uk

The RNLI’s annual figures have revealed that its lifeboats rescued 8313 people from the UK’s coasts in 2010 (22 a day), while RNLI lifeguards assisted 18,775 people during the summer on 150 beaches around the country.

RNLI Operations Director, Michael Vlasto, said, “Around our coastline lifeboat volunteers and lifeguards have once again demonstrated their priceless commitment to saving lives at sea.

But that is only part of the story; every

one of the rescues carried out in 2010 was made possible due to the incredible generosity of the public, even in those difficult times. I would like to say ‘thank you’ to all those who support us.

“These new figures show just how much time our crews sacrifice to help those in trouble at sea – but in addition, they spend even more time training, which is a further measure of their dedication and commitment.” www.rnli.org.uk

Devon & Somerset FRS launches Training Academy

Photo: West Midlands Fire Service/Edward Ockenden.

At the Emergency Services Show in Warwickshire, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service (DSFRS) launched its Training Academy. Already one of the leading fire and rescue training providers in the UK, DSFRS’s new academy will allow the service to extend its programmes to meet the growing requirements in the public sector and private industry.

Further to the tuition the service already provides to FRS staff, structured training courses across a range of disciplines will be available to industry clients. They will provide staff with the

knowledge and skills required to work safely in hazardous conditions. Courses will include training on: confined spaces, breathing apparatus, rope rescue, water rescue and ship fire fighting.

The training facilities in the south west offer realistic environments, and partnerships with River Dart Country Park and Rescue 3 enable DSFRS to provide higher education accredited white water rescue courses. Tailor-made options delivered at other locations may also be available for some courses. www.dsfire.gov.uk

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Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service has launched a fire prevention scheme in partnership with Ludlow’s largest medical practice. The scheme encourages those most in need to have a home fire safety check. The Station Drive Surgery is sending out letters to their elderly and vulnerable patients informing them of the initiative.

Shropshire FRS is also urging all householders to check its website to ensure they have made proper fire safety checks. Due to budget cuts the service is currently unable to offer free smoke alarms to all sections of the community. www.shropshirefire.gov.uk

Thanks to the delivery of a new minibus from Northumberland Police, an interactive safety centre run by Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service is able to spread the fire safety message to more people in the community. The minibus is able to transport people to the SafetyWorks centre, located in Benwell, Newcastle.

Set in a former upholstery factory, SafetyWorks recreates an inner-city environment and provides a number of different interactive safety scenarios, incorporating sounds, smells and imagery. www.safetyworks.org.uk

Lancashire Police officers have been given new body cameras thanks to local charity Villages in Partnership.

The six cameras, which can be clipped onto an officer’s stab vest, can be used to help capture crime on film.

The video can be used in court as evidence as to what has happened in an incident. They also act as a deterrent, helping to keep the area safe. www.lancashire.police.uk

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Crowds at ESS2010 offer the sector hope for a successful year ahead The organisers of The Emergency Services Show 2010 (ESS2010) are celebrating another successful year, as a staggering 3776 unique visitors descended upon Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, to attend the UK’s leading exhibition and conference dedicated to the emergency services sector.

The Emergency Services Show and Conference is the only national, multi-agency event that encourages collaboration bringing together professional, Government and voluntary emergency response organisations and key personnel, all under one roof.

ESS2010 took place across two days, from 24-25 November 2010, and its overwhelming attendance indicated that despite the decimated budget cuts announced by the Coalition Government in October last year, the emergency services sector is still striving towards further multi-agency cooperation and is working hard and investing time to achieve this aim.

Over 380 exhibitors were spread across three Halls, all with the shared objective of improving public safety. Exhibitor Simon Shepherd, Sales and Marketing Director of Ferno UK Ltd, commented, “Over the two days we received an array of high quality visitors from our key customer base.

Exhibitions can be expensive exercises for businesses but if you can meet and network with your target database they are worth the effort. The Emergency Services Show certainly delivered on all aspects for us this year and we look forward to next year’s event.”

The Exhibition was sponsored by Community Resilience and, from its stand in Hall 1, personnel were on hand throughout the show to demonstrate the practical aspects when establishing a mass temporary mortuary.

Following the extreme weather experienced by exhibitors and visitors in 2009, a new hall was introduced at the 2010 show, Hall 3. It was packed with over 50 blue light suppliers and also included scenario demonstrations from the National

Event Director David Brown (left) with joint-Managing Director of Bristol Uniforms Roger Startin who, after a successful two days at ESS2010 was the first to re-book his stand for this year’s show in November.

Association of Crime Scene Cleaners, Perseus Training and West Midlands Police, Fire and Ambulance (CBRN) services.

Conference The conference sponsor for 2010 was Scott Health & Safety. The first day of the conference had a special focus on the challenges posed by the 2012 Olympics and featured speakers including: Alaric Bonthron, Metropolitan Police; Peter Thorpe, London Ambulance Service; and Jim Monks, London Fire Brigade. Additionally, a number of presentations looked at building relationships through training and interaction. Day two of the conference also boasted a number of high profile speakers and the Cabinet Office hosted a series of focused workshops, ‘Improving the Resilience of the Critical Infrastructure’.

Overwhelming response Show Organiser David Brown said, “The positive response that we have received from both exhibitors and visitors this year has been overwhelming. The exhibition has gone from strength to strength over the past five years and this year’s exhibition has been our biggest yet. As well

as allowing exhibitors to showcase their latest products and services, the show provided an ideal way for responders to discuss cooperation, ideas and initiatives, as well as learn from each other in preparation for major events taking place next year.

We are very much looking forward to preparing for our next show in 2011.”

Crowded aisles at The Emergency Services Show 2010.

The Emergency Services Show is the UK’s only event for anyone involved in emergency planning, response or recovery. The 2011 Show will be taking place from 23-24 November and will be returning to Stoneleigh Park. www.ess2011.com

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Emergency Services Show organisers collaborate with EPS to hold Emergency Scotland 2011 event The team behind the successful annual UK emergency services event, The Emergency Services Show (held at Stoneleigh Park), has announced that it will be holding a new event dedicated to the Scottish emergency services sector. Emergency Scotland 2011 will take place alongside the annual Emergency Planning Society (EPS) Resilience Symposium 2011 from 5-6 July at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC), Glasgow. This partnership allows a comprehensive exhibition and symposium to take place side-by-side, bringing together resilience professionals under one roof.

In an age when adverse weathers are continuing to cause disruption across both rural and urban parts of the UK, particularly in Scotland, placing a strain on emergency services, the need for a dedicated exhibition and symposium is ever more relevant.

Launched at a time when budget cuts are at their peak, renewable and offshore industries are developing in this region while requests for support from the emergency services are increasing, this event will facilitate and share information, good practice and provide a platform to consider innovative and creative ways of working together in the future.

More for less The combination of the need for multi-agency collaboration with the ongoing onslaught of budget cuts, coupled with the ‘More for Less’ mantra from Ministers, it is easy to see that public sector services are being stretched to full capacity. Never the less, despite the reduction in spending it is crucial that the public sector continues to provide services to our communities. It is now more important than ever for the UK emergency services to buy the best equipment and services allowing them to deal with incidents more cost effectively.

Emergency Scotland 2011 is Scotland’s only exhibition for anyone involved in emergency planning, response or recovery. This free to attend event will also appeal to emergency services personnel from the North of England and Ireland who may find travelling to Glasgow on a limited budget a more cost effective option.

Taking the successful formula from the UK show, Emergency Scotland 2011 will directly address the

needs of the Scottish emergency services, such as the effects of the recent severe weather in both urban and rural Scotland and the rest of the UK. It will also provide the perfect opportunity for individuals to research methods of ‘doing more with less’ funds. Visitors will be able to speak to exhibitors about how they might improve ways of operating, thereby making them more efficient.

“It is now more important than ever for the UK emergency services to buy the best equipment and services allowing them to deal with incidents more cost effectively.”

Additionally, the exhibition and symposium will address key issues affecting all resilience professionals with regard to the Civil Contingencies Act 2004. Integral to the Act is the duty to share information and cooperate, and the exhibition will assist by encouraging networking among all agencies and providing access to the latest technology, ideas and initiatives.

Commenting on how the EPS collaboration was developed, David Brown, Show Organiser,

Emergency Services (MMC) Ltd, said, “The UK Emergency Services Show has gone from strength to strength over the last five years. We have however been aware that due to its location in Coventry it is not always convenient for individuals who live and work north of Yorkshire to attend. We therefore were keen to organise an exhibition in Scotland, as this would allow people from the north of England to benefit from easy travel, visitors from Ireland and Scandinavia can take advantage of convenient travel links, and Scots have the chance to discuss their own country’s emergency services needs. We have a long standing relationship with EPS and it is our belief that by joining forces we will be able to offer a comprehensive and informative exhibition and symposium.”

David continues, “As well as allowing exhibitors to showcase their latest products and services, the exhibition provides an ideal way for responders to discuss cooperation, ideas and initiatives and learn from each other in preparation for major events taking place over the coming years. The exhibition provides an opportunity for Scotland to demonstrate its expertise to other nations, as well as its English counterparts, on how best to respond to emergencies.”

Key challenges EPS Chair, Marc Beveridge, said, “The past few months alone have tested resilience professionals across the world, as well as closer to home: the dreadful flooding in Cornwall, severe winter weather across the UK and the student riots in London. Further afield we witnessed the catastrophic flooding in Australia, the Chilean

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A date for your diary – The Emergency Services Show 2011 With over 380 exhibitors and 3750 visitors attending the successful show last year, The Emergency Services Show and Conference is one of the key events for anyone involved in emergency planning, response or recovery in the UK.

miners rescue, the earthquake in New Zealand and the mudslides in Brazil. These events are now all too commonplace, and the resilience profession faces a number of key challenges in a world of uncertainty. The road ahead is a rocky one; the need for innovation and creativity ‘doing more with less’, developing our knowledge and skills, ensuring that we are at the forefront and cutting edge of our profession has never been so critical.”

The Emergency Scotland exhibition is open to all resilience professionals and is considered crucial for those with a role in operations, procurement, training, recruitment, emergency planning and business continuity. The types of products on show from exhibitors include: Communications and IT, First Response Equipment, PPE, Station Equipment, Training and Education, Vehicles and Vehicle Equipment, Business Continuity and Outsourcing. In addition to trade exhibitors displaying the latest equipment, there will also be up to 30 end users exhibiting within the Emergency Response Zone.

For further information please visit www.emergencyscotland.com or Tel: 01273 453033.

Alternatively, follow the latest emergency news on Twitter – http://twitter.com/999editor.

Condition Critical The aforementioned annual Emergency Planning Society Resilience Symposium 2011 will be tackling the theme ‘Condition Critical: A

Symposium for Resilience Professionals’.

The symposium offers a range of subjects with over 20 sessions aimed at tackling the most important issues in the Resilience profession, including case studies, (lessons identified from the past 12 months) expert insights, master class, energising practitioner skills; importantly, the symposium offers an opportunity to horizon scan and gain insight into potential future risks.

This year sees an innovative and creative approach; a fresh and exciting programme will provide members with a myriad of choice and topics aligned to national risks, which are dynamic and at the forefront of the profession highlighting the most important issues, including, but not limited to, Critical National Infrastructure, ‘Economic, Social and Political Wellbeing of the UK’, Exposed to the Elements, ‘Nature the Adversary’ and National Security and Emerging Issues. Academic sessions will also be facilitated, helping to bridge the gap between academics and the profession.

Early bird rates are available until 23 April – to book your place visit: www.epsresiliencesymposium2011.org or call the EPS headquarters on Tel: 0845 600 9587.

To become a Resilience Partner for the event, contact Christine Barr on Tel: 0121 313 2845 or email: christine@zestbuzz.co.uk www.emergencyscotland.com www.epsresiliencesymposium2011.org

The Emergency Services Show 2011 will be taking place this year on Wednesday 23 and Thursday 24 November at Stoneleigh Park, Coventry. The Show and Conference is the only, national, multi-agency event that encourages collaboration bringing together professional, government and voluntary emergency response organisations and key personnel under one roof, all with the ultimate goal of improving public safety.

One of last year’s exhibitors, David Burton from Godiva Limited, said, “The Show gives us two days of high value contact with our UK customer base – it is now a must-do on our events list.” Donna Michelle Dempsey, Connaught First Aid Solutions, who was a visitor last year, said, “Excellent Show. It was well worth the journey over from Ireland and I am really looking forward to next year.”

The high profile conference is delivered in tandem with the exhibition and every year presents a range of speakers operating at the top level of each of the agencies represented. www.ess2011.com

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Life Connections 2011 offers something for everyone

Events in 2011 LGA Fire Conference 8-9 March Newcastle HOSDB Exhibition 2011 22-24 March Farnborough, Hampshire

With nine separate conferences to chose from and delegates rates starting from only £30, Life Connections 2011 has a great deal to offer.

The nine conferences, most of which are CPD accredited, take place at the Kettering Conference Centre from 7-8 April. They are: Thursday 7 April – Paramedic Practice, SADS UK, HSE (Franchise) seminar, MAGPAS/HELIMEDIX, BASICS; Friday 8 April – AoFA (First Aid Training), CPRO (Resuscitation), ICPEM (Emergency Planning), BMUS (Ultrasound).

In addition to having the opportunity to listen to top quality presentations, delegates in attendance will also be able to visit over 40 trade stands during the break out tea/coffee and lunch sessions. All delegate rates include a bag, badge, lunch, tea/coffee, free parking etc, which makes Life Connections 2011 one of the most affordable conference events in this economic climate.

Delegate places for each conference are limited therefore early registration is advisable. To view each individual conference programme and to secure you place online please visit

Workwear and Corporate Clothing Show 5-6 April Ricoh Arena, Coventry Life Connections 7-8 April Kettering Conference Centre BAPCO 2011 13-14 April Design Centre, London Counter Terror Expo 19-20 April Olympia, London Health & Safety 2011 17-19 May NEC, Birmingham Airmed 2011 24-27 May Brighton Ambition 2011 22-23 June Telford International Centre

www.lifeconnections.uk.com

Website goes live for AMBITION 2011

Emergency Planning Society 2011 4-6 July SECC, Glasgow

The website for Ambition 2011 – a brand new annual event that brings together the best of prehospital care under one roof at the International Centre in Telford in June 2011 – is now live at www.ambition2011.org.

Ambition 2011 is the only event with the full support of all NHS ambulance service trusts and the guaranteed attendance of the main players in the pre-hospital care sector. The event incorporates a large exhibition alongside two important conference streams – the Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) Conference 2011 and the Ambulance Leadership Forum (ALF) Conference 2011 – making it the ideal forum for those working in, or with, the ambulance services – especially fire and rescue, police and other specialist rescue partners, and manufacturers and suppliers to these organisations. A demonstration zone will also be available over the two days.

Emergency Scotland 2011 5-6 July SECC, Glasgow AMBULEX 6-7 July Fire Service College NAPFM 2011 6-7 September Peterborough Wildfire 2011 14-15 September Buxton, Derbyshire UKRO Challenge 2011 22-24 September Excel, London The Emergency Services Show 2011 23-24 November Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire

Road Safety Week Road Safety Week 2011 will this year take place from 21-27 November. The event is organised by Brake, the road safety charity, but open to everyone to help promote road safety during this established national awareness event. Brake is encouraging schools, communities, companies and road safety professionals such as emergency services, health workers and local authorities to get involved.

Wherever you live, and whatever you do, you can get involved and help raise awareness of the needless loss of life on our roads. www.roadsafetyweek.org.uk

www.lifeconnections.uk.com, or, to register by phone, Tel: 01322 660434.

The College of Paramedics is giving Life Connections 2011 and its Paramedic Practice Conference its full support. Members are being offered a discounted delegate rate of £50.00 + VAT to attend the Paramedic Practice Conference. Those members wishing to take advantage of this offer should register at: www.lifeconnections.uk.com quoting the special college code shown on the website plus their membership number.

Peter Bradley, Chief Executive of London Ambulance Service NHS Trust, & National Ambulance Director at the Department of Health, said, “Ambition 2011 gives the ALF conference its first venue outside of London. The extra facilities and planned programme will give all attendees a much better opportunity to network and share best practice with colleagues and suppliers from right

across the ambulance sector. I’m looking forward to an event that will really add value to the services we deliver.”

While the Ambulance Leadership Forum Conference is an invitation-only event, delegates are able to register for the HART Conference while visitors wishing to attend the exhibition hall can do so absolutely free of charge. They just need to register beforehand on the website at www.ambition2011.org.

The costs for the HART Conference are: • Frontline emergency services staff: £79 + VAT • Public sector or charity staff: £149 + VAT • All other delegates: £249 + VAT. One place at the gala dinner on Wednesday 22 June (worth £50) will be included with each delegate booking. Accommodation must be booked separately via Hannah McKinnon at Eventlinks on 01952 527 375 or via e-mail: hannah.mckinnon@southwatereventgroup.com. www.ambition2011.org

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Footwear specialist Airmed 2011 lands sponsors workwear show in Brighton

Airmed 2011, the international aero-medical congress, will be held in Brighton from 24-27 May and is being hosted by the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance, the first such UK charity to organise this major international conference.

The charity is working in partnership with the European HEMS and Air Ambulance Committee (EHAC).

The congress is being supported by leading names in the medical and aviation world including Agusta Westland; Bell Helicopters; Eurocopter; Specialist Aviation Services; Aerolite and Bucher Leichtbau. Global organisations and suppliers will also be exhibiting at the Brighton Centre, the venue for the first three days of Airmed.

Topics from a host of distinguished speakers will include: advances in surgical trauma care; medical updates on head and brain injury; pre-hospital airway management; 24-7 HEMS services; night vision operations; and aircraft control technologies.

The congress will conclude with a specialist aviation day and display at the Shoreham Airport. www.airambulance.com

999 Triathlon VUE CCTV has announced that the 2011 Emergency Services National Triathlon, organised by one step beyond, will be held on Friday 13 May at the National Watersports Centre, Nottingham.

This date might be unlucky for some but will it be lucky for your service? With the score currently tied between the police and fire and rescue service, it’s all to play for this year. www.vue-cctv.co.uk

Visitors and exhibitors at the Workwear and Corporate Clothing Show, taking place from 5-6 April, will be looking forward to two days of seminars, networking and social events at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry. The show, sponsored by footwear specialists JAL Group, is the focal point for the workwear, corporate and PPE industries in the UK. The biggest names in workwear, such as Pacific Brands, Rock Fall, Invista’s CORDURA® brand, Men’s Wearhouse, Incorporatewear, William Sugden & Son, Sharon Lee, and Kingfisher Apparel, have already confirmed their participation alongside safety footwear specialists Magnum, Footsure, Bootmate, The Florida Group and E Sutton & Son. Stuart Thorne, of JAL Group, said the decision to sponsor the show was an easy one and added,

“Leading manufacturers are still facing the challenge of a global recession, but events such as the Workwear and Corporate Clothing Show provide a great platform to bring buyers and manufacturers together.”

The annual WorkIT! Conference is also taking place alongside the exhibition with a focus on forward thinking. Delegates at the conference will have the chance to win the latest report from global research leaders Frost & Sullivan, worth £4000. www.workwearshow.com

Brothers’ charity challenge Brothers David and Richard Cooper are embarking on an epic challenge in April in aid of Starlight Children’s Foundation. Starting on 28 April, Paramedic David and Police Officer Richard will go ‘End to End and Back Again’, cycling from Lands End to John O’Groats and then immediately running back, all in the space of one month. To achieve this the pair will cycle 150 miles a day for a week and run 40 miles a day for over three weeks, totalling over 1800 miles.

Starlight aims to bring smiles and laughter into the lives of seriously and terminally ill children who have been denied a childhood free of pain and complication. They do this by granting wishes and creating innovative entertainment in hospitals and hospices throughout the UK. Visit the challenge website to see how you can support David and Richard. www.endtoendandbackagain.co.uk

(From L to R) Richard and David Cooper get set for their epic challenge.

Reaching the hard to reach Pavilion, a leading publisher and event organiser for professionals working in the public, private and voluntary sectors, is holding a conference entitled ‘Reaching the hard to reach?’ on Wednesday 30 March 2011 at ORT House Conference Centre in London.

Emergency services strive to deliver the best possible service to all sections of the community, including the most vulnerable members of society.

As hard-hitting public sector spending cuts take hold, this may become increasingly difficult with those most in need likely to be worst affected.

This unique event seeks to redress the balance by showcasing effective, low-cost local partnership working, highlighting that the ‘hard to reach’ need no longer live on the periphery of society.

Delegates attending the conference will hear from key speakers in the in the field, including: Professor Richard Wilkinson, Emeritus Professor of Social

Epidemiology, University of Nottingham Medical School and Author; and Ken Klemens, Policy and Campaigns, Age Concern Cheshire.

Delegates attending this event will benefit from: useful, practical advice on reaching the harder to reach communities; exploring and learning from effective partnership working with the private and third sector knowledge to enhance frontline interventions and performance; and the opportunity for delegates to disseminate learning outcomes and recommendations to the rest of their team, providing a significant return on the investment of the delegate fee.

The fee to attend the conference including lunch, refreshments and conference materials is £349 + VAT. For further information and full programme details visit the website or Tel: 0844 880 5061. www.pavpub.com

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London to host prestigious UK rescue showcase London Fire Brigade is to host the UK Rescue Challenge, the most prestigious rescue competition in the firefighter calendar. Held at the ExCel Centre in London’s Docklands in September, the two-day event will see London’s firefighters competing against other fire and rescue services in numerous rescue disciplines. Demonstrating leading advancements in rescue techniques and capabilities, fire crews will be showcasing their skills in vehicle extrication, trauma, line rescue and USAR, urban search and rescue disciplines.

Wales. London Fire Brigade has been regularly entering teams in trauma and vehicle extrication disciplines, with new USAR and line rescue teams representing the brigade at the UK Rescue Challenge London 2011.

UK Rescue Challenge London 2011, set up by UK Rescue Organisation (UKRO), will be run by the brigade and funded entirely from sponsorship and contributions from the trade exhibition. www.london-fire.gov.uk

As well as providing an opportunity for healthy competition and rivalry between the teams, the event will include a trade exhibition and a variety of demonstrations. London Fire Brigade Assistant

Commissioner Steve Hamm, in charge of firefighter training, said, “By participating in the UK Rescue Challenge, our firefighters get a chance to test new equipment, employ innovative rescue procedures and share best practice with other brigades, all of which helps improve the way our fire crews rescue casualties at real incidents.”

Steve added, “We’ve been participating in this national competition for the past nine years and now have a unique opportunity to showcase our excellent rescue work as well as engage with the public on a huge scale. We are hoping to make this year’s competition the biggest yet since it was first held in 2002.”

The competition’s success has steadily grown since 2002, with around 50 teams representing the majority of the brigades in England, Scotland and

Airport attack emphasises need for enhanced critical infrastructure protection The suicide attack at Moscow Domodedovo Airport in January, serves as a chilling reminder that transportation hubs and other high profile locations where people gather, remain potent targets for those with the intent to kill and maim.

This message has been voiced regularly at Counter Terror Expo, the event for counterterrorism professionals from across the globe, held this year in the Grand Hall of London’s prestigious Olympia Exhibition & Conference Centre from 19-20 April 2011.

The airport attack claimed the lives of 35 people and injured in excess of 180 others. It followed a similar suicide strike against the metro system, which claimed a similar number of lives last year.

What occurred at Domodedovo Airport could just as easily happen at almost any other airport in the world and it serves as a wake up call that more

forums, across very specialised workshop programmes and delivers a secure environment in which to discuss the principal issues in conclave and privacy.

needs to be done to enhance the protection afforded to key transportation assets as well as other high profile locations where people congregate in large numbers.

Counter Terror Expo brings both focus and clarity to these critical transnational and national issues annually, within high level conference

Awards Voting has opened for the first ever Counter Terrorism and Specialist Security Awards. The awards have been set up in order that the industry can recognise the incredible work of the many organisations involved in counter terrorism and specialist security around the world. Companies will be nominated by those working in the industry through an online voting process and the winners will be announced at a ceremony on 19 April at the Royal Garden Hotel, Kensington. www.counterterrorexpo.com www.ctssawards.com

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Learning lessons from military Pre-hospital Care in Afghanistan The Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT) is a four-man medical team available 24-hours a day to retrieve casualties from Helmand province, Afghanistan. The team consists of a doctor (Emergency Medicine or Anaesthetist), two paramedics and an Emergency Department Nurse. There are two full-time teams based at Camp Bastion who work on a 24-hour rota basis. Due to the hostile nature of the environment the helicopter flies with an RAF Regiment Force Protection team and can carry a fire-fighting team or bomb disposal team as required. The MERT is tasked from a command centre co-located at Bastion, which considers various factors in order to task MERT or the American HH-60 Blackhawks (also at Bastion), whichever is most appropriate depending on clinical and military factors.

The MERT covers a certain geographical area to provide a linked retrieval service with neighbouring medical evacuation helicopters at other bases. The main area the MERT operates to is around the Helmand River, where ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) troops man various size static locations from main Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) to smaller Patrol Bases (PBs) and Checkpoints (CPs). From these locations soldiers undertake routine patrols and operations to support military objectives.

“The unique environment and injuries seen are difficult to compare to civilian pre-hospital care, although with the continued terrorist threats to the UK these lessons may have to be applied to the civilian environment.”

The geographical area around Helmand River itself is referred to as the ‘Green Zone’ due to the vegetation on either side of the river of up to several kilometres in width. There is then a stark change from green vegetation to the sandy desert areas where Afghans reside in compounds made of various buildings of a mud structure. There are various rocky mountainous areas within the Helmand area also, in contrast to the majority of the flat desert areas. The MERT do not just treat ISAF soldiers but also Afghan National Army (ANA) and Police (ANP) or civilians who have been injured as a result of military activity or the conflict, eg Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

Major trauma centre The casualties are transported back to the Multinational Treatment Facility at Camp Bastion.

This is a well-provisioned major trauma centre; a neurosurgical centre is located at Kandahar airfield about 30 minutes flying away. After landing to pick

up a casualty, the helicopter remains on the ground for 1-2 minutes, to prevent targeting of it by insurgents. This means that all interventions are carried out in flight, which is often tactical (low level, avoiding small arms fire), or in the dark (under head torch light). Transfers usually take 10-15 minutes, although longer flights may be required.

Ballistic trauma predominates, the majority of injuries being from IEDs and gunshot wounds.

Multiple casualties often result from a single incident and the large size of the Chinook enables it to take, in extremes, up to eight stretcher cases.

Cases are complex with IEDs often resulting in multiple traumatic amputations and even a ‘straightforward’ peripheral gunshot wound will produce a limb threatening injury.

The summer season is traditionally when the most fighting and casualties occur. During this period the MERT will, on average, launch between five to 10 times in a 24-hour period, depending on the military tempo. These missions take place day and night, often in extremes of temperature with aircrew flying on night vision goggles after dark.

Equipment at hand The lessons learnt over the last four years have led to the development of several unique capabilities in the pathway for the management of an injured soldier. At point of wounding all British soldiers carry a Combat Application Tourniquet (CAT), a new First Field Dressing (FFD) that is capable of providing increased pressure for haemorrhage control, and an intramuscular Morphine auto-injector. Within each patrol there are Team Medics, who have extra medical training and carry novel haemostatic agents (for example, Celox gauze) as well as Bolin chest seals.

Standardised methods of reporting a casualty, including essential information about ongoing enemy activity, along with clinical signs and symptoms ensure the appropriate medical evacuation method (MERT with a doctor or US Para-rescue Jumper) is tasked to that casualty.

Horizontal resuscitation The team works on the principle of horizontal resuscitation of a casualty. One paramedic performs catastrophic haemorrhage control while the doctor

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Working conditions The forces acting on the helicopter during flight result in significant vibration hence the importance of securing IV/IO lines properly with escape loops, tape with adequate adhesion such as sleek and all team members ensuring line care during patient movement are all important in ensuring that access is not lost. For the doctor to optimise first time endotracheal tube insertion, especially as the casualty is at floor level, the use of a bougie with a range of rescue devices (such as the airtraq scope), to hand, is standard procedure. The noise and vibration also mean more reliance must be placed on monitoring of the patient, eg with end tidal carbon dioxide when intubated.

Study of patterns of injury back in the UK allows the team to adapt procedures. For example, IEDs lead to a high incidence of pelvic injury and it is now routine practice to place a Sam® Pelvic Sling on a casualty during the flight. The ability to administer analgesia through a variety of routes is useful in the event of multiple casualties, with paediatric trauma cases or in adults with severe injuries (making the usual routes of administration challenging). Analgesia or sedation with agents such as Ketamine may be delivered via the intranasal route or through buccal administration with Fentanyl ‘Actiq’ lozenges providing a useful alternative.

assesses and manages airway and breathing.

Simultaneously the emergency nurse applies monitoring to the patient and then gains intravenous (IV) or intraosseous access (IO). On the other side of the patient, the second paramedic establishes a second intravascular access (IV or IO) and begins administering blood and Fresh Frozen Plasma (FFP). The doctor communicates via a headset to the team and decides the priorities for management, which may include Rapid Sequence Induction (RSI) of anaesthesia and intubation, management of chest injuries (eg thoracostomies) and application of a pelvic splint. The nurse provides an update back to the hospital of the number, type and treatments given to the casualties on board to allow the hospital to prepare multiple trauma teams if required.

Multiple amputations Casualties with multiple amputations present a challenge with regard to vascular access. Ideally two access lines are required for safety during an RSI and for co-administration of blood and FFP. Access is often only possible by the intraosseus route with the EZ-IO or FAST1. The FAST1 may be used, as the sternum is normally intact as it is protected behind combat body armour. If the legs are not available for tibial IO access then the humeral head

is often used using either the adult ‘blue’ or the longer ‘yellow’ EZ-IO needle. Flow rates are dependent on the fluid warming system and whether blood products are used, usually manual pressure or syringing fluid via a 50ml syringe and three-way tap is required to deliver a high enough flow rate.

The ability to give warmed blood products to a casualty with multiple limb amputations is a significant advance in pre-hospital care (no UK air ambulance unit currently carries blood). Due to the information gathering process, the MERT is often aware of the status of the casualty they are travelling to, allowing preparation of the blood products to minimise delays in administration. Two blood boxes are currently carried, each with two units of (group O) blood and two units of FFP. Despite relatively short flight times, it is possible to give all four units of blood and FFP to a casualty if necessary. The team often see an improvement in the physiological status of the casualty with the blood products, even during the short flights, which is immensely rewarding. On occasions, casualties in traumatic cardiac arrest due to hypovolaemia from multiple limb loss have Return of Spontaneous Circulation (ROSC) during the flight following the administration of blood products.

Hospital admission On landing at Bastion, casualties are unloaded onto a Battlefield Ambulance for the short journey to the hospital entrance. During transfer, the casualty continues to receive blood products and controlled ventilation if required. In a ventilated patient, during unloading the paramedic/s or nurse continue treatment while the doctor hands over the casualty in a structured format to the consultant led multi-disciplinary trauma team. The doctor ensures the hospital has full details before preparing for the next call out by preparing drugs, obtaining fresh blood products and equipment and completing documentation.

Treatment of casualties in Afghanistan has led to the development and introduction of new equipment and practices from the medic treating the casualty at point of wounding, the medical team on board the MERT and the consultant-led trauma care that occurs at Bastion. The unique environment and injuries seen are difficult to compare to civilian pre-hospital care, although with the continued terrorist threats to the UK these lessons may have to be applied to the civilian environment. www.southtees.nhs.uk/live/?a=1799 www.southtees.nhs.uk/live/?a=1800 www.greatnorthairambulance.co.uk

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Authors: Sqn Ldr Adam Manson MB ChB MRCGP Dip IMC RCS Ed, Pre-Hospital Research Fellow, James Cook University Hospital Surg Cdr Adrian Mellor Dip IMC RCS Ed FRCA RN, Consultant Anaesthetist, Great North Air Ambulance Service and MDHU(N), Friarage Hospital, Northallerton.

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Law enforcement tactical medicine: ‘good medicine in bad places’ On 1 August 1966, a troubled young man enters the University of Texas campus to continue a killing spree that he had started earlier. Charles Whitman made his way 231ft up the 307ft clock tower and began firing at the people of Texas with an arsenal of weapons, from the tower’s observation deck. Ninety-six minutes later he and 15 other people would be dead and 31 laid injured over a large geographical area that his advantage point had given him.

Law enforcement agencies across the USA analysed their capability to manage such a situation that had only been successfully dealt with through the courage of four out-gunned officers breaking through the barricade with a pistol and shotgun while Whitman attempted to reload.

This tactically challenging event, even by today’s standards, was one of the catalysts to the evolution of the pre-hospital speciality of ‘law enforcement tactical medicine’ and accelerated the widespread creation of Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) units across the USA. Members of these units, many of who had a military background, already knew the value of medical support in the conflict zone. Ad-hoc medical support from local ambulance services, usually under a gentleman’s agreement, was introduced to support SWAT high-risk operations.

This emergency medical services support was consistently ‘on standby’ at a safe location creating a ‘patient care void’ between the point of injury and the arrival of trained clinicians.

Successful participants of the CONTOMS course leave wearing the coveted EMT-T badge with pride.

TEMS courses Discussions took place nationally between ambulance, fire, and police to address the issue, with a consensus paper being produced in 1991 stating advantages of a Tactical Emergency Medical Support (TEMS) programme to support SWAT operations. Subsequently a number of courses sprung up across the USA. In a bar in Washington DC, United States Parks Police SWAT Sergeant Ken Bushell and his close friend Joshua Vayer, a sports science professor and volunteer EMS squad member scratched out a course on the back of a paper napkin. This was the birth of the Counter Narcotics and Terrorism Operational Medical Support Course (CONTOMS), a course that is still over-subscribed to this day. Successful participants of the course leave wearing the coveted EMT-T badge with pride.

CONTOMS brought a science and research element to the first aid and moved tactical medicine forward into broader areas than the treatment of casualties. Areas such as preventive medicine and medical threat assessments reduced the risk of illness and injury occurring and created a ‘plan’ for the injured.

The course continues to be the inspiration for many other tactical medicine courses across the USA and abroad including the United Kingdom.

Broad spectrum of skills True tactical medicine is a broad spectrum of skills and tactics with the aim to keep the team operationally effective by maintaining the safety, health and wellbeing of its members and any others affected by its work. The skills range from

occupational health screening through to advanced life support and skills learnt on the battlefield.

There are two schools of thought when we are talking about the TEMS provider: 1) take the qualified clinician and give them police tactics and weapons training; or 2) take the police officer and give them medical training.

“Unlike our American colleagues the option of full integration of the healthcare professional into ‘the team’ is not possible under UK law and the extensive training commitment would probably be prohibitive.”

In the USA both systems are worked and in some cases both together. It is dependant on the local laws and practices of states, counties and departments.

The TEMS concept has been slower to evolve in the UK, probably due to the lesser threat of gunrelated incidents compared to the USA. Home

grown incidents such as Hungerford and Dunblane caused some forces to move away from ‘first aid at work’ as they felt it inadequate for the environment and adopted some of the concepts from the United States TEMS programmes over 15 years ago.

Kent Police made links with CONTOMS and created an Anglicised version called Tactical Emergency Aid Medical Support (TEAMS), West Midlands Police created the FASTAid programme and Essex Police the Immediate Trauma Life Support course, to mention a few. These courses followed no standard national curriculum and were designed to ‘up skill’ police officers with medical skills guided by local good willing clinicians.

Standardising UK training In 2005 the UK police forces lead for first aid, Assistant Chief Constable Allyn Thomas, recognised the problem with standardisation of training in this very high-risk area of policing. His main motivation for change came in the form of the Health and Safety at Work First Aid Act 1981 that places a general duty on the employer to provide first aid provision for reasonably foreseeable incidents.

“The police service cannot argue that an officer or member of public being shot and wounded is an unexpected outcome. We train, plan and prepare for this on a daily basis and history shows that it is not an uncommon occurrence. The challenge therefore is to decide what level of first aid training is appropriate and specifically what techniques should this include,” said ACC Thomas.

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The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh Faculty of Pre-Hospital Care (FPHC) was approached to provide an evidenced-based and peer-reviewed paper ‘First aid for firearms officers’, work led by Sir Professor Keith Porter. His final paper concluded that in the majority of cases good basic skills, done very well, would be sufficient until the patient has access to the NHS. Skills such as tourniquet, haemostatic agents and airway adjuncts are achievable by non-clinicians.

These research paper findings have led to a national standard of two levels of training for authorised firearms officers – standard and enhanced. These range from basic airway management and tourniquet application to an enhanced level for the ‘medic’ including ENTONOX analgesia, traction splint and supraglottic airway options with special permission from the firearms medical advisory body, the Firearms and Tactical Medicine Advisory Group, a sub committee of the FPHC. Other areas of specialist policing such as public order, may adopt the standards set for the firearms world.

much like the TEMS programmes have developed over the last 20 years in the USA. Closing the ‘care void’ from the NHS side is being progressed, nationally with the Hazardous Area Response Teams and locally by other specialist NHS staff in some trusts that are working closer to the point of contact than the RVP standby point.

Preventable deaths Unlike our American colleagues the option of full integration of the healthcare professional into ‘the team’ is not possible under UK law and the extensive training commitment would probably be prohibitive.

With a national course and registry of accredited instructors being suggested, the application of ‘the good basic skills’ should be second nature and the hand over to the NHS faster. This will prevent the loss of preventable deaths in this arena and see the good medicine made even better and given even faster in those very bad places. www.kent.police.uk

Author: Paul Abdey Dip IMC RCS (Ed), Paramedic, South East Coast Ambulance Service and Manager of Kent Police’s Tactical Medicine Unit.

Closing the ‘care void’ The levels of medical skill are not as broad a spectrum as found within established tactical medicine programmes, but this will be a journey

‘Break a leg’ or ‘lose an eye’, it’s all in a day’s work for Amputees in Action Amputees in Action, the award-winning agency established in 2004 provides amputees as actors for training emergency services and military personnel and for the film and television industries.

Specialising in putting a ‘shock factor’ into medical training scenarios, Amputees in Action was the first agency of its kind to promote the use of amputees with acting skills to add an ultra realistic dimension to casualty simulations.

The company has around 80 Trauma Casualty Amputees (TCAs) on its books, all of which are qualified actors who have passed through comprehensive training. Collectively these actors have a broad scope of experience not only in emergency medical training, but also as specialist action scene extras in film and television.

Blast injuries The agency has participated in a diverse range of training projects, working with the emergency services, the MoD and specialist multi-agency units, such as the national Hazardous Area Response Team (HART). These scenarios range from assisting with pre-deployment exercises to preparing army medics for IED blast injuries to participating in a full scale CBRN exercise in which a team of paramedics, police and firefighters worked to assist TCAs made up with prosthetics to simulate wounds typical of a CBRN incident.

The authenticity of training exercises is enriched through the work of the agency’s special effects

team, who combine make-up with prosthetics to create artificial wounds such as chemical and fuel burns, clinical injuries, partial amputations, blunt trauma or severe trauma from explosions.

The Amputees in Action team offers a valuable and unique service, as it enables training medical professionals to safely experience responding to casualties in a realistic, high-pressure scenario.

Interacting in this challenging environment with

authentically portrayed casualties means that personnel can prepare for putting their knowledge into practice when treating patients under pressure, making them better equipped to perform life saving interventions in reality.

Amputees in Action can be contacted on Tel: 01635 31890. www.amputeesinaction.co.uk

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FPHC set the standard The Faculty of Pre Hospital Care of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (FPHC) came into being in 1996 with the following mission statement: The aim of the Faculty is to promote high standards of teaching and research in prehospital care and to set and maintain standards of clinical practice.

More specifically FPHC’s aims were: to set and maintain standards of practice in pre-hospital care; to promote education in and teaching of prehospital care; to initiate technical developments and research in pre-hospital care; and to integrate effectively the efforts of all participants in prehospital care and to harmonise and facilitate the onward management of the sick and injured.

Qualifications in pre-hospital care The FPHC is currently the only academic body of national college standing in the world to offer qualifications in pre-hospital care (Diploma and Fellowship in Immediate Medical Care) and students from around the world sit examinations in these disciplines several times a year. The standard set is very high with an average overall pass rate of about 45 percent. The DIMC is open to all levels of qualified and registered pre-hospital care provider.

The FPHC has held numerous conferences to discuss matters of interest or concern and has produced a number of seminal position statements to define current best practice – fluid resuscitation, burns and the management of neck injury being three that spring to mind as relevant to almost all pre-hospital care providers.

While many readers of Emergency Services Times will be aware of the faculty’s involvement in medical standard setting with ACPO/NPIA (the D13 document) since 2006 and CFOA/IEC since 2008 – both of which are ongoing to define and refine standard and enhanced skill/knowledge levels for non medically qualified staff – you may be less aware of its involvement with JRCALC with whom the FPHC is formally affiliated through the RCS Edinburgh.

The faculty is very proud of its regional infrastructure, which has developed over the last decade and has become a focal point for

educational activities across the spectrum of prehospital providers. It is hoped that this programme will develop further over the next few years.

The FPHC is also in regular discussions with a variety of other pre-hospital care deliverers – RNLI, English Rugby the FA etc – on how to maintain and improve the quality of care and the skills of the practitioners in a multiplicity of environments.

Through its Training and Standards Board it also approves and occasionally accredits a number of courses in pre-hospital care run by many providers in places as diverse as the playing fields of England to the oil fields of Angola.

The faculty has had long links with the military, which have been mutually beneficial. Initially the skills and knowledge of civilian practitioners was of considerable benefit in setting the content of some specialist courses when the forces were less ‘busy’ but in the last few years this role has reversed completely with a vast amount of essential information coming back from the activities being undertaken in Iraq and, more recently, Afghanistan.

Trauma services review The FPHC has, through a number of its members, played a leading role in the Department of Health review of trauma services in England. In particular the pre-hospital and transport section, with the recommendation of new standards which address: pre-hospital triage; a dedicated clinician in ambulance control to take the lead in coordinating pre-hospital care for major trauma; the establishment of enhanced care teams; a 45 minute acceptable travelling time to definitive treatment; and more refined patient handover.

The FPHC has also been the driving force in the current work underway to establish pre-hospital emergency medicine as a medical sub-specialty.

There are four lead colleges: The Royal College of

Anaesthetists; The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (through the Faculty of Pre-Hospital Care); The Royal College of General Practitioners; and the College of Emergency Medicine. The current application with the GMC is for the subspeciality to be linked, initially, to emergency medicine and anaesthesia.

An immense amount of work extending over the three years has been undertaken and principally directed by faculty representatives. Thus the curriculum was developed though the Faculty Curriculum Group and this work has now been taken forward, and embraced by the Inter Collegiate Board, which has produced the step for application to the GMC. If we are able to establish pre-hospital care as a medical sub-specialty this would ensure that on the skills for health frame, we can develop the Level 8 practitioner and ensure an even higher standard of pre-hospital care. This development, however, should not detract from the immense amount of work done by other practitioners and, in particular, I make reference to our BASICs practitioners, at all levels, whose work will still be very important and valued.

While this last initiative only applies to doctors the FPHC is always conscious that it represents the whole arena of pre-hospital care and its remit in 2011 is to continue to pursue its previously stated aims and foster closer relationships, particularly with paramedic colleagues, and to continue to work more closely with all stakeholders in pre-hospital care. www.fphc.info

Author: Dr John Hall DIMC RCS Ed, Hon Senior Clinical Lecturer in Emergency Care, University of Birmingham, UK and FPHC Lead, Tactical and Fire Service Medicine.

Tomorrow’s patient care today BOC Healthcare never compromises on safety for patients and ambulance crews. It pioneers the medical gas products and services that deliver tomorrow’s patient care today. The company designs and engineers its cylinders in line with clinical progress and meeting the unique needs of ambulance crews and first responders.

BOC Healthcare’s new generation lightweight, integral valve cylinders once again demonstrate its unrivalled commitment to improving ambulance crew performance, reducing costs, and optimising patient care. Its new one litre cylinders, for paramedics on bikes or in cars who are first to arrive at an incident, make use of the very latest materials for superior performance and lightweight portability.

Carrying as much gas as possible, while not increasing the size of the cylinder, is important and

convenient for paramedics. In yet another innovation, BOC has increased the pressure in its popular portable two litre ENTONOX cylinders to 217bar to maximise the amount of gas in a cylinder. This gives added reassurance for paramedics and patients, as there is less chance of running out of pain relieving gas, or having to swap cylinders during patient transport and treatment.

BOC Healthcare is the only gas supplier in the market to provide ENTONOX, cylinders at a pressure of 217bar, which means longer lasting cylinders and less changeovers. www.bocmedical.com

Carrying as much gas as possible, while not increasing the size of the cylinder, is important and convenient for paramedics.

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Putting medical equipment to the test JPen Medical is a market leader in on-site testing and calibration of medical and healthcare equipment. Its services are used by over 2500 organisations including surgeries, hospitals, clinics, dentists, vets and nursing homes throughout the UK. JPen Medical is recognised as the UK’s most thoroughly trained and professional testing and calibration company. Not only certified by manufacturers (Omron, Seca, Lec etc) the company is also accredited by the National Physical Laboratory working in accordance with UKWF guidelines and certified by the NHS training centre Eastwood Park to test and calibrate equipment, using UKAS approved equipment.

The company visits its customers to test their equipment, completes all paper work and produces test certificates, providing them with an audit trail and full documentation to demonstrate compliance.

Customers can call JPen’s free Technical Helpline to speak to one of its fully qualified engineers, who can help with any problems they may have with their medical equipment. If the problems cannot be remedied over the telephone, they can use the company’s Express Service to send items back to JPen for repair.

The company will then test and recalibrate the equipment and return it to the customer within two working days. JPen Medical’s policy promises that equipment will be back in service before you’ve missed it.

Reducing cost, saving time JPen’s engineers are trained to test the broadest range of equipment from the most comprehensive list of manufacturers in one single visit, thus saving customers the cost and time of sending devices to different manufacturers.

Patient well-being, equipment life and precise dosing all rely on accurate calibration, which is why more healthcare professionals trust JPen Medical than any other company to keep their equipment tested and calibrated.

Handling over 60,000 pieces per year the company is an expert on all problems and issues that may occur. It understands the importance of ensuring your medical equipment is working correctly. www.jpenmedical.co.uk

Treatment for trauma injuries It is a sad but true fact that violent crime is becoming more common in the modern world and, more alarmingly, within the UK. Situations involving violent trauma are as a result becoming more commonplace for the emergency services.

The immediate damaging effects of a severe penetrating trauma wound are typically a loss of blood and with it the potential for hypovolaemic shock, an inadequate amount of blood in the circulatory system. In these situations the priority must be to control the loss of blood, providing critical time to administer the care required or to get the casualty to advanced medical assistance.

It is vital that the first responder at the scene, be it on the street responding to an incident of gun violence or responding to a vehicle incident with severe trauma, has the tools to support the patient until advanced medical treatment can be provided.

Immediate care SP Services is keenly aware of how important immediate trauma care is to the emergency services operating in the field. The company highlights a number of trauma medicine-based products that can prove vital in an emergency situation involving trauma injuries in the field.

One-handed tourniquet SP Services also supplies the Combat Application Tourniquet (C-A-T™), a true one-handed tourniquet that completely occludes arterial and venous blood flow of an extremity in the event of a traumatic wound with significant haemorrhage, and NATOapproved military field dressings in multiple sizes, as well as the company’s own brand Trauma High Absorbency Sterile Dressing Pad. These more traditional dressings are suitable for multiple injuries such as heavy bleeding, open fractures, amputated limbs and ballistic wounds.

Celox™ is the newest generation of emergency haemostatic agents. More simple to use and safer than older technologies, Celox™ granules quickly control even the most severe arterial bleeding. It is safe to use for the entire body including head, neck and chest wounds and, most importantly, Celox™ can be used instantly and without hesitation as a fast, safe and simple emergency treatment for serious bleeding.

Life connections SP Services will be exhibiting at Life Connections this year. Aside from the exciting conferences taking place throughout the event, it is an excellent opportunity to come along and meet the SP team to discuss your trauma requirements and see some of the latest products that SP has to offer. SP will also be launching its new 2011 full colour catalogue at the show, which, as usual, will be packed with the best products at the latest prices. www.spservices.co.uk

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UK prepares for ‘Mumbai-style’ attack As a result of events in Mumbai, India in November 2008, emergency services within the UK have been forced to review their established policies and procedures for dealing with potential similar attacks in the UK. What has been clear from the outset is that any response will have to be very different to any previous incident.

The UK has previously suffered from incidents of mass murder caused by individuals such as Michael Ryan in Hungerford, August 1987, Thomas Hamilton in Dunblane, March 1996, and more recently Derrick Bird in Cumbria, June 2010.

The first two culminated in the suicide of the perpetrator, with the Bird case still subject to inquest proceedings, him having been found dead by armed officers. Such incidents are commonly referred to as ‘active shooter’.

A Mumbai-style attack would involve multiple active-shooters inflicting mass murder at multiple locations simultaneously until stopped by armed responders. They are unlikely to commit suicide.

This creates unique difficulties and dilemmas for the UK emergency services. The vast majority of casualties are likely to be inflicted within the first couple of hours of the incident. It is therefore vital to contain the threat posed as soon as possible.

Dilemmas for police One dilemma for police could be whether to stop and provide emergency life support (ELS), for example, to two casualties outside a building, or enter the building to prevent death or injury to 20 members of the public inside. What about the right to life of those outside? What will be the public expectation of armed officers faced with such a dilemma? What will be the legal implications at a subsequent inquiry? Remember, these officers may

have to leave injured colleagues and friends behind in order to prevent further death and injury.

Another dilemma will be whether officers enter the building or wait for further resources in order to maximise the likely chances of success. How many casualties will be inflicted during such a wait? What will be the public expectation of armed officers faced with such a dilemma? What will be the legal implications at a subsequent inquiry?

What is clear then, is that armed responders will be unlikely to be able to deal with many of the casualties. What are the implications for the ambulance service?

In all other types of firearms incidents, paramedics and ambulance personnel are held on standby at a pre-determined location until police commanders direct that the incident is either concluded or that the scene is safe for paramedics and ambulance staff to enter in order to assist with first aid for any casualties.

Combined training In a Mumbai-style attack, such guarantees may not be forthcoming. Therefore combined training for police and other emergency services will be essential to develop new protocols and tactics to deal with such a situation, in order to provide ELS and minimise the risk to the public.

We know from previous major incidents and disasters that the UK emergency services perform

magnificently in preserving life and protecting the public. We also know all too well that afterwards, many will suffer trauma and stress directly attributable to the events they have witnessed and with which they have dealt. A Mumbai-style incident will therefore have a massive impact on occupational health teams across the emergency services, with a high level of demand for aftercare.

In addition to these teams, and in support of the police service, the Police Firearms Officers Association (PFOA) is a registered charity created specifically to support firearms officers and their families following traumatic incidents. Currently there are in excess of 2300 members. It has the support of ACPO and the Police Federation Of England & Wales, and has its own team of specialist counsellors and NLP coaches who will be made available to support members and the police service, should such help be needed. These counsellors and coaches undergo a rigorous selection procedure, and if successful, receive bespoke training delivered by the PFOA to enable them to be better prepared for assisting our officers and their families. www.pfoa.co.uk

Author: Mick Burke, Vice-Chairman, PFOA.

Could compact oxygen generators make their way into frontline ambulances?

Administering oxygen to casualties within minutes of injury can dramatically increase survival rates, according to researchers at Dstl Porton Down. To address the logistical and safety issues relating to forward deployment of oxygen, the Ministry of Defence contracted Cambridge Design Partnership to develop a lightweight portable oxygen generator that can be used on the frontline. The prototype device was shown for the first time on 13 January 2011 at the CDE showcase and conference in London.

Cambridge Design Partnership (CDP) won the contract after entering the recent MoD Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI), which is aimed at developing innovative technologies for battlefield medicine. The research by Dstl Porton Down confirmed that improved oxygenation can ‘buy time’ in blast injuries. This is of profound military significance, as survival for an hour would enable evacuation.

Stephen Lamb, Consultant at Cambridge Design Partnership, explains, “Despite strong evidence emerging that forward oxygen deployment can improve survival rates after blast injury, casualties

are usually without oxygen before being evacuated by helicopter. This is because frontline personnel may not have access to vehicle support and the pressurised oxygen cylinders are heavy to transport and vulnerable to ballistic threats. Although there are portable oxygen generators available these are very power hungry and require heavy batteries.

“At CDP, one of our core strengths is miniaturising technology to make it portable. Our concept is based around a lightweight oxygen generator with an integral micro diesel engine.

Diesel is much more energy dense than batteries and can be scavenged if necessary from groundbased vehicles or local sources.

“The key innovation is how the engine and oxygen generator are integrated to reduce weight and improve efficiency. The solution is a compact, lightweight and safe source of oxygen, which can run for hours on a small quantity of fuel. There is also the potential to use the compact engine as an electrical power source to reduce the battery burden of dismounted soldiers, which can be as high as 11kg.”

Stephen Lamb and his team have successfully demonstrated the prototype system and are confident they can miniaturise the system further.

Cambridge Design Partnership sees a major opportunity for the supply of compact oxygen generators in civilian ambulances, air ambulances and in search and rescue operations, and is seeking partners to manufacture the product and take it to market. The investment by the MoD is therefore catalysing an innovation process with considerable military and humanitarian benefit. www.cambridge-design.co.uk www.science.mod.uk/enterprise

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Halls Electrical branches out Specialist emergency vehicle converter, Halls Electrical Ltd, is to add to its Bristol and Swindon branches with a new branch in the south east. With over 30 years of experience and a respectable client list, the company plans to have the new branch up and running in the second half of 2011.

Halls also specialises in providing specialist support services to the emergency vehicle sector, including installation and repairs to emergency vehicle warning and lighting systems, communications, mobile IT and MDT, CCTV, data recording, thermal imaging cameras, navigation, battery management systems, generators, heating and air conditioning systems, and vehicle livery. All services can be purchased directly or via national multiagency framework agreements.

Suzy Swift, SVO Executive from Honda (UK) Cars, said, “Honda has been working with Halls Electrical for the past four years, and the service we have received has been excellent. Halls’ extensive experience working alongside the emergency services enables us to give the best service to our customers from start to finish.”

The company operates as a ‘one stop shop’, carrying out complete vehicle conversions and enabling the customer to receive a fully compliant and operational vehicle upon completion.

Managing Director Steve Hall, said, “We believe we have built a good reputation with our clients in the south west, and we are now poised to extend our success into the south east.”

One of Halls’ local clients is Great Western Ambulance. Fleet Engineer David Holmes says, “Halls Electrical undertake an important role in the Fleet Services Department of Great Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust (GWAS) as a third party supplier of several specialised services. These services are provided in a professional and cost effective manner.

but dedicated in-house workshop staff with the maintenance of these vehicles GWAS employs the services of Halls Electrical.

“Using Halls to carry out the maintenance and repair on the specialised areas of the vehicles such as air conditioning systems, battery management systems, climate control and heating systems enables the GWAS engineers to concentrate on undertaking the planned preventive maintenance.

“Halls also provide an out of hours service for a wider range of repairs that could not be undertaken by the limited internal resources GWAS has available. Using Halls is a cost effective method for providing an immediate response 24/7 across the whole GWAS patch keeps vehicle down time and unavailability to a minimum.

“All the Halls engineers are fully trained and certificated individuals that are capable of providing concise and accurate diagnostics and repairs for many manufactures of ambulance specific systems, ie Eberspacher, Webasto, Carnation Designs, Terrafix and Airwave, to name but a few.”

Specialist repairs Fleet Engineer Paul Beard from Avon Fire and Rescue Service, says, “Avon Fire and Rescue Service have been using the services of Halls Electrical for approximately 15 years for all specialist electrical repairs or diagnostic fault finding on our fleet appliances having the CAN DATA systems.

“Due to the size of our fleet and the work involved, including the installations of emergency equipment for our radio cars, Halls are contracted to the service on a daily basis. It was decided that it was more cost effective to use the services of an

external provider for these applications rather than employ our own electrician as finding a suitable person coupled with the training provisions that would need to be put in place outweighed any inhouse benefits.

“Halls have always provided an excellent service to complement our own workshops, including providing out of hours cover on a 24/7 basis.

“Avon Fire and Rescue have always received a first class service from Halls Electrical and with the ever-increasing reliance on electronic technology there will always be a need for the specialist role.”

“Halls Electrical has provided a professional and invaluable service in the design and implementation of the power management systems in these mission critical vehicles.”

Richard Mckeand, HART Project lead Multi-agency customers This type of specialised service and response is replicated throughout the sector, with Halls’ customers including Gloucestershire Police, Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, Avon and

“The GWAS fleet is circa 450 vehicles, the majority of which are specially designed bespoke vehicles capable of providing a wide range of clinical pathways to the public GWAS serves.

These vehicles have become more and more complex over the years and to support the small

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Somerset Police, Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust and Wiltshire Police, along with many private ambulance services, local authorities and private companies.

Halls Electrical also carries out planned maintenance and servicing to air conditioning and heating systems.

Servicing agreements As a main dealer for Eberspacher the recommended servicing schedules can be set up and recorded by Halls and carried out at the client’s premises when the vehicle is having other scheduled work carried out, thus minimising vehicle down time and ensuring there are no adverse affects on operational requirements.

This compliance to the recommended service schedules also ensures the client receives the extended three-year manufacturer’s warranty now currently offered to the emergency services by Eberspacher and also provides the reassurance of vehicle reliability while these systems are running 24 hours a day during extremes of climate and temperature.

The planned maintenance and servicing does not stop with air-conditioning and heating systems, as vehicles continually evolve, with ever-increasing amounts of technology and equipment, the loading on the vehicles’ electrical and power management systems has increased dramatically.

To compensate for this, manufacturers and vehicle convertors install complex battery management and mains-powered charging equipment, which requires inspections for safety and reliability. Halls Electrical can carry out the required safety and PATS testing required by law to ensure user safety and vehicle reliability.

Such is the expertise within this area, Halls Electrical was requested by the Department of Health’s Ambulance Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) programme, in partnership with

Excelerate Technology, to design, specify and trial the power management system for the HART vehicles currently deployed nationally by 12 ambulance service trusts.

Richard Mckeand, HART Project lead, said, “These vehicles are installed with the latest cuttingedge technology to provide invaluable support for new ways of saving lives and improving patient care during major incidents and other specialist operations nationally.

“Live wireless video footage and robust, fast two-way communications distributed by satellite broadband now give ambulance teams the capability to provide remote support while patients

are still at hazardous incident scenes, thereby saving lives where fast action is required.

Halls Electrical has provided a professional and invaluable service in the design and implementation of the power management systems in these mission critical vehicles.”

De-installation and re-installation Halls Electrical also offers a fully licensed and approved de-installation and re-installation service for all types of mobile communications. This enables fleet replacement programmes to be carried out with the minimum of disruption to vehicle availability and operational requirements. Instead of requiring separate engineers to remove and install each different type of equipment and having to wait weeks, in some instances, for installations to be booked in, Halls Electrical will completely decommission the vehicle due for replacement and install all radio, telephony, MDT, tracking and navigation equipment into the new vehicle at the customer’s premises. This can result in the replacement vehicle going into service the same day as the replaced vehicle is taken out of service.

Rob Hughes, Technical Services Manager, said, “With our continued success and steady growth throughout the south west region and work on many national projects it is now time for us to extend our many services across the whole of the south of the country. We would welcome enquiries from any of the emergency services within this region to discuss how we can tailor individual packages to suit their specific needs.” www.hallselectrical.com

For further information please contact: Managing Director: Steve Hall steve.h@hallselectrical.com Tel: 01454 319722 Technical Services Manager: Rob Hughes rob.h@hallselectrical.com Tel: 07973 322756

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Falck: 104 years of people helping people Europe’s largest private emergency service, Falck, is a business based on people helping people in an organised and systematic manner. Sophus Falck established the rescue service business after being appalled by the chaotic rescue work during a devastating fire of the Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1906.

Over 100 years later, millions of people all over the world each year stand face to face with a Falck employee when a fire breaks out, when involved in a traffic accident, when getting ill or when being educated in preventing accidents.

Falck is a Scandinavian-based organisation with activities in most of Europe and with representation on five continents. All of the company’s activities are directed at preventing accidents and disease; providing assistance in situations of emergency, accidents or need; and helping people move on with their lives after illness or accidents.

Four business areas In recent years, in particular, Falck has grown vigorously and now consists of four different business areas: Emergency, Assistance, Healthcare and Training. Emergency is the largest, mainly consisting of ambulance and helicopter emergency medical services, fire fighting activities and patient transportation.

“As the only cross-border ambulance company in Europe, Falck has more than 1000 ambulances that respond to more than one million emergency calls each year.”

Falck provides ambulance services to the general public in seven European countries and in Brazil, in close collaboration with the authorities. As the only cross-border ambulance company in Europe, Falck has more than 1000 ambulances that respond to more than one million emergency calls each year: people who are critically ill, women in labour and accident victims. The company also participates in a large number of other prehospital activities, including rapid response units with paramedics, nurses and doctors and also emergency helicopters.

Falck’s Fire & Safety division provides fire brigades, safety training and safety consultancy to clients outside Denmark from both the industrial and the public sector.

Falck bought its first ambulance in 1907, and this was the first automobile ambulance in Scandinavia.

Today, the company provides 85 percent of all Danish ambulance operations. In the 1990s, its ambulances were put into operation in Poland and Sweden, and after the turn of the millennium Belgium, Finland and Norway were added to the list. In 2006, Falck became the largest ambulance company in Slovakia via an invitation for tenders for Slovakian ambulance services.

In 2010, the company established itself in Brazil.

It also operates helicopter emergency medical services based in Denmark, Sweden and the northern part of Germany.

Emergency services In 1922, Falck became a fire service and soon the company’s fire brigades fought fires in most of Denmark. Today it provides fire fighting services in two thirds of the Danish municipalities, closely cooperating with the authorities. Falck set up an independent division, Fire & Safety, in 2007 that provides fire brigades, safety training and safety consultancy to clients outside Denmark from both the industrial and the public sector. Since then the company has obtained fire fighting contracts in Brazil, the Netherlands, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and United Kingdom.

The company also participates in a large number of other prehospital activities, including rapid response units and emergency helicopters.

Within the Emergency business area Falck has recently established Airport Services, offering fire fighting services and assistance to passengers with reduced mobility and healthcare services.

“All our business initiatives are still based on the fundamental vision that Falck is people helping people. Therefore, empathy combined with action is a natural part of the DNA of our employees, and our goal is to contribute to making the world a safer and more secure place to live,” says Falck CEO Allan Søgaard Larsen.

Within the Emergency business area Falck has recently established Airport Services, offering fire fighting services and assistance to passengers with reduced mobility and healthcare services.

Training centres Falck is also a world leader in rescue and safety courses, particularly in the offshore and maritime sector. In addition to this, the company is servicing the chemical industry, fire and rescue services, the aviation industry and military defence at more than 30 training centres worldwide.

In Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Estonia, Falck provides a wide range of services within roadside assistance and home safety. In Denmark, the company is also the leading private healthcare provider. Each year, its doctors, nurses, psychologists, physiotherapists and other specialists assist thousands of people in avoiding or overcoming physical or mental problems. www.falck.com

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Contradictions and failings – FireControl, a personal perspective This article has been written from a personal perspective and is based on my observations as someone who was closely involved in the FireControl project from the outset until closure. The views expressed are my personal views and are not in any way presented as the views of the Royal Berkshire Fire Authority or the Chief Fire Officer’s Association whom I represented on the project as the Senior Professional User.

The FireControl Project was launched in 2003 and followed two reviews into the future of fire and rescue service control rooms undertaken on behalf of the Government by the consultant Mott MacDonald, and a directed Best Value review undertaken by fire and rescue services.

The project was launched, on the one hand, against the international backdrop of the events of 9/11 and the UK response to the new threats. On the other hand, the project was initiated against the more local context of a recent national fire strike and Sir George Bain’s Independent Review of the Fire Service.

Modernisation While the project always claimed operational resilience benefits; it is easy to forget that originally the project was claiming a whole range of efficiency and financial benefits and that the project was launched as part of the fire modernisation programme. It was absolutely clear to me at the start of this project that it was being driven, not primarily to deliver a critical resilient capability that the FRS and the wider community needed in order to combat the emerging terrorist threat, but to ‘pump prime’ the modernisation process and as a showcase that would demonstrate to the sector how it should modernise. In the early days, the then ODPM (now CLG) had no intention to engage fire and rescue services directly in relation to this project but to base that interface with the service exclusively through the newly created Regional Management Boards.

Herein lays a problem that undermined the project from the start. The initial timelines for the project were unrealistic and totally unachievable for the scope of the project being embarked upon, yet the project was being driven by these timelines.

This also led to an enormous lost opportunity to make more broad use of the investment in technology and infrastructure to provide a backbone for wider collaboration and shared services across the sector. In equal measure the FireControl project progressed in parallel with, but in complete isolation from, other key government initiatives such as the development of wider civil contingency arrangements.

Critical national infrastructure In resilience terms, it as true today as it was in 2003, that there are significant weaknesses in the fire and rescue service call handling and mobilising arrangements but, fundamentally these relate to overflow, fall-back and interoperability arrangements rather than physical, data and infrastructure security. It always appeared to be strange that the FRS required a national network

A regional control room, complete with video wall, takes shape.

of ‘fortress’ control rooms while our partners in police and ambulance could continue to operate without concern of interference from their existing local control rooms and indeed, continue to build new local control rooms. Are they not part of the critical national infrastructure too?

“The challenge now is to make best use of the legacy to ensure that the FRS and the public we serve see some benefit through improved performance, resilience and interoperability.”

It was apparent from the start that long before the fire and rescue service users became involved in this project, ODPM had already developed a comprehensive vision and scope for the project in the absence of user involvement and it was very revealing to see the gap between what ODPM wanted, what the FRS needed and what could have been delivered given the welcome investment in the fire and rescue service. As the project progressed, the specification of the ‘fortress’ control rooms continued to spiral while the users’ attempts

to incorporate or enhance essential basic features required of a mobilising system were branded as ‘gold plating the solution’.

User involvement too late During the development of the requirements for the Infrastructure Services procurement there was a very welcome opportunity for the users to become involved and try to close the gap between perceived and actual needs and opportunities. Unfortunately, the unrealistic time constraints and urgency on the part of ODPM to go out to tender meant that the requirements set, although extensive, were far from complete. There is an argument that some of the detailed requirements could not be produced until the proposed architecture was known, in order to exploit the potential offered by the technology.

However, with so much detail completely missing from the requirements, it was difficult to understand how the procurement process could ensure that any chosen supplier would be able understand what was required let alone deliver a complete solution against uncertain requirements.

Even if that were possible, it would have to be at additional cost, time and risk. In any event, this type of procurement, to stand any chance of success, would require a collaborative approach to solution development and contract management that ODPM, and subsequently CLG, seemed to be incapable or unwilling to engage in.

There has been justifiable criticism that one of the contributing factors that made the project so difficult to deliver was that, on many occasions, it was difficult to get a single view from the fire and

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FireControl would have delivered significant operational benefits.

rescue service on any particular aspect or feature relating to this project. It would be disingenuous to suggest that this was not the case but, on the one hand, there has been much work undertaken through convergence and ways of working, to name but two examples where much collective effort and commitment was invested in developing common approaches.

On the other hand this project has developed in parallel with the introduction of IRMP and, more recently, Localism, both of which would suggest that it would be entirely inappropriate for the FRS to be able to develop a single common position on all aspects of this project, not to mention the wide variance in size, capability, funding and governance of the fire and rescue services across the country from which it should be apparent that some variance must, by necessity, be accommodated within any national solution. Indeed this was recognised within the project through the commitment and requirement that individual IRMPs should be capable of being supported by the FireControl solution.

Sound principles I have so far identified just some of the contradictions and failings within the FireControl project, it remains the case that the principles upon which the project was founded are sound and that

such an initiative was the right thing to do and should have been eminently deliverable, providing a real long-term enhancement in public safety and operational benefits for the FRS. Despite mixed views and far from unanimous support for the project on the part of professionals and our political leaders for the project, without exception the fire and rescue services across the country committed to contributing to the delivery of the project and collectively invested an enormous amount of time, money and intellectual capital in trying to deliver something of value. Now, despite the opportunity offered by this project being lost, there is undoubtedly a significant legacy that must be left to the FRS by the project.

I would doubt that anyone could deny that this project has well and truly broken the mould from which all previous views on fire and rescue service control room functions were cast and that the next generation of fire and rescue control rooms will be very different from what went before. The challenge now is to ensure that the wealth of good work undertaken as part of the FireControl project influences the thinking that goes into the new solutions in order to improve performance, reduce the risk from current identified weaknesses and improve interoperability within the FRS and between the FRS and partner agencies.

Replacement systems During the seven years of the FireControl project most fire and rescue services have taken a prudent and conservative approach to the maintenance upgrading and replacement of their mobilising systems and associated technology on the basis on need. It has been necessary and possible for some to introduce complete replacement systems during the life of the project, most however, have made incremental replacements and enhancements as necessary to ensure operational continuity. As a result many services are in urgent need of replacement systems due to obsolescence and because these dated systems do not support many of the business and process enhancements that the services need to implement to achieve performance improvements, efficiencies and a reduction in cost overheads. In many cases the implementation of service improvements are being held up waiting for upgrades to control room systems on which they are dependent.

Early indications seem to indicate that there is a very wide range of views held by fire authorities as to the future for their control room function. There is certainly a groundswell in favour of collaboration, predominantly based on sub regional groups, although the North West stand outs as a complete regional collaboration, which has well-developed plans for a regional solution.

Having already touched on the intellectual legacy of the FireControl project it is regrettable that there is unlikely to be a significant legacy in terms of hardware and applications of any real value to the FRS. It is clear that there are opportunities to adopt the Regional Control Centre buildings on favourable terms. For some this may be an opportunity too good to miss but for others, the location, size, specification and cost may prove prohibitive. Having been critical of the over specification of these buildings, one cannot deny that they represent an unparalleled, purpose build environment the like of which we are unlikely to see again.

Termination became inevitable Unfortunately, the FireControl project became increasingly untenable as solutions failed to emerge, early deliverables did not live up to expectations, timelines extended and remained uncertain and relationships between client and supplier became fraught. Termination became inevitable, even if a way forward could be found it appeared that the desire was lost to make this project work. It must be of regret to all that such a significant investment of time and public money in the fire and rescue service should be allowed to come to nothing.

The challenge now is to make best use of the legacy to ensure that the FRS and the public we serve see some benefit through improved performance, resilience and interoperability. The next few months as fire and rescue services evaluate their options, develop plans and take difficult decisions, will tell whether or not the FRS can step up to the challenge.

It is clear that there are opportunities to adopt the Regional Control Centre buildings on favourable terms.

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Author: Olaf Baars, Deputy Chief Fire Officer and Director of Service Delivery, Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service.

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Life after FireControl: The future for control rooms and mobilisation In December 2010 the long awaited decision around the FireControl programme was confirmed and now fire and rescue services face the challenge of deciding which aspects of FireControl’s original objectives can provide increased operational benefits. The need for fire and rescue services to maintain autonomy and decision-making powers over their local areas is clear, but in the midst of tightened public sector budgets, there are cashable savings to be made from sharing services with local brigades.

Airwave has a proven track record of delivering to the emergency services and has used its expertise to deliver end-to-end resilient communication, command and mobilisation solutions to fire and rescue services in Scotland, Wales and London.

Its solutions are already enabling brigades to collaborate in confidence, sharing infrastructure and resources without compromising the level of service to their communities.

“…in the midst of tightened public sector budgets, there are cashable savings to be made from sharing services with local brigades.”

Firelink: a national solution that delivers locally Airwave has successfully delivered the Firelink solution to Great Britain’s fire and rescue services.

The roll out of Firelink means 57 fire and rescue services are now connected to the largest digital critical communications network in the world, alongside Great Britain’s police forces and ambulance services. This secure and resilient communications service now provides a common platform from which crews, vehicles and control rooms can communicate efficiently and effectively.

Fire and rescue services are now benefiting from rationalised operations enabled by uniform radio equipment, training procedures and working practices, along with mutual aid and multi-service

situations because all services can communicate together – all based upon a common use of the Airwave service.

The next step for fire and rescue services in England is to further improve operational efficiencies by moving towards using data mobilisation. Firelink can quickly and easily support this migration. Fire and rescue services can benefit from the same high levels of resilience and service as with the voice communications already in place.

Top-flight control rooms In Scotland and Wales, customers are already benefiting from integrated voice and data communications in fire and rescue service control rooms.

The solutions that are deployed in Scotland and Wales can be developed to suit the emerging operational requirements of the English fire and rescue services and configured to maximise the value of existing infrastructure and assets.

These complete mobile communications solutions enable seamless mobilisation, by data, of fire stations, fire appliances and fire officers, controlled and commanded from the existing systems with minimal interruption.

Control rooms are connected to the Airwave network giving control room operators greater communications capability, features and operability from their ICCS and mobilising systems.

Shared services, local solutions Traditionally control rooms contained communications and control systems owned and operated by the fire and rescue services connecting to their existing radio schemes. The deployment of the Airwave digital network has allowed these systems to be integrated to and operate across the Airwave service, providing voice clarity and secure data delivery. Additional benefits can be accrued if the fire and rescue services can cooperate and decide to utilise similar systems for control and communications. This allows reduced investment

Did you know?

Airwave and 3tc Software • Airwave and 3tc Software have a longstanding relationship following their successful delivery of mobilising solutions in Scotland as part of Firelink.

• Airwave strengthened the partnership with 3tc Software in order to boost the support it offered the fire community and respond to incoming questions from the fire and rescue services.

• One of the key benefits of Airwave and 3tc Software’s new relationship is the formulation of an end-to-end mobilisation solution that is already available and tested. in physical infrastructure and the associated ownership costs.

The theme of utilising shared systems can be further developed where Airwave physically hosts the communication and control systems. This development delivers all the communication services and functionality over the Airwave network, further reducing the fire and rescue services capital investment. Utilising this hosted solution secures continuity of service provision through Airwave’s inherent network and associated systems resilience and high availability.

Real world deployments Airwave’s solutions are informed by a detailed understanding of customers’ challenges and the company’s vast experience gained over 10 years in servicing the emergency services. Airwave tailors its offerings through a collaborative approach between its customers, in-house expertise and a network of high quality partners.

The company enables cost savings by sharing infrastructure where its customers are pursuing collaborative initiatives and seeking to operate more efficiently. www.airwavesolutions.co.uk

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Exercise Watermark set to test flooding preparedness The nation’s biggest emergency exercise is set to take place across England and Wales from 7-11 March. Exercise Watermark will test the countries’ responses to catastrophic flooding from overflowing rivers, collapsing reservoirs and tidal surges.

The exercise will bring together 10 government departments, 34 local resilience forums, emergency responders, water companies, hospitals and schools to test responses to a range of flood scenarios over four days. For the first time, communities will also be taking part – evacuating schools and hospitals and installing flood defence products to protect properties.

This exercise was one of the recommendations made by Sir Michael Pitt in his review of the summer 2007 floods.

Planned exercises include: at Ashby Ponds (Lincolnshire) there will be a number of different flooding scenarios involving testing of air and boat rescues. This will include deployment of decontamination units, medical first aid and high volume pumping equipment; at Bala Lake (Wales)

simulated rescues will use a variety of water rescue techniques, including rescuing casualties off the top of a bus trapped in flood water, RAF helicopter winching rescues and weir/wading rescues; elsewhere across England and Wales there will be real-time evacuation of schools, transportation of locals to evacuation centres, British Red Cross first aid training and a variety of flood awareness raising activities.

Businesses across England and Wales will also be using Exercise Watermark as an opportunity to test their business continuity arrangements.

The provision of vital services, such as water, electricity and gas are often affected during times of major flooding. Five water companies and nearly all electricity providers will be using Exercise Watermark to consider the resilience of their sites and review their existing flood plan to ensure that critical infrastructure is prepared for future flooding.

Richard Benyon, Environment Minister responsible for flood risk management, said

PageOne adds a touch of Flare to the British Red Cross

New flood warning system for SEPA

PageOne Communications’ incident management solution, Flare, is being rolled out nationally by the British Red Cross to streamline and reduce emergency response times during major incidents.

Flare, an award winning and powerful suite of products, is designed for organisations that require a highly reliable messaging infrastructure to deal with major incidents and emergencies. It streamlines responses to a critical incident with a host of built-in features designed to minimise reaction time and maximise efficiency.

The Red Cross can get in touch with key staff such as volunteers, directly from the control centre or remotely via a secure web account, using any combination of SMS, e-mail, UK paging, landline, voice or fax. And, with a multi-channel response capability including two-way SMS, WAP and a scaleable voice option, it allows personnel to be in control of a situation, wherever they are located.

With document storage, MMS, mapping and location based services, Flare enables organisations to assess an incident and rapidly respond. Using Flare, you can plan ahead – SmartGroups can be set up in advance so that during an incident, organisations only have to send one message and it cascades to all volunteers quickly and effectively.

John Blake, National Emergency Response Coordinator, British Red Cross, said, “With Flare we can now contact large numbers of volunteers quickly, see their availability and provide them with just the vital information. This ensures a professional and timely response which our Cat 1 and 2 partners have come to expect and rely on.” www.pageone.co.uk/services/flare

RNLI FRT in training.

Photo: RNLI & Robin Goodlad

“We can never fully eliminate the risk of flooding, so it’s vitally important that we ensure that if and when a flood does occur, we are ready to respond and protect people and property. Exercise Watermark will be a unique opportunity for the Government, emergency services, the Environment Agency and communities to test their reaction to a range of flood events in a week long scenario.” www.exercisewatermark.co.uk..

Scots in flood-prone areas are set to benefit from a high-tech alert system, which will warn them by text or phone call when flooding is predicted.

From April 2011, people who have registered for the service will be able to choose how they want to be alerted and flood warnings will then be cascaded from a single system. Following funding from the Scottish Government, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) awarded a five-year, multi-million pound contract to BT Business and software company HTK to help them deliver Floodline Warnings Direct.

Extra time to take action The new service will enable Scotland’s emergency flooding management partners and the public to benefit from a system that will deliver better flood warnings and provide valuable extra time to take action.

Flood warnings are currently issued to the police and published on Floodline, an online and recorded message service, in a mainly manual process using phone and fax. However, the new service will mean that SEPA will be able to call on the latest geographic mapping technology to define specific flood areas, and actively send alerts to everyone who has registered in the highlighted area.

Multi-media platform BT and HTK’s innovative system will involve the creation of a fully-managed, hosted multi-media platform for recording and automatically disseminating flood warnings throughout Scotland to partner organisations like the police, fire and rescue, local authorities and the public.

A sample of a flood alert that would appear on the SEPA website.

People will also be able to find flood information on the internet and via the phone through interactive voice response systems based on speechrecognition technology.

BT Business is providing the helpdesk and contractual framework for the solution, while HTK will provide the technology platform, called HTK Horizon. Running Horizon through a standard web browser, SEPA will be able to manage flood warnings and tailor their response to the level of threat and the specific target area.

Public launch BT and HTK are working closely with SEPA to develop and test the system in time for a full public launch in spring 2011. www.sepa.org.uk/flooding www.htk.co.uk

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Volunteers turn out in force to tackle snow chaos As temperatures plummeted in November last year and blizzards swept across the UK, emergency response teams repeatedly braved the hazardous conditions to help those in need. Equipped with its fleet of Land Rover 4x4 vehicles, the Red Cross mounted a sustained response that lasted over a month.

In the north east, a team of 25 volunteers notched up 150 volunteer hours in a single week, dealing with all kinds of snow-related incidents, including broken legs, nasty injuries from falls and road traffic accidents.

Throughout Nottinghamshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire and East Midlands, volunteers responded to emergency calls and transported patients home from local hospitals.

“Land Rover’s valuable commitment to the British Red Cross has already ensured that we can swiftly respond to those who need our help.”

In northern Scotland, volunteers battled snow more than two feet deep to help the most vulnerable. They delivered meals to cut-off elderly residents, transported patients to and from hospital for dialysis treatment and even took two terminally ill patients home to spend their final days in comfort with their families.

An emergency response vehicle responding during bad weather conditions.

Photo: Nigel Stafford (British Red Cross)

As Christmas approached, hundreds of people were stranded at stations and airports across the UK. On 18 December, a volunteer team spent the night helping hundreds of passengers at Glasgow Airport. Just two days later, volunteers were again called out to support more than 500 people stranded outside Kings Cross station in London.

The Red Cross’ response was summed-up by Paul Liversidge, from the North East Ambulance Service.

He said, “The Red Cross’ help was invaluable and the volunteers did an incredible job. Their response was a credit to the Red Cross name.”

swiftly respond to those who need our help”, said Sir Nicholas Young, Chief Executive, British Red Cross. “Equipping our Land Rover response vehicles with life-saving defibrillators means that we are even better prepared for the situations we respond to, including emergencies – particularly in hard-to-reach places – and supplying first aid cover at events throughout the UK.” Colin Green, Managing Director of Land Rover UK, added, “We are absolutely committed long term to supporting the great work of the British Red Cross in our home market. Our relationship, which originally dates back to 1954, has been borne out of a need to reach vulnerable people in remote areas. Installing defibrillators in these emergency response vehicles will significantly enhance the British Red Cross’ ability to treat people in need of immediate critical care.”

The new collaboration between Land Rover UK and the British Red Cross is part of the major global partnership between Land Rover and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), announced in August 2010. The partnership is an exciting three-year global initiative focused on ‘Reaching Vulnerable People Around the World’. It involves Land Rover supporting national Red Cross societies in 15 countries, each country adopting a priority programme to support their Red Cross Society.

Land Rover is also supporting two flagship humanitarian programmes in Sierra Leone and China, which will help over a 120,000 people over the next three years. www.redcross.org.uk/landrover www.redcross.org.uk/disasterfund

Midlothian – volunteers acted as ‘snowfriends’, walking to the homes of vulnerable people to deliver medicines and offer extra help.

Ian Rideout and his team battling the snow in Northern Scotland, around Inverness.

Photo: Derek Gordon (British Red Cross)

Disaster Fund By mid-December, the situation in northern Scotland had become so extreme that the Red Cross released £21,000 from its Disaster Fund to restock equipment and support the continuing snow relief effort.

Speaking at the time, Simon Lewis, British Red Cross Head of Emergency Response, said, “The disaster fund allows us to release money immediately when it is most needed. Earlier this week money from the fund was used to support the Red Cross response to cholera in Haiti and today it’s being used to help people in the UK affected by the snow. It’s a great example of the breadth of our work, and how important having this fund can be, helping people here in the UK and around the world.”

Land Rover is funding 30 life-saving Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs).

Emergency response partnership Land Rover UK and the British Red Cross announced on 13 December a new emergency response partnership, to significantly improve the British Red Cross ability to respond to major incidents in the UK and help save more lives when crisis strikes.

The first part of this new initiative involves the funding of 30 life-saving Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) by Land Rover to enhance the capabilities of the UK-based emergency response vehicles, which were donated by the company to the British Red Cross in 2008.

“Land Rover’s valuable commitment to the British Red Cross has already ensured that we can

Lincolnshire – volunteers helped run a support line to deal with requests for help from vulnerable people.

Derry – volunteers delivered meals to vulnerable people across the city.

Matlock – when volunteers found even their 4x4 vehicle was buried in snow, they set out on foot to respond to local calls for help.

Surrey – Red Cross 4x4 volunteer teams are supported the South East Coast Ambulance Service with 999 calls, and enabled Surrey County Council care workers to reach vulnerable people in their homes.

Cornwall – a crew battled through treacherous conditions to bring supplies and medicine to a terminally ill man near Camborne, in a remote part of the county.

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Specialist AA team to the rescue The winter weather that hit the UK from late November to early January challenged all those involved in highway operations. The AA, which averages around 10,000 breakdowns nationally on a normal day, saw greatly increased demand for its help, experiencing some of its busiest days ever. In particular, the AA’s Special Operations Response Team was in action throughout that period.

The AA’s Special Operations Response Team (AA SORT), is a specialist team equipped to respond to severe weather, including floods and snow. The team is made up of ‘volunteers’ – people who all have a ‘day job’ but leave the desk indoors or the normal patrol van to crew the Land Rovers when required. Everyone on the team has been trained in 4x4 driving (RoSPA Certified) and in using the specialist equipment on board. In addition, most of the team are Level 3 water rescue trained.

During the winter spell, the team helped AA members and others in almost all parts of mainland Britain. In north Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire, the team worked with local police on two occasions to clear the A57 and other roads.

During the worst of the weather across the central

belt in Scotland, the team spent several days in the area rescuing stranded motorists. In Strathclyde, for example, the police gave permission to run the hard shoulder of the gridlocked M74 to reach an elderly lady with a heart condition and in urgent need of medication. Further south, the team worked with the Highways Agency helping to clear the M25 in Surrey where four lanes of stationary, snow-bound traffic meant no one was going anywhere fast. In south Wales, the team grappled with whiteout conditions on the A470 and other major and minor routes.

Fantastic feedback John Seymour, National Manager for Special Operations at the AA, said, “The winter weather, starting as early as it did in November and with such widespread impact, was a real challenge. But the team rose to it, often putting their personal arrangements to one side to be away from home for several days in a row and out on the road helping those who needed it. It was great to be able to help, and certainly the feedback we received from our members was fantastic.” www.theaa.com/aasort

Stay safe and 4x4 response group responds to bad weather stay off the ice Members of the Midland Rover Owners Club 4x4 Response Group (MROC 4x4 Response) turned out in their Land Rover vehicles to help the community following a request from Solihull MBC on behalf of Solihull Care Trust.

Some of the worst weather to hit the region in years coincided with ‘Super Saturday’, the last Saturday and weekend before Christmas and traditionally one of the busiest shopping days of the year. An exceptionally busy time of year for everyone anyway, and at a time when families would normally be out in the High Street battling the crowds and shopping for gifts and food for the festive break, members of MROC 4x4 Response gave up hours of their time to put their capable vehicles to good use.

The treacherous weather conditions meant there was an increase in demand from old and new patients in the area and the requirement of the group was for transport of nurses to patients’ homes to provide urgently needed medicines. Most of these were for administration of intravenous medicines or critical care work and were all classed as ‘priority one’ cases, all normal home visit services for dressings, ulcers, stitches etc having been put on hold. Volunteers had to dedicate long hours on the road over the weekend to ensure that the less fortunate members of the community received the help and care that they required.

Having the appropriate vehicle means these experienced off road drivers have no quandary with going out on the roads in these atrocious conditions. The 4x4s are well maintained and able to carry any necessary kit to suit any given

application. The drivers also have peace of mind of knowing they are backed up by the rest of the group and should further assistance be required it is only a phone call away. All drivers are volunteers, they do not get paid for their time, and the group, a sub section of the local Midland Rover Owners Club, are on call 24/7, 365 days a year.

The group was set up to provide assistance to emergency services and local authorities, and therefore local communities, when in time of need.

Having a close working relationship with Solihull MBC and their Emergency Planning Department allows for positive links to be formed and maintained while playing an important role within, and as an integral part of, the community.

Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service warned the public in December about the dangers of venturing on to frozen lakes.

If the ice breaks, you would become submerged very quickly due to the rapid onset of hypothermia.

Often, this causes others to attempt a rescue, which can result in further loss of life.

Another problem is that dog owners allow their dogs to roam onto frozen lakes and then attempt to rescue the animal when it falls through the ice. In those circumstances, difficult as it may seem, the advice is to dial 999 and request the fire and rescue service.

Firefighters from Cheltenham and Tewkesbury saved a three-year-old spaniel recently who had fallen into a small patch of water in an otherwise completely frozen lake at Coombe Hill Nature Reserve, near Tewkesbury. When they arrived, the spaniel was in great distress but stayed afloat by gripping onto the ice with its front legs. The firefighters used specialist equipment to carry out the rescue, including an inflatable platform to allow officers to move safely across the ice.

Group Manager at Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, Tally Giampa, said, “We have a range of specialist equipment for unstable surface rescue such as ice, mud and swift water rescue.

Firefighters trained as water rescue technicians have protective clothing and equipment to deal with water-related incidents in low temperatures.

“But in the temperatures we are experiencing, a person would not last long at all in a frozen lake.

People need to recognise the potentially fatal consequences of venturing onto a frozen lake or canal and ensure that dogs are also kept well away.”

www.mroc.co.uk

www.gloucestershire.gov.uk

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St John Ambulance rises to the challenge to provide a difference to communities During the big freeze at the end of 2010 St John Ambulance was hard at work supporting NHS ambulance services, PCTs and local authorities to ensure that those who needed help, got it.

St John Ambulance plays a big part in the nation’s emergency response system, with its resource of highly trained staff and 40,000 volunteers, medical equipment and vehicle fleet.

Severe weather warnings meant the organisation’s nationwide network of Emergency Planning Officers, coordinated by its national headquarters, was braced to provide vital backup to the emergency services as soon as the first heavy snowfalls struck.

St John Ambulance deployed teams in all the worst hit areas of the country, from Northumberland through to Cornwall. During the worst of the weather they used 4x4 ambulances around the clock to respond to 999 calls on behalf of the ambulance service and reach cut off communities where treacherous road conditions brought normal traffic grinding to a halt, restricting the use of two wheel drive ambulances.

St John Ambulance teams enabled NHS staff to get to and from work by transporting them in 4x4 vehicles. And they escorted community nurses on their rounds while they visited the hard to reach homes of patients who rely on their medical care and medication being consistent and uninterrupted.

The charity also set up and staffed cold weather refuges at various venues including London’s St Pancras train station where St John Ambulance provided eight first aiders and two mobile treatment centres to deal with medical problems and injuries when thousands of Eurostar passengers were left stranded.

In Sussex, St John Ambulance deployed its entire 10-strong fleet of 4x4 vehicles some of which were out continuously with crew changes. In Nottinghamshire, St John Ambulance deployed two fully crewed four wheel drive vehicles and four A&E ambulances for East Midlands Ambulance Service Trust (EMAS) consistently for 24-hour periods in addition to the provision of transport for Community Nurses and Community First Responders.

John Newman, Head of Emergency Operations at St John Ambulance, said, “We’re committed to making sure we are the difference to communities in times of need. The winter crisis demonstrated the effectiveness of our close working partnership with the emergency services, NHS and local authorities. The competence and professionalism shown in the face of an emergency situation of this magnitude is a great credit to all involved.” www.sja.org.uk

South Yorkshire’s firefighters come to the rescue after snow of the century South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service played a key role in keeping core health and emergency services moving in December, despite parts of the county receiving its worst snowfall in 100 years.

Firefighters across the county assisted colleagues in the health service in a special partnership, which saw them provide mutual aid and humanitarian assistance during the worst of the recent, massive snow event.

Key assistance included clearing snow and ice from the driveways of several properties of kidney dialysis patients in Sheffield. With the snow cleared, patients were able to return home to continue their treatment, freeing their beds for new, incoming hospital patients.

And amidst the worst of the weather, a crew of Doncaster retained firefighters assisted an ambulance in difficulty. The vehicle had become stranded in snow, but firefighters dug the ambulance out, allowing it to continue its journey to Doncaster Royal Infirmary.

The humanitarian aid delivered in South Yorkshire was additional to the significant achievement in maintaining the service’s traditional 999 response for the duration of the severe weather.

All fire stations were available to respond to emergency incidents, despite almost 18in of snow in places and with many firefighters walking considerable distances to staff their pumps. www.syfire.gov.uk

Firefighters clear snow to maintain emergency response at Doncaster fire station.

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Flooding – Be warned. Be prepared.

A flood alert will indicate that flooding is possible and that people should make some preparations and remain vigilant.

A flood warning will indicate that flooding of homes and businesses is expected and people should act to reduce the impact of the flood.

A severe flood warning will be used in extreme circumstances to tell people that flooding poses a significant risk to life.

The Environment Agency has launched its new flood warning codes and service changes. In his review of the 2007 floods, Sir Michael Pitt tasked the Environment Agency with improving the existing flood warning system. As a result, adjustments have been made to the warning stages, there is now clearer advice on what action to take and a three-day flood forecast is now available on the Environment Agency’s website.

Environment Agency’s website, so that people can see if their local watercourse or stretch of coastline is reacting to the weather.

that their warning is no longer in force and no further flooding is expected in the area will be sent.

Warning stages The Environment Agency has re-designed the warning stages so that they indicate an increasing likelihood of flooding, narrowing down the area that’s going to be affected with each stage. The first line of communication to let people know that there’s a chance of some flooding is through a new online daily flood forecast. This shows, county by county, where there is a risk of flooding over the next three days. It forecasts flooding from rivers, the sea, and surface water flooding. Alongside this information there is now river and sea levels on the

PM thanks South Central Ambulance Service Prime Minister David Cameron praised South Central Ambulance Service NHS Trust’s (SCAS) efforts during the recent bad weather. National Ambulance Director Peter Bradley received a phone call from Mr Cameron asking him to pass on his personal thanks to ambulance service staff.

Parts of the South Central area were very affected by the snow and frost. Despite the extreme conditions, SCAS was able to reach all 999 patients, thanks to the dedication of staff and the success of the plan prepared for winter.

Extra 4x4s were recruited into the regular fleet to negotiate areas particularly difficult to reach, while special ‘snow socks’ were used to provide better traction.

Peter Bradley said, “It was nice that the Prime Minister took time to single out ambulance services for their work, and he very much wanted me to pass on his personal appreciation for the efforts of all SCAS staff.” www.scas.nhs.uk

Flood Alerts Once rivers or parts of the coast have the potential to flood, Flood Alerts will be issued.

People can sign up to receive these free warnings at www.environment-agency.gov.uk/flood. As the certainty in forecasts increases these will be escalated to Flood Warnings. Flood Warnings are the indication that people must take action to protect property as it is expected to flood.

Only when there are severe flood conditions or severe flash flooding is forecast will Severe Flood Warnings be issued. Severe Flood Warnings will only be issued in exceptional floods, where there’s a real threat to life directly from the flood water or by the widespread damaging impact it could have, or if it is hampering the response of emergency services.

Once flooding is forecast to start receding and there’s no further threat messages telling people

Data for third parties The Environment Agency is now making its flood warning data available to third parties such as developers and consultancies, so that they can develop new ways of getting warnings to people, including mobile phone apps or web applications.

People can also get hold of summaries of the flood warning situation through the new Real Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds and by using features such as ‘Google Reader’ you can create automatic updates to display on your own computer or website.

The Environment Agency has plans to further improve the content of its website, making the presentation and flow of information on general flood risk, forecasts, warnings and advice for people affected much more interactive and clearer for people to understand. www.environment-agency.gov.uk/flood

Snowless roof leads police to cannabis factory Heavy snow helped police to identify a 330 plant cannabis factory at a Blackburn house. Police received an anonymous tip off after a member of the public noticed the house was the only one on a street without snow on the roof during the recent cold spell.

The plants, with a potential street value of approximately £132,000, were found in the loft after officers from the local Neighbourhood Policing Team raided the address on Wednesday 26 January. Lighting and electrical equipment was also seized from the house.

Enquiries are ongoing to find out who was responsible for the set up and police are urging anyone with information to come forward.

Neighbourhood Policing Sergeant Paul Schofield said, “Clearly there was a lot of heat coming from the roof of the house, which is often the case with cannabis factories of this scale. It was an extremely

sophisticated and professional set up and I am pleased that we have been able to prevent a large amount of cannabis from reaching the streets of Blackburn.

“I hope that people in the local neighbourhood are reassured that we do listen to their concerns and will take action to remove drugs from our communities.” www.lancashire.police.uk

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Ambulance service thanks rally drivers

Technician Matthew Jones from Eastbourne Ambulance Station runs a medical team for the Scouts outside of work and as part of the team’s fleet they run a Land Rover ambulance. The volunteers were on the phone to Matthew as soon as the bad weather hit. Team members John Clark and Steve Riorden were a huge help to SECAmb by driving Matthew and other SECAmb clinicians to patients in hard to reach areas. The Scouts’ Land Rover is pictured here outside Eastbourne District General Hospital.

South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Trust (SECAmb) praised the actions of two rally drivers using the back roads of Surrey in the recent severe weather who came to the rescue of ambulance

clinicians treating a young woman.

Tomasz Wielgosz and his friend Dariusz came to the aid of student paramedic Andy Bawler and paramedic Tracy Dale from Godstone Ambulance

EMAS prepared for bad weather The East Midlands Ambulance Service activated its Divisional Severe Weather Plan in late November and a number of measures were put in place to ensure ambulances could reach those in need during the extreme weather conditions and freezing temperatures.

These included: additional staff being brought in to support A&E and other essential services; implementation of the EMAS 4x4 activation plan; at times of severe weather the Trust will increase the number of 4x4 across the whole region. This enables EMAS A&E staff safely to get to patients vehicles to difficult locations. This plan is further enhanced by working with a range of partners across the St John Ambulance Service, the Red Cross and co-responders such as the fire and rescue service; snow socks are provided to emergency vehicles to give them better road holding capabilities on slippery services; and working closely with other stakeholders (Acute Trusts, PCTs etc) to ensure a joined up approach to healthcare provision.

In periods of extreme weather, the service is inevitably going to be put under greater pressure.

The higher than average number of slips and falls – up 10% in some areas – and icy or impassable road conditions, make it essential that 999 calls are only

made for genuine emergencies such as critical illness and life threatening injuries to allow the service to provide care for those in greatest need.

EMAS Assistant Director of Operations, David Williams, said, “The prolonged period of poor weather last winter allowed us to refine and strengthen our severe weather plans. We are confident that the availability of additional 4x4 vehicles and traction aids for our ambulance vehicles will help us to maintain safe service.

The welfare of our staff, who may be exposed to extreme cold, is also critical. We are working with our partners in acute care to ensure that ambulance crews can stay warm and obtain hot drinks and other support during their working day.”

“The general public can do their bit to help,” he continued, “by ensuring that they only call for an ambulance when absolutely necessary and by using other services such as NHS Direct (0845 4647), their GP, local pharmacies and walk-in centres, or by reporting to one of the region’s minor injuries units for help.

“We can assure everyone that, if they are genuinely in need of an emergency ambulance, we will do our utmost to provide one regardless of the weather and road conditions.” www.emas.nhs.uk

Station when they were tackling severe weather conditions on 2 December. Andy and Tracy were treating Jess Gibson, 20, who was suffering from abdomen pain, at a remote address down a halfmile track in Upper Gatton, Surrey.

Tracey and Andy had reached and assessed Jess and decided she needed hospital treatment but it proved difficult to turn their vehicle around in the thick snow until, much to everyone’s surprise, Tomasz and Dariusz arrived at the scene in two blue 4x4 Subaru Impreza cars.

The pair used their vehicles, which were fitted with severe weather gear including snow tyres, to pull the ambulance clear and tow it back down the track towards the A217 so Jess could continue her journey to East Surrey Hospital in Redhill to be treated. She is now back home recovering.

Tomasz, of Seatbelt Services Ltd in Willesden, and originally from Poland, said, “I’m just happy we were able to help out. It was lucky we arrived on the scene at the right time. Everyone worked hard together and I’m pleased that Jess was able to get to hospital.”

Andy said, “The guys jumped out and didn’t hesitate to offer to help. They showed great determination and enthusiasm and we’re all extremely grateful. They should be very proud.” www.secamb.nhs.uk

SAS send SOS to army Army vehicles assisted the Scottish Ambulance Service during December’s severe weather conditions. Ambulance staff were driven to patients by army drivers in military 4x4 vehicles and transferred patients to appropriate care. The support was provided in the central belt while the snow and freezing conditions continued to hamper ambulance crews. www.scottishambulance.com

Winter road safety Community First Responders (CFRs) from the South Staffordshire First Responder group recently took part in a joint road traffic collision demonstration, organised by firefighters from Wombourne Community Fire Station. Working alongside firefighters, the CFRs ensured the casualty’s c-spine was stabilised as the roof was removed and the casualty was extricated on a long board.

Watch Manager, Darren Smith said, “The event was part of our winter safety campaign to help make Staffordshire’s roads safer. It is important that we ensure all partners involved with road traffic collisions work together quickly and efficiently and this event allowed us to practice and demonstrate that.” www.southstaffsfirstresponders.co.uk www.wmas.nhs.uk

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That’s snow business Schools closed, roads became no-zone routes and parcels stacked up in distribution centres when the pre-Christmas snow brought towns and cities to a standstill in December. But while much of the country ground to a halt, social media brought communities together, becoming a hub of information, safety advice and a powerful tool to recruit valuable help.

It’s something councils have already shown works well - Coventry Council used Facebook during heavy snow, when communities needed quick updates on schools closures. Kirklees Council was praised for its Gritter Twitter, updating residents when and where gritters were out 24 hours a day.

Brighton and Hove Council issued appeals on Twitter for 4×4 owners to help reach vulnerable residents and to ferry people to hospital.

In Newark in USA, Mayor Cory Booker made headlines when he responded to tweets from people stranded in the snow. Through Twitter he was able to organise volunteers, send help to people in need and offer reassurance to a public eager to receive information from official sources.

Explore more If you want to know more about some of the issues raised in this article, check out these links: Coventry City Council use of Facebook: http://bit.ly/coventry_snow Kirklees Gritter Twitter: http://bit.ly/kirklees_gritter_twitter FireReady app: http://bit.ly/CFA_FireReady FEMA’s use of social media: http://bit.ly/twitter_in_disaster General lessons in social media for emergency services http://bit.ly/crisis_response And for more case studies on emergency services using social media follow: twitter.com/999socialmedia

Some of Mayor Cory Booker’s tweets during the heavy snow.

Advice and appeals For emergency services, social media is a relatively new tool to use in times of crisis – but South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue tested its capabilities by using it to issue advice and appeals.

In December 2010 Sheffield faced its worst snow since 1882 – 15 inches deep in the city centre – bringing with it commuting problems for staff, hazardous driving for emergency responders and general disruption for local residents.

Firefighters help clear the snow outside the Fire Station in Doncaster.

Photo: South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.

The communications team, knowing that their Twitter and Facebook profiles were followed by residents and staff, decided to harness their online channels alongside traditional media methods. An alert was put out to staff on White Watch asking them to report to their nearest station; safety messages were issued to the public; and information was put online to get people thinking

about whether they were prepared for potential problems such as a power cut.

Communications Team Leader Alex Mills said, “Because messages on Twitter and Facebook are short and because we could do this from wherever we were using a mobile phone, it was really easy. It was like sending a text message and sending it to a mass audience rather than writing a press release and sending it to the various media organisations.

This made it easy to resource and immediate – and because the messages were shared and retweeted it helped us reach an even bigger audience.”

On the worst day of the snow 30 tweets were put out by the service using a hashtag #sheffieldsnow, that were seen potentially 27,000 times by more than 5000 individuals. By 5:00pm, as most people were thinking about traveling home through the snow, the safety messages urging people to take care on the roads were trending in Sheffield (meaning it was one of the most popular topics on Twitter).

Alex added, “We put messages on until about 11:00pm, reassuring the public that we were managing to maintain an emergency response and giving general safety advice. It was a valuable way of getting information out during spate circumstances.”

Prepare. Act. Survive.

And its not just snow – elsewhere in the world fire and rescue services have turned to social media during all sorts of extreme weather.

GPS mapped incidents near your location, emergency warnings and basic fire safety advice have been developed into an easy to use application for mobile phones in a bid to tackle problems of bushfires.

Country Fire Authority in Victoria, Australia, is one of the largest volunteer-based emergency

management organisations in the world. It developed Australia’s first official real-time location-aware fire incident and advice application for the iPhone, now also available on Android phones and as a Facebook app.

Users can access up-to-date bushfire warnings and advice when they’re out and about. The application also has risk assessment tools and stepby-step guides to creating a fire plan. In its first month, there were more than 500 downloads a week.

A flood of social media Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in America are keen to harness the power of social media, advocating the way it can provide situational awareness as well as distribute information.

They have orchestrated news conferences for residents via the medium of Twitter; used Twitter to communicate about blocked roads and infrastructure during emergencies such as the Washington floods; and used YouTube to highlight disaster response and recovery efforts.

Nashville resident Amy Frogge uses social media to display pictures that document the flood and damage to her home. FEMA responded to the severe storms and flooding that damaged or destroyed thousands of homes in May 2010 across Tennessee.

Photo: David Fine/FEMA.

Following the flooding in Tennessee last spring, FEMA and the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency created a Facebook page where users could get recovery tips and updates, including shelter locations and details on how to access disaster assistance. Users were invited to share stories, tips and links that could help those affected by the disaster. They could also seek information on assistance in their area.

Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Craig Fugate has made the use of social media and mobile technology a priority in FEMA’s outreach to the public. He said, “As social media becomes more a part of our daily lives, people are turning to it during emergencies as well.

We need to utilise these tools, to the best of our abilities, to engage and inform the public, because no matter how much federal, state and local officials do, we will only be successful if the public is brought in as part of the team.” www.merseyfire.gov.uk

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Author: Sam Thomas is Communications Manager at Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service.

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Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!

The cold snap during December has allowed us to join students in gaining a greater appreciation of the practicalities of working on ice.

Each occasion brought us into contact with different ice thicknesses and conditions. It is worth choosing a place of known depth, deep water being better to simulate than to encounter unexpectedly!

This allows freedom of movement and the opportunity to examine the effects of different numbers of people committing to this environment.

Thinner layers of ice (10-15mm) vary greatly in their capacity to be loaded, with the resultant risks varying. Ten millimetres of strong ice will be enough to trap anyone falling through it and moving laterally, however half the pools we encountered broke readily, presenting minimal risk.

Unaided escape difficult 20-40mm ice will bear enough weight to tempt skaters etc but will fail with an increase of people gathering at any one point. The failure rate is increased significantly with the creation of just one hole allowing the escape of water.

The addition of further holes/flaws undermines the structural integrity of the ice, previously sound sections failing even if they are not adjacent to a source of weakness. This thickness of ice tends to

bend and then break on a grand scale, a small group of people causing a 5m-10m hole.

This makes escape difficult. Even if the edges of the hole are reached they tend to slope gently downwards, making unaided escape difficult.

The pieces of ice floating on a hole are of sufficient size that a person falling into a gap between them may then be covered as the sheets drift back to their original positions.

If large sheets of ice are weighted along one edge, they will sink on a consistent angle of descent.

Given their mass, even after moving a short distance they will impact severely with anything in their path including casualties.

numbers of committed personnel reduces some risk, as does the careful use of inflatable rescue sleds, paths and other devices.

Comparisons of long boards and short ladders have shown both to be of equal value for retrieval of casualties.

Retrieval of potentially vulnerable inflatable equipment across rougher ice surfaces may be avoided by breaking it after it has served its purpose in the initial access of the casualty.

Overall it is clear that no two situations are the same, due to variations in strength, property changes from one metre to the next, and the implications of its mass once broken. www.outreachrescue.com

Reducing risk Though it is difficult to establish a safe system of work to counter all these eventualities, limiting the

Author: George Smith, Outreach Rescue

Lighting on ice cans of petrol! Not to mention hot halogen lights melting your kit in the vehicle on the way back to base!”

Based in the Morecambe Bay area, Bay Search and Rescue provide support for HM Coastguard,

mountain rescue teams and other emergency services. They are equipped with a number of Peli Cases to protect their vital medical equipment as well as the Peli Area Lighting Systems. www.peliproducts.co.uk

Photo: Bay Search & Rescue – www.baysearchandrescue.org.uk

Bay Search and Rescue Team recently put Peli Remote Area Lighting Systems to a demanding sub-zero test. In extreme conditions for both man and lights, Peli 9430 and 9460 units illuminated the area of an ice rescue training exercise and proved invaluable.

Deputy Station Officer Paul Calland said, “There is enough to think about when running high hazard training exercises, such as live casualty ice rescue. But once again our Peli RALS proved to be so easy to use and effective – take them out, turn them on, forget them. We forget the ‘bad old days’ of generators, trip hazard cables everywhere and

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54 | SEVERE WEATHER

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ATS Euromaster keeps ambulance crews safe and mobile during winter Britain’s largest ambulance trust has signed a deal with ATS Euromaster to fit Michelin cold weather tyres to its fleet of 135 rapid response cars, to keep its team safe and mobile throughout the winter.

The specialist tyres are proven to offer improved vehicle handling and reduced stopping distances in temperatures less than 7°C. North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust (NWAS), which covers Cumbria, Lancashire, Mersey Regional, Cheshire and Greater Manchester, selected the cold weather tyres for its ‘blue-light’ Ford Mondeos, Skoda Elegances / Scouts and Volvo V50s. The tyres are being delivered directly to nominated trust vehicle workshops across the North West, with ATS Euromaster’s extensive mobile tyre fitting fleet – the largest of its type in the country – being used to coordinate the replacements promptly on-site.

NWAS Fleet Manager (Operations) Mick Sweetmore said, “I am not sure any of us expected such harsh winter conditions to have arrived so early this year, but that actually just makes this new policy even more important. Cold weather tyres make a significant difference which will enable our operational colleagues to keep mobile in the cold, as well as when driving on ice and snow.”

He added, “We know there is high demand for winter tyres across Europe so we are particularly pleased that ATS Euromaster has been able to react so quickly to our needs and supply fitments in all of the required tyre sizes from a single brand.”

Not ‘sold out’ Contrary to reports from tyre retailers and fast-fit chains in the UK reporting stocks of cold weather tyres had ‘sold-out’, ATS Euromaster on

17 February reaffirmed its commitment to ringfencing supplies to support existing fleets using the high-grip seasonal fitment.

“We will not sell every cold weather tyre on our shelves by the end of March – and that’s deliberately so,” said Peter Fairlie, Group Sales Director at ATS Euromaster. “We’ve protected a percentage of our stocks, in each of the key sizes, to ensure we can support our customers if they suffer a puncture.

“Every business wants the reassurance that you will have product available in the event of a tyre failure. This is particularly critical for blue-light fleets, where fleet availability can arguably make the difference between life and death,” he added.

Much of the early demand for cold weather tyres during winter 2010/2011 was led by NHS Ambulance Trusts spanning England, Wales and Scotland – with ATS Euromaster fitting the highgrip seasonal tyres to hundreds of ambulances and rapid-response paramedic cars nationwide.

In placing the order for cold weather tyres, NWAS has taken advantage of a pan-government tyre sourcing initiative established by the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) in 2007 and available to Public Sector Organisations (PSOs) across the UK. It allows PSOs to share in significant cost savings when purchasing tyres and associated services from a select group of approved suppliers, which includes ATS Euromaster. www.atseuromaster.co.uk

Toughbooks Custom-built emergency for tough and rescue products conditions Health workers in NHS Yorkshire and the Humber region were able to keep crucial NHS community services running in the latest arctic weather using their Panasonic Toughbook mobile devices. The rugged Toughbooks ensured services such as community visits and one-to-one consultations could take place despite the weather. Staff were able to access vital information stored on clinical systems and keep appointments with their patients.

There are currently 2500 Toughbooks being used by healthcare workers across the NHS Yorkshire and the Humber region. Staff generally use them to help spend more time with patients and less time in the office – making an additional one or two patient visits a day. As a result, travel costs have been cut and the quality of information recorded in patient records has also improved because the healthcare worker can input information alongside the patient. http://panasonic.net

The Special Products Division at EP Barrus Ltd is a dedicated team set up to design and develop custom-built engines and accessories to meet the specific operational requirements of its professional customers.

Barrus has developed close relationships with many of its major customers working as consultants and suppliers. These include organisations such as the RNLI, UK MoD, US DoD, HM Coastguard, overseas government forces, local authorities, police and fire service search and rescue units.

Mariner and Mercury are the leaders in outboard engine technology with the most advanced and broadest range of two and four-stroke outboards available. Barrus supplies Mariner and Mercury two-stroke commercial outboard engines from 5hp to 250hp for numerous specialist rescue and commercial applications.

The innovative Post Immersion Restart rescue outboards enable a 50hp outboard motor to be totally immersed yet ready for action within just 15 seconds after resurfacing. A comprehensive range

of accessories has also been designed and developed

by Barrus including outboard propeller guards, twin-engine single tiller and engine transit frames.

Other water rescue equipment supplied by Barrus includes a Yanmar diesel powered pump for salvage, fire fighting and general pumping.

SeaSearch, a range of heavy-duty inflatables, which can be powered by Mariner or Mercury outboards are ideal for rescue teams where more space and strength are required. www.barrus.co.uk

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56 | TECHNOLOGY

In brief . . .

Dr Tom Richardson, a lecturer in Flight Mechanics from the University of Bristol has won a national award for his part in developing new auto-landing system technology, which enables an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) to identify a suitable landing area and land without any support from ground-based systems.

Dr Richardson won the Aerospace category in The Engineer Technology and Innovation Awards, a prestigious awards scheme run by The Engineer magazine.

The technology could be used to assist the emergency services, for example mountain rescue teams could use the auto-landing system, as it would allow a UAV to recognise and land in a preselected area. www.bristol.ac.uk

St Austell-based Astracasting, which has contracts with more than 30 police forces in the UK, is now eyeing lucrative deals in the military and overseas markets after being awarded the coveted UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) ISO 9001 quality management system standard certificate. The company specialises in Bluetooth broadcasting services involving the supply of digital messaging to both the public and private sectors.

The system, which works by delivering SMS messages to passing mobile phones without any network charges, is seen as an effective way to deliver vital crime safety messages direct to the public and could now be used around the world. It has already been used by Strathclyde Police to issue hard-hitting messages on knife crime to late night revelers in Glasgow, while officers in Bath have used Bluetooth messaging to warn people about noise, with the threat of an £80 fine. www.astracasting.com

Vemotion Interactive’s real-time video solution has been successfully deployed by Leedswatch, the CCTV operation run by Leeds City Council, Community Safety, to enhance is support of West Yorkshire Police operations at key football matches.

The company’s video compression and transmission equipment has been installed in the latest Leedswatch mobile CCTV vans which are now able to augment the existing fixed camera network in cost-effectively providing live images to Police Control Rooms (ACRs) as well as to the control room within the Elland Road stadium. Both before and after a football match, mobile CCTV vans can be positioned and manoeuvred to provide live coverage of areas not adequately covered by the existing fixed camera network as fans travel to and from the ground www.vemotion.com

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New national ‘address book’ to be free to emergency services A single ‘address book’ for England and Wales is to be created and made free to the emergency services for the first time, Communities Secretary Eric Pickles announced in December.

For years business and essential services have had to pay for the two different national address lists maintained by councils and Ordnance Survey creating a costly and inefficient system.

An agreement has been reached to set up a joint venture, GeoPlace, between Ordnance Survey and the Local Government Group to create a new single source of address data.

The new National Address Gazetteer will be free to all public services including the emergency services that rely on it to get to people in distress quickly. Essential services currently need both sets of address lists to ensure they have a comprehensive list of addresses available.

Businesses will benefit from now only having to get one license for the addresses instead of two. This information is vital for many private sector businesses, such as utility companies, who use address data to respond to incidents and help them fix problems quicker.

Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government said, “It’s crazy we don’t have one single address list in this country. It makes no sense that both the public sector and businesses have to bear the unnecessary expense of licensing two sets of data, especially in these straiten times.

“In particular, it is vital that the emergency services can get to people as quickly as possible. Having only one ‘address book’ will make that job easier, deliver vital savings that can be put towards frontline services and bring real benefits for business.”

It is anticipated that products from the national address gazetteer database will deliver significant efficiency savings and improvements by reducing the need for data matching across different address products. As part of the Public Sector Mapping Agreement, products created from the national address gazetteer would be available for the entire public sector, delivering significant cost savings and enabling more partnership working with private and third sector delivery bodies.

Sir Rob Margetts CBE, Ordnance Survey non-executive chair, commented, “I am enthusiastic about the creation of a single national address gazetteer and very confident that it will bring new benefits to all users of address information. The demand for accurate, accessible, high quality geographic information has never been so high and the products which will be created from the new national address gazetteer database will be another step in meeting the needs of all of our customers.”

Spatial software provider, GGP Systems, welcomed the announcement.

The company will be fully supporting and partaking in the consultation process to ensure its customers’ interests are wholly accommodated. Tim Maxwell, Managing Director of GGP Systems, said, “This is a really positive move for all connected to the GIS industry. For a long time, customers have had to contend with two competing products, but this new single source of data removes duplication and means that local authorities, the emergency services and other public bodies will no longer have to pay to license two separate sets of data. That is great news for the public sector.”

Rugged phone manufacturer Sonim and SafeLinQ UK have announced a partnership that has life-saving potential for the thousands of workers in high risk and extreme environments.

Together, the companies will deliver the Sonim XP3 Sentinel ultra-rugged GSM phone to the UK market, offering maximum security and safety to lone workers The Sonim XP3 Sentinel provides a dual solution to emergency services through helping them coordinate their own teams through push to talk communication and ensuring those that need help are located and seen to as soon as possible. The XP3 Sentinel and SafeLinQ’s location service are an example of employers doing their part to ensure the safety of their workers and removing unnecessary obstacles for the emergency services to do their jobs.

Vortex ports and a re-designed Graphical User Interface incorporating additional camera information and map control for camera selection.

Frequentis is the prime contractor responsible for the development and delivery of the MPS’s current ICCS, which has been operational since February 2006.

Richmond-based Frequentis UK, the wholly owned subsidiary of Frequentis AG, provides in-country support as part of the group’s commitment to the MPS.

The Sonim XP3 Sentinel was built to meet the demands of the newly issued British Standard BS8484 device requirement for Lone Worker Devices and Monitoring Stations, exceeding the duty-of-care requirements under UK Law, further reinforced in 2008 with the passage of the Corporate Manslaughter Act. The device goes beyond extreme durability – it’s fully water submersible (IP-67 rated), MIL-810G certified, ready for extreme temperatures from -20ºC to +55ºC, impact proof, resistant to dust and micro-particles and equipped with high performance GPS, long battery life, a LED torch and a 2MP camera.

The phone and full lone monitoring service is available now through SafeLinQ and its partners.

www.frequentis.com www.met.police.uk

www.safelinq.com www.sonimtech.com

www.ggpsystems.co.uk www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk

Met Police extends ICCS capabilities Frequentis AG continues to meet the exacting safety critical communications control requirements demanded by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) as London prepares for the challenges of the forthcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Over the next 12 months, Frequentis will work with its partners to extend the MPS’s Integrated Communications Control System (ICCS) and Closed Circuit Television capability and increase accessibility to existing hardware. Further enhancements will include connection to the Airwave public safety radio network via new

Partnership enhances lone worker safety

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Employer support for Special Constables There has been much in the headlines recently about the idea of the ‘Big Society’, and much of the emphasis has been on volunteering in all sorts of areas. In the policing world, being a special constable is one of the ways this ‘Big Society’ can be clearly seen. Special constables are volunteer police officers who have the same powers as their regular police officer colleagues, but do not get paid and do their policing duties in their own time. However, businesses can also get involved by allowing their employees who are special constables to have time off during their normal working hours to do police duties. They may do this under the Employer Supported Policing (ESP) schemes run locally in forces.

Since April 2009, the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) has been developing and rolling out a revised version of ESP which has already seen successes with the Metropolitan Police Service and other forces in England and Wales.

ESP has the full support of the police service and has huge benefits in terms of increasing the number of special constables, broadening the scope of existing officers’ duties, and in providing additional officers on the beat with a diverse range of skills that they bring from their day jobs.

Peter Fahy QPM, Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police and the special constabulary ACPO lead, said, “Employer Supported Policing is a great way that employers and businesses can play their part in making their community safer.”

Effective partnership ESP is an effective partnership between employers, their staff and the police service to support special constables in their duties to increase public safety and confidence. The support can come in a number of different forms, from advertising the special constabulary within the organisation; giving time off for emergencies, such as the Cumbria floods; allowing the use of the organisation’s facilities; giving time off for training, right through to allowing their employees regular programmed time to be a special constable during paid hours on a monthly basis.

Employers have the ability to work with their local police force to find a level of support that suits the individual needs of the business. James W

“Employer Supported Policing is a great way that employers and businesses can play their part in making their community safer.”

Deller, NPIA regional coordinator for the special constabulary in the South East region and Chief Officer of Surrey Special Constabulary, who has been part of the team responsible for the development of the new look scheme, said, “As a Special Constable myself, I know first hand the benefits that can be gained from having the support of your employer as it has allowed me to get involved in aspects of policing I would not have been able to do before and also to have more time to police the community where I live and work.”

So what is in it for businesses?

Being a special constable is an excellent way of staff developing unique transferable skills, which can help them to be more confident and effective in their day job. For example, the role of police officer requires numerous skills including: effective conflict management, decision-making, communication and the provision of first aid. It is also a two-way process of knowledge sharing, as special constables are able to bring their professional abilities into the police force with which they serve.

There have been examples of innovation and success with ESP around the country. An example where it has worked particularly well is at Gun Wharf Quays, a retail outlet in Portsmouth, where a number of the staff who work at the outlet also police the site too. Peter Emery, Centre Director and a Special Constable himself, said, “Having staff who are Special Constables in the retail environment helps increase the sense of safety and reassurance within that locality. As an employer, an ESP scheme generates increased staff loyalty and retention as you are seen as investing in the individual and ultimately in the wider community.”

If you would like to know more about Employer Supported Policing, you can e-mail ESP@npia.pnn.police.uk, Tel: 0845 000 2011 or visit the NPIA website, where you can also view a DVD on the benefits of the scheme and find out how businesses can get involved. www.npia.police.uk

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58 | CONTRACTS & PEOPLE

In brief . . .

Chief Superintendent Garry Forsyth has been appointed Assistant Chief Constable at West Midlands Police.

He joins the senior team from Leicestershire Constabulary where he has served since 2005. “West Midlands Police has a well-deserved reputation and it is a real privilege for me to be appointed to serve here,” said ACC Forsyth. “We face some challenging times ahead but I look forward to working closely with the many talented and committed officers and staff, as well as the excellent partnerships and the public to meet these challenges head on, ensuring we continue to serve our communities and protect them from harm.” www.west-midlands.police.uk

Computacenter (UK) has donated a laptop and printer to Hampshire-based charity, The Blue Lamp Trust. The IT equipment will enable the trust to continue its hard work protecting the residents and local businesses in the area. Its aims are to promote improved driving standards and road safety and to educate all aspects of fire safety and prevention. It also funds the Bobby Trust, an initiative which provides reassurance and security to victims of crime by fitting door and window locks, burglar alarms and fire alarms. www.bluelamptrust.org

West Midlands Ambulance Service is working in conjunction with Moog Aircraft Group to increase the safety of its employees and visitors.

Staffordshire company Moog, which is responsible for developing components for fighter planes, helicopters and commercial aeroplanes, has installed two defibrillators at its premises and proposes to train around 25 staff to use it. Community Response Manager at WMAS, Duncan Parsonage, said “The more quickly a patient in cardiac arrest can be defribrillated the greater chance of survival. This simple idea really could save lives!” www.wmas.nhs.uk

Heather Valentine has been appointed Deputy Chief Constable of Hertfordshire Police. Heather has been with the force since 2007, and has recently been filling the role in a temporary capacity since Simon Parr’s departure. Chair of Hertfordshire Police Authority, Stuart Nagler, said, “Heather has proven her ability to lead officers and staff through extremely difficult periods of change and her skills, knowledge and strengths will prove invaluable as we face the challenging times ahead.” www.herts.police.uk

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Hampshire rope rescue team ‘Goes Ape’ at training day Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service’s rope rescue team has taken part in a training exercise at a Go Ape adventure site on the Hampshire/Dorset border. The training session was arranged at the Lyon Technical Symposium in Cumbria.

The training day involved a thorough examination of the adventure attraction, and a run-through of the safety protocols involved to keep it safe for the public, before the Go Ape staff ran through their various rescue methods they use if something goes wrong.

HFRS then simulated the extrication of a casualty from the highest point of the course.

HFRS rope team leader, Dave Heybourne, said, “Our training day was a huge success for all parties and we were able to learn how an organisation like Go Ape functions so efficiently when working at height. We hope to keep this partnership alive as part

of our ongoing affiliation with local businesses who may require our specialist rescue techniques at some point in the future.”

Go Ape is also hoping to develop partnership with other fire and res-

cue services across the organisation’s 26 sites around the country, and has offered a 20 percent discount code for FRS personnel. www.goape.co.uk www.hantsfire.gov.uk

Carnation designs chosen for Gwent frontline ambulance installations announces new NHS Ambulance Services has select- cles. Carnation Designs’ innovative police Chief ed Carnation Designs as the preferred supplier of switching and power management system for the national vehicle specification for frontline ambulances. Carnation’s genisys system provides exceptional flexibility and reliability for this pivotal role in vehicle design.

WAS Vehicles (UK) supplies vehicles to six of the UK’s 11 trusts, and has been closely involved in this project, as Richard Skingley, sales and marketing manager for WAS, explained, “This initiative is an important step forward in ambulance design, reflecting the very latest technologies available. As one of Europe’s leading ambulance suppliers, we pride ourselves on offering cutting edge solutions, using equipment and components from leading manufacturers to guarantee the quality of our vehi-

genisys system, already the preferred choice for the majority of trusts, is perfectly suited to this application.

“The national specification requires that control systems have a high level of functionality – including one-touch systems, self-diagnostic protocols and voice alerts – and genisys fulfils all these needs, as well as providing flexibility to make changes without the cost and inconvenience of taking vehicles off the road. The standardised layout ensures ambulance crews can quickly and easily access the equipment they require, with potentially life-saving results. The design of genisys saves considerable time for installation of auxiliary electronics, and its highly adaptable nature will make it easy to fine-tune the specification as needs change.”

uncertainty and the organisation will be changing, but it will also be an exciting time,” said CFO Ramscar. “It is my belief that our values are more important now than ever before as difficult choices have to be made and hard decisions taken.

“Together we will continue to work together to deliver a first class fire and rescue service for Lincolnshire, and to flourish as an even stronger and better performing organisation.”

Gwent Police has chosen Carmel Napier as Chief Constable. Carmel, who is currently Deputy Chief Constable, takes over from Mick Giannasi, who is retiring at the end March.

“We are extremely pleased to have been able to appoint someone with such extensive experience across different areas of policing. This experience will prove invaluable as we continue to look for ways to further improve out service to the public of Gwent,” said Cilla Davies, Chair of Gwent Police Authority.

“There is little doubt that the future path is going to be a difficult one to navigate. The current financial challenges faced by the force will require resolve, vision and a lot of hard work.

The authority will fully support the new Chief Constable as we tackle these issues together.”

microsites.lincolnshire.gov.uk/LFR

www.gwent.police.uk

www.carnationdesigns.co.uk

New Chief for Lincolnshire FRS Following the retirement of Chief Fire Officer Mike Thomas from Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service, Dave Ramscar, who was formerly Assistant Chief Fire Officer, has taken over the reins. He has said his priorities for the service include ensuring that its on-call system is modern, staff receive the correct training and continuing the partnership with the Local Resilience Forum to develop flood risk preparedness.

“Without doubt we are in a time of

Chief Constable Carmel Napier and Gwent Police Authority Chair Cilla Davies

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Mazda available on police framework Mazda cars will now be available to blue light services for the first time as the manufacturer has been chosen as an official supplier of police vehicles in the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) framework. Mazda secured a four-year deal in the ‘standard vehicles’ category.

Jason Jenkins, Mazda’s Regional Corporate Sales Manager, said, “Police fleet managers have opted for our vehicles due to their reliability, responsive engines and agility. We anticipate that sales to police forces will increase significantly.”

Mazda believes its Mazda3 MPS 2.3l will be most popular with forces due to its 260ps and 380Nm of torque and 155mph top speed. Peter Allibon, Mazda’s Fleet and Remarketing Direc-

New City of London Commissioner begins work

Adrian Leppard has taken over the reins as Commissioner of City of London Police, which he described as the greatest honour of his career. Commissioner Leppard joins from Kent Police, where he had been Deputy Chief Constable since 2007.

He will be responsible for all policing matters in the Square Mile, which concentrate on three main priorities: economic crime, counter terrorism and local policing. He has extensive experience in a wide variety of policing, spending the majority of his career as a detective investigating a broad range of crimes, gaining specialist experience in hostage negotiation, intelligence and covert operations.

Commissioner Leppard said he was ‘honoured’ to be offered the prestigious appointment. “I am confident the City of London Police will respond to the challenging times ahead. Working with the City Corporation and our partners we will continue to make the City a safe place to work, live and visit.” www.cityoflondon.police.uk

tor, added, “Our vehicle range and driving dynamics and performance of our cars suit a wide cross section of requirements, which make them a good fit for police work. The cars will be used for a range of activities includ-

ing motorway patrols, pursuit and urban driving. The Mazda3 MPS, particularly, will ensure that police keep on the tail of many criminals.” www.mazda.co.uk/MazdaFleet

Northern Ireland welcomes new Chief Fire Officer Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service has appointed Peter Craig as Chief Fire Officer. CFO Craig has been filling the role in an acting capacity since July 2010. He is a strong advocate of community safety and prevention and during his time at the Service has ensured Northern Ireland has one of the highest smoke alarm ownerships in the UK. Dr Joe McKee, newly appointed Chairman of the NIFRS Board, said, “Peter’s credentials and proven track record speak clearly for themselves.

As one of the longest serving members of the fire and rescue service, he also brings an unrivalled wealth of knowledge and experience to this important job – leading what is a very highly regarded and essential public service.”

CFO Craig commented, “Undoubt-

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service has appointed Paul Bates as the new Deputy Chief Fire Officer following the retirement of Phil Coleman. Paul is currently Assistant Chief Fire Officer and Director of Risk. Councillor Eurfyl Evans, Chairman of Mid and West Wales Fire Authority is very pleased with the appointment. He said, “Paul Bates has demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities while working with the fire authority and I have no doubt that he will continue to provide excellent advice and guidance to members as Deputy Chief Fire Officer.” www.mawwfire.gov.uk

APD Communications is helping over a quarter of a million Hampshire residents as Hampshire Constabulary updates its communications in two of its sites. APD has deployed CT Connect CTI Software which enables the force to update old telephony technology.

The CT Connect solution allows control room operators to share calls between the two sites, Winchester and Nutley, and can support each other when call volumes are high, maintaining a high level of service whatever the emergency. www.apdcomms.com www.hampshire.police.uk

edly there are many challenges ahead but I am confident that we will face them head on together to ensure the people of Northern Ireland remain safe and proud of their fire and rescue service.” www.nifrs.org

Expenses management system set to save NHS millions Twenty-five NHS Trusts in the West Midlands and Hertfordshire have selected a new expenses management system from Software Europe.

The solution, Expenses(NHS), aims to make dealing with expenses simpler, as well as delivering significant cost savings.

Following a rigorous evaluation process, Expenses(NHS) was chosen beating rival bids from eight other companies. Managing Director of Software Europe, Neil Everatt, said, “Expenses(NHS) has the potential to save the NHS over £86m, and in

In brief . . .

today’s economic climate the savings available through automating the expenses claim process are significant.”

The solution is one of the leading solutions on the market for electronic expenses management. NHS trusts already using the product are reporting savings of over 30 percent on their expenses budgets, due to improved policy compliance, accurate mileage reimbursement and more efficient claim entry and reimbursement process. www.nhsexpenses.co.uk

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As London’s Air Ambulance nears its 25,000th mission, the organisation is celebrating its two new appointments of Business Development Manager and Public Relations Manager, as well as securing a financial deal with Santander for the next seven years, enabling the charity to keep London’s residents safe and continue to improve the service it provides. Siobhra Murphy has been appointed Public Relations Manager, and Diane Richens is the new Business Development Manager. www.londonsairambulance.com

West Yorkshire Police has upgraded its IT support system to Hornbill’s Supportworks ITSM Enterprise. It is used by 123 IT staff who provide support to over 10,000 police officers and follows a restructure of the force’s IT department and the requirement for the staff to provide IT support 24/7.

Part of the upgrade involves a SelfService facility for all staff to log and check the progress of their calls, freeing up service desk staff to provide a more efficient service. www.westyorkshire.police.uk www.hornbill.com

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DELIVERING MORE FOR LESS | 63

Police collaboration reaps rewards In the four years since Kent Police and Essex Police began collaborating, they have accomplished significant achievements, and last year (2010) the two police authorities were recognised for their collaboration work by the Association of Police Authorities (APA) and presented with a Value for Money award. A total of about £11m – £6.6m in Kent and £4.7m in Essex – has so far been identified in annual savings, and permanent budget savings of £4m have already been delivered – £2.2m in Kent and £1.8m in Essex. In addition, the two forces have changed the way they operate by releasing people or resources to carry out different jobs, resulting in joint ‘cost avoidance’ of £1.8m.

The Kent/Essex Collaboration Programme ensure they continue to protect both counties began in 2007 and the decision was made to from harm and deliver the best possible police pursue ‘full collaboration on operational service. The original mandate has been functions and support services, whilst extended to include work on core aspects of maintaining operational independence’. front-line policing, as well as support (back The first collaborative project – Operation office) functions and Protective Services.

ForeFront – commenced that October and Essex Police Authority Chairman Robert included the sharing of air support and marine Chambers is delighted with the progress being services and the joint deployment of specialist made with collaboration between Essex and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) Kent. “This is just the beginning of an exciting teams. project between two like-minded police forces Now the two forces are creating one of the and authorities. We are proving by our actions largest joint serious and organised crime units that large savings can be made but, more The agreement drawn up between Essex and Kent, detailing arrangements for Essex Police in the UK – the Kent and Essex Serious importantly, our service to the public is being Crime Directorate (SCD). Launched last year, to provide air support services to Kent Police, is reviewed in the spring of each year. improved,” he said. the SCD is one of the largest divisions in UK and Liability Insurance Contract for the South Kent Police Authority Chair Ann Barnes said, policing dedicated to tackling serious and organised Eastern and Eastern Region Police Insurance “We won’t be complacent – there is still so much criminality across both counties, including the Consortium (SEERPIC), saving an average of 44 more Kent and Essex can achieve together. This is investigation of murders and serious sexual assaults percent on the contract – previously worth in the very much a joint endeavour – successful and the targeting of organised criminal groups, region of £15m – for the 10 police forces involved. collaboration requires really effective, joint working drug dealers and burglars. With more than 1100 Other Procurement Services successes include between police authorities and forces.” police officers and staff, it is due to be fully up and negotiating new contracts for scenes of crime running by spring 2012 and will house police consumables – including swab collecting, evidence officers and staff at North Kent police station and and fingerprint-dusting kits and body bags – police at other sites around Kent and Essex. uniform and detainee meals.

“A pioneering joint Procurement Services department was established in 2009 to streamline procurement functions and increase buying power.”

The Kestral Programme (Kent and Essex Strategic Alliance) is establishing the first converged IT Directorate serving two forces in England and Wales. It is anticipated the directorate will help to deliver significant savings to both forces. Current IT projects include the development of a comprehensive IT infrastructure to support the SCD, enabling its police officers and staff from both counties to work cooperatively and more efficiently.

Joint Procurement Services Department A pioneering joint Procurement Services department was established in 2009 to streamline procurement functions and increase buying power.

Achievements include the securing of a new Motor

Significant benefits The main aim of collaboration is for both counties to benefit from an improved policing service through more effective and efficient use of resources – including police officers and staff, buildings and vehicles – and to achieve better value for money.

Other significant benefits from collaborative working include the establishment of 12 Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) between Kent Police and Essex Police – covering such areas as specialist search, firearms intervention teams and specialist vehicles – and reviews to identify areas where business can be delivered more efficiently.

Reviews have so far included procurement, travel and fuel, custody provision, IT strategy and structure, transport, uniform and digital forensics – the latter enabled Kent Police to adopt the same process used by Essex when it comes to mobile phone analysis – examining handsets ‘in-house’ rather than send them to the Forensic Science Service. In Essex, the driver trainers have condensed driving courses – with no detriment to safety – freeing them up to tutor more courses and allowing their students to return to front-line policing more quickly.

Part of the solution Both forces and authorities believe that ‘collaboration is part of the solution for the future’ and have pledged to explore more opportunities to

An enhanced partnership between Essex Police, Kent Police and the Port of London Authority (PLA) means the continuation of a coordinated approach to patrolling and intelligence gathering on The Thames.

Key lessons A number of key lessons have been learned from the Kent and Essex collaboration: • It’s very important to compose a mission statement – it keeps everyone aware of what needs to be achieved • The policing priorities of each force involved must be considered from the outset – they may be different • There is a need to know who is responsible for the budget being reviewed and exactly how it is spent – this can differ between forces • Do not under-estimate the time it will take to identify and realise savings, particularly when devolved (divisional and departmental) budgets are being brought back under central (force) control • It is vital to manage diverse personalities successfully • Top-level police authority support is essential, as is keeping all authority members fully involved. www.essex.police.uk

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The many benefits of bicycles An increasing number emergency services are seeing the economic and environmental benefits of bicycles. And 95 percent of police forces nationwide are buying them at Halfords.

With over 10 years’ experience of tailoring bespoke packages to suit budget and needs of individual forces, Halfords is the number one choice for cycle and cycle accessory procurement. Now that the company has been awarded the framework contract for the supply of South Yorkshire Police pedal cycles, any other police service looking to get on their bike with minimal amount of resource can be assured Halfords offers the perfect solution.

Complete confidence With absolute focus and commitment to scheme compliance, and a client led approach to providing a fully managed service, any fleet taking advantage of Halfords’ market-leading service can have complete confidence that it is fully supported and managed on their behalf. Most UK police forces now include cycle squads and, in addition to standard patrol work, officers are successfully targeting shoplifting, street crime and even drug trafficking.

“Fighting crime means being mobile, and perhaps surprisingly it is bikes not cars that are proving an increasingly effective weapon,” said Clair Allen, who heads up the Halfords 999 bikes initiative. “In many instances bikes are the most efficient, cost-effective and environmentally friendly way of getting officers to the scene.”

However, crime isn’t the only emergency being tackled from a saddle. Firefighters in several London boroughs, West Midlands, Devon and Somerset and Greater Manchester are now cycling.

West Midlands Fire Service turned to Halfords

£1m saving using GIS

when they formed a Community Cycle Team to tackle persistent arson attacks in hot spots across the region. Within just three months the number of incidents in the trial areas dropped by more than 85 percent, saving £195,000.

Halfords offers fleets the UK’s widest choice of cycles and accessories, including exclusive access to the fastest growing premium brand, Boardman bikes. All are available in bespoke 999 designs.

Fleets can also choose from a range of bike maintenance plans with savings of up to 65 percent for the emergency services. www.halfordsb2b.co.uk

Reducing bulk mailing costs

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Savings in energy spend realised Installing voltage management technology is saving the Environment Agency more than £30,000 a year in energy spend, according to newly released data.

Following trials of electricity ‘supply’ management solutions the Government agency has begun to roll out powerPerfector’s Voltage Power Optimisation (VPO)® across its portfolio of 35 sites. VPO technology gives energy, cost and carbon savings by efficiently optimising a site’s supply voltage. By optimising the voltage, electrical equipment runs more efficiently and consumes less energy.

The savings are based on just the first six installations. Once the rollout is completed it is anticipated that the agency will reduce its annual energy spend by around £75,000 and cut its carbon footprint by over 500,000kg.

Angus Robertson, CEO of powerPerfector, said, “The Environment Agency is synonymous with environmental protection and as managers of the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme, the spotlight is on them to implement energy efficiency best practice.

“Picking the right supplier is vital. Installations on a building’s incoming power supply hold far more risk than demand side installations like low energy lights or variable speed drives. If the supply goes down tens of thousands of pounds can be lost and the health and safety risks escalate dramatically. Our 100 percent reliability record is reassuring for our clients.”

Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service has also installed powerPerfector. Jon Roberts, Special Projects Officer, Area Commander, said, “We have an environmental strategy in place and we are working on a policy to implement the strategy. The policy will contain stretch targets for energy reductions leading to an overall reduction in our carbon footprint. The powerPerfector has already contributed towards a significant reduction in our carbon footprint and will continue to do so into the future.” www.powerperfector.com

Joint ICT services

Using geographic information system technology (GIS), ESRI UK is helping forces to do more for less. ESRI UK has worked with South Yorkshire Police (SYP) to develop an Intranet Mapping System (IMS), making a growing range of information and analysis about communities, crime and anti-social behaviour instantly available to police officers. This intelligence is playing a vital role in informing police strategies and helping to detect and prevent crime.

Using the IMS, police officers can now access upto-date intelligence in a matter of minutes, without contacting the specialist GIS team. The depth and accessibility of this intelligence has led to cost savings of over £1m a year while increasing effectiveness of community policing.

It used to take a GIS expert up to four hours to pull together data on specific areas in response to information requests. Now data can be accessed on the intranet in less than two minutes, allowing them to focus on other work.

It’s not just emergency service organisations feeling the pinch – Yorkshire-based association Chevin Housing Group has reduced its bulk mailing spend by 55 percent using imail, UK Mail’s delivery solution. The automated mail system, which deftly incorporates the ease of electronic communication with the impact of physical mail, allows Chevin employees to create and post mailings direct from their computers for nationwide next day delivery, without even having to leave their chairs.

As well as optimising in-house resources, enhancing mail quality and cutting carbon emissions, the significant cost savings are also supporting the organisation’s challenge to reduce overheads as part of the wider public sector efficiency programme.

Steve Close, Group Chief Executive of Chevin Housing Group, said, “The importance of imail in modernising our mail system and driving cost savings across our operation has been so key we are now looking to roll it out to all our regional admin housing teams across Yorkshire and Humberside by the end of March.”

The police authorities for Thames Valley and Hampshire have signed a legal agreement to create a single department for delivering information, communication and technology (ICT) services.

Police staff working in both forces will work together in one single department managed by Thames Valley Police as the host force.

Building on successful collaboration projects within the south east region, the information communication technology collaboration between Hampshire and Thames Valley provides real opportunities to enhance and improve the services delivered to the public.

Amanda Cooper, Director of Information Science and Technology at Thames Valley Police, said, “We have built on the success of the first joint ICT project between the two forces – the IT Service Desk, which went live in May 2009. Joining together our ICT support department and our ICT infrastructure will provide the forces financial savings and a foundation upon which to build further collaboration.”

www.esriuk.com

www.imail.co.uk

www.hampshire.police.uk

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Multi-purpose vehicle offers operational flexibility

Pickup Systems, the specialist converters of pick up trucks and light commercial vehicles, has launched its all new Multi Purpose Utility Vehicle (MPUV), which was showcased at The Emergency Services Show in Warwickshire, and represents a new wave of front line small fire units (SFUs).

The reason for the development of this type of body is a more strategic approach to fire fighting.

Whereas before there has been a tendency for fire and rescue services to provide a ‘one vehicle fits all’ approach to scenarios, intelligence gathering and

research is beginning to show that there is a need for smaller vehicles to play a role in the large amount of nuisance fires that five-men crews have to deal with.

Daryl Oprey, Chief Operations Officer at Humberside Fire and Rescue Service, said, “Initially we went to Pickup Systems interested in just small fire units, but since the trial we’ve provided feedback to John [McGauley, Director at Pickup Systems], who has taken those comments on board and is now in the process of finalising a new multi-purpose body.

“For example, many of these smaller nuisance fires peak during a particular time of the year – if we could detach the fire fighting pump out of the unit, it would then be a multi-purpose unit we could kit up with other equipment. Therefore in the winter months, when our risk is more centred on water rescue, we could replace the pump and pack the unit with relevant kit, like dry suits. With its four wheel drive off-road capability, we’d be able to mobilise it as a different support vehicle.”

The MPUV is aimed at answering the multiple needs of brigades by allowing the vehicle to be transformed into a small fire unit or alternatively a support vehicle. The main difference is that the

Saving lives and money with mobile GIS Northern Ireland based IT company Mallon Technology has recently launched Diamond Fire Engine, an innovative addition to its popular suite of public service software.

It is a commonly known fact that at the scene of an emergency, life and death decisions need to be made fast, but vital information on hazards and risks can be inaccessible and patchy. Diamond Fire Engine consists of software installed on a mobile ruggedised PC in the appliance cabin making upto-date information available to firefighters en route to and at the scene of an emergency.

Mallon Technology, formed in 1995, has grown to become one of the leading private suppliers of software to manage workflow and compliance for local government in Ireland. Software development is only one of the company’s three main business units with departments specialising in the provision of GIS data capture and digital archiving services and the provision of consultancy and services in support of EU farm payments.

The company’s software team leader, Frank Hagenson, says, “Our product and services portfolio has always been driven by customer needs with our

priorities firmly fixed on tailoring solutions that meet our customers’ functional and budgetary requirements. The idea for Diamond Fire Engine was conceived after listening to customers of our market-leading Diamond Fire product. It became clear that the information was available to them, but back in the office, rather than at the front line where it would be most useful. Diamond Fire Engine brings this information into the cab of the appliance and into the hands of those who really need it.”

The system utilises the latest in mobile technology to track the appliance position and plot the best route using GPS and to retrieve information associated to the location such as risk cards, floor plans, vehicle recovery databases, chemical hazard databases, photographs and hydrant locations on the move. This information can then be printed at the touch of a button on an in-cab printer or the PC can be removed from the cab and used on the ground.

The built-in mapping and GIS capabilities provide easy to use decision support tools at the scene of an incident.

pumper is carried on a sled, which can be easily removed and replaced by other types of emergency equipment, making it more suited for a range of scenarios. www.pickup-systems.com

Ambulance service wins ‘green’ award

Alexis Keech, Environmental and Sustainability Manager for Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, at the awards ceremony in London.

Balancing act The modern fire and rescue service is faced with the balancing act of delivering the highest standards of safety to the public and its own staff while working under constant budget pressure. Working with Mallon Technology, fire and rescue services in Ireland have implemented a mobile GIS system to provide front line officers with the latest information on risks at the scene of an incident, and the tools to make informed decisions on the best course of action. By utilising databases and tools already in use by the fire and rescue service and other organisations, Mallon Technology has delivered this system at a relatively low cost.

Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust has won runner-up in the Best Public Sector Fleet (large) category of the Energy Saving Trust Fleet Hero Awards in recognition of its dedication and commitment to carbon reduction.

The award acknowledges the organisation’s efforts to address climate change by reducing carbon emissions from business travel. In particular, the service demonstrated good environmental fleet management, promotion of low-carbon driving and investment in a more fuel-efficient and ecological fleet.

Alexis Keech, the trust’s Environmental and Sustainability Manager, said, “So far, in a bid to help reduce fuel consumption and, in turn, reduce the carbon footprint of the trust, we have taught our staff eco-driving techniques and are looking at purchasing frontline vehicles which are more economical and efficient. However, we will continue to look for ways of reducing public spending on fuel and of becoming a greener, more efficient organisation.”

www.mallontechnology.com

www.yas.nhs.uk

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Surrey Police aims to save money through staff restructure Surrey Police has selected a new workforce decision and support solution and restructured its staff in order to make savings. The force’s HR planning team needed to conceptualise a smaller command structure to simplify the organisation and reduce costs.

HumanConcepts, a leading provider of workforce decision support solutions, has deployed OrgPlus Enterprise as Surrey Police’s organisational charting solution. Since implementation, OrgPlus Enterprise has had significant impact by improving data accuracy and providing visibility into the force’s hierarchy so they could successfully plan and model future organisational options.

Policing Minister Nick Herbert MP recently praised the force on the way it has changed its staff structure, through innovative measures put in place 18 months ago.

In the Police Grant report for 2011/2012 in the House of Commons recently, Mr Herbert used Surrey Police as an example of a force that has changed its structure to enable additional constables to be recruited. Mr Herbert said Surrey Police ‘shows that with innovation, it is possible to think afresh about how services are delivered to the public’.

In the last 18 months Surrey Police has already made sufficient savings to enable 96 extra constables to be employed this year so far, in addition to the planned quota of recruits. This will rise to 200 extra constables by the end of this year – making Surrey Police the only police force in the country to still be recruiting constables in the current financial climate.

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Marathon answers the call for improved emergency response With the budgetary cuts initiated by the Coalition Government beginning to affect the budgets of the emergency services, they are now looking for more cost effective methods of responding to calls, without compromising the level of service they provide.

Demand for the emergency services continues to grow by up to 300,000 calls a year. Analysis of ambulance services illustrates that the ageing population of the UK and confusion over emergency care options are prompting more 999 calls.

Despite the population growing by less than 0.5 percent, annual growth in emergency calls across England was 6.5 percent.

Advanced features The LXE Marathon field computer ‘combines all of the mission-critical features and connectivity mobile workers need to perform successfully while operating outdoors’. It offers ‘anywhere’ connectivity, extreme ruggedness and superior performance. Its IP rating of 65 allows for 1.2m drops to concrete, and its weight of less than 1kg, coupled with its small size, make it ideal for use within the emergency services. Police, fire and other emergency teams can be directed to an incident quickly and accurately via the mobile-assisted GPS built into a vehicle docked field computer. Once ‘at the scene, the Marathon™ is undocked to issue temporary credentials with a USB-attached mobile printer, which [can be] later scanned using the Marathon’s bolt-on 2D imager.’

(LXE) The police are also able to utilise the Marathon’s advanced features – including a biometric mouse –

to take fingerprints at the scene, which can then be cross checked with existing prints in the database of criminal and missing person records using the unit’s Gobi WWAN. The LXE Marathon also comes complete with a 2MP camera, which can be effectively utilised for numerous eventualities. As LXE so eloquently explains, ‘the Marathon serves those who serve others’.

The Marathon is available from Renovotec, LXE’s preferred partner in Europe. Renovotec is a leading provider of mobile computing and automatic data capture solutions. It delivers innovative, business transforming solutions that improve productivity, accuracy and profitability. The company also has many years’ experience of implementing highly successful projects across a wide range of industry sectors. www.renovotec.com www.onlylxe.com

www.surrey.police.uk

Capita cuts costs Capita Secure Information Systems will be one of just three companies helping police services across the UK to speed up the interview recording process and free up police time, which can then be used on the frontline protecting communities.

The Digital Interviewing Framework Arrangement allows forces across the UK to buy networked digital technology at a reduced cost from Capita Secure Information Systems. Digital technology, rather than audiocassettes, will then record and store police interviews onto a secure digital network. This will reduce both the time taken to share the interviews with all parties in an investigation and the cost of producing and storing them.

Paul Jobbins, Director of Criminal Justice at Capita Secure Information Systems, said, “This initiative will not only reduce costs, at a time when public sector finances are under so much scrutiny, but will also make the whole interviewing process faster and more efficient.” www.capita.co.uk

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Public pleased High quality, longer warranties with outsourced call handling

Willcox & King Engineering Ltd (WKE), the West Sussex-based vehicle converter has recently delivered its first marked general purpose (GP) vehicle based on the Hyundai I30 to Sussex Police.

Along with all of the usual equipment expected on a GP vehicle, the conversion includes an MDT system, with a dashboard-mounted 8in screen, and a fully crash-tested load guard.

WKE is a new organisation, formed in 2010 by Julian Willcox and Garry King who between them have over 40 years’ experience in police and military vehicle conversion. They set up WKE after leaving Ricardo Vehicle Engineering where they were part of the team responsible for that organisation’s emergency services work.

Commitment to quality By focusing on quality and craftsmanship, WKE feels that its flexibility and experience will enable the company to respond quickly and cost effectively to its customers’ requirements. The Hyundai conversion is a good example of this.

Steria has announced that its first 30 days of providing services to the Cleveland Police Authority has resulted in a 98.8% satisfaction rating for its call handling, as reported by members of the public.

In June 2010, Steria and the Cleveland Police Authority announced a partnership which sought to deliver €60m (£50m) in cashable savings through the delivery of shared business services. Steria began providing these services on 1 October 2010, including the launch of a new callback system, which asks members of the public about the quality of service they received and provides feedback on performance. Of the possible 5202 questions relating to either speed of call answer or handling of calls, 98.8% responded either ‘satisfied’, ‘very satisfied’, or ‘highly satisfied’ with the service they received.

Delivering on its promise of Putting People First, the partnership is well on its way to improving call handling and enabling officers to devote more time to frontline policing and community engagement, through reduced administrative paperwork.

Sharing employee talent

Ian Watson, Assistant Chief Officer for Human Resources.

A stellar cast of efficiency and reform policy makers, advisers, objectors and service providers, as well as 2000 public sector leaders and managers, will converge at London’s Business Design Centre on 16 March 2011, to kick-off a day of discussions and debates that will examine the Government’s efficiency and reform agenda six months on from the Comprehensive Spending Review and one week before the 2011 budgets are announced.

All of this will take place at Public Sector Efficiency Expo, the UK’s only free-to-attend, oneday conference and exhibition, dedicated to helping the government and wider public sector deliver better public services, more efficiently and effectively, post CSR.

Humberside and South Yorkshire Police are to share an Assistant Chief Officer for Human Resources in a move designed to be a value for money solution that builds stronger regional collaboration.

The proposal for Humberside’s current Assistant Chief Officer for Human Resources Ian Watson to share his time equally with South Yorkshire was agreed at a recent meeting of South Yorkshire Police Authority members.

The link-up of resources and expertise supports the aim of both forces for greater regional working and providing value for money solutions at a time when police forces across the country are facing unprecedented funding cuts.

The policy of pooling employee talent across organisations is one that has already been implemented by other local authorities. In September 2010, Knowsley and Liverpool Councils revealed they had agreed to a temporary move to ‘share’ Knowsley’s Executive Director of Regeneration, Economy and Skills, Nick Kavanagh; and Northumberland and Cumbria fire and rescue services are looking at sharing senior officers.

www.publicsector-efficiency-expo.co.uk

www.southyorks.police.uk

www.steria.co.uk

Efficiency Expo

Managing the stress of redundancy management

In a timescale of six weeks the team was able to procure and install all of the equipment and, with the aid of one of the country’s top composite engineering firms, manufacture an integral MDT screen pod.

The techniques developed on the Hyundai MDT pod lend themselves to the relatively low production volumes of the emergency services market, and eliminate the need for expensive tooling.

WKE’s commitment to quality enables the team to offer a two-year warranty on all of its own workmanship and equipment. www.wakeltd.co.uk

According to figures from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), few emergency services will be unaffected by job cuts and redundancies are a reality for many. Yet the managers who will be responsible for the day-today delivery of the redundancy programmes often have little experience or technical training in how to manage them.

Calibre HR & Training’s twin public sector redundancy workshop package is designed to equip managers to implement job cuts legally and with maximum support for leavers and survivors. It is also tailored to help reduce managers’ stress and anxiety about being at the forefront of change and equip them to pick up the pieces afterwards.

Calibre HR & Training Director Steve Walker explains, “With stress and sickness absence already a problem in the public sector, things could get

Steve Walker, Calibre HR & Training Director.

even worse if managers are not given the help and support they need to do the job properly. And then of course there is the legal fallout if managers fail to get every aspect of the programme correct to the letter of the law.” www.calibrehr.com

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Head to toe PPE protection Rig Equipment Ltd has made great strides since its humble beginnings in 1994. The company’s original focus was to supply to police officers operating within specialist units who were constantly struggling to source clothing and equipment that was both comfortable and fit for purpose. In August 2010 the company expanded its team of experienced, skilled designers and its equally skilled production team, who are now based in a new 4500sqft manufacturing and design centre facility in Halesowen, West Midlands.

The company is still dedicated to its original vision; to create innovative solutions to problems faced by emergency service personnel, designed and made in the UK. It is important to the team at Rig Equipment Ltd to work closely with its customers right from the initial consultation and carefully utilise their feedback.

Rig Equipment Ltd is currently working closely with several UK air ambulance units. The medical staff employed with these units have historically been kitted out with unsuitable pilot’s flight suits, regardless of their role. Rig’s aim was to offer headto-toe protection that was fit for each skill within these units, from paramedics to pilots and from hoods to socks. Every product displays innovative design features to protect against contamination from infected blood, while allowing the wearer to work effectively and comfortably. The range of flight suits is constantly evolving through trials and close discussions with customers.

The same level of service is offered to other specialist medical teams such as HART, ensuring that their comfort and safety are paramount in the hazardous and unique situations that they face.

Police units Police officers within Tactical Firearms and other specialist MOE units require a high level of protection from both flame and sharp objects such as broken glass. In the past, providing a combination of protection from these hazards has often proved difficult and the result was cumbersome, uncomfortable and often too hot to wear. By using the latest technical advancements in fabrics, Rig Equipment Ltd has been able to produce garments to incorporate cut protection into the most vulnerable areas, yet minimise bulk and provide maximum protection in one easy-to-don

garment. Worn in conjunction with the company’s cut-resistant Xcalibur range of undergarments, manufactured using a revolutionary self-cooling fabric, the wearer need not suffer to be safe.

Police Air Support Units are offered various flight suit designs in combinations of one and two-piece flight suits. These are available for observers and pilots alike and combine the anti-static and flame retardant protection required inside a helicopter.

Rig Equipment Ltd also offers a bespoke range of flight jackets, which combine protection from flame as well as protection against the elements.

The company has recently been approached by the fire and rescue service (FRS) to design and supply a bespoke solution to specialist units such as extrication teams and rope access teams. The new Rig Rhinoguard range of gloves offers full palm and finger protection from cuts and puncture while remaining dextrous and easy to wear; ideal for the specialist role of these FRS teams.

Rig Equipment Ltd can offer solutions to a host of problems faced across the emergency services with no minimum orders or excessive lead times. www.rigequipment.co.uk

INTRAMARK LTD

is the leading Emergency Services Supplier in the UK of rank structure in metal, textiles, cap badges, hand embroidered insignia, caps, buttons and clothing such as polo shirts, Tee Shirts, Sweat Shirts and Fleeces all with machine embroidered logos.

56 Windsor Street, Burbage, Leicestershire LE10 2EF

Tel: 01455 612400 Fax: 01455 612483 Email: enquiries@intramarkuk.com Website: intramarkuk.com

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Portable gas detector

standard in providing event medical cover. We were delighted to have met all their demands in terms of practicality, sophistication and rugged reliability. A fitting addition to the Medicare service, the impressive unit has already proved itself in a variety of ways.”

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Microdrone UAVs

Rugged smartphone

www.marcotrailers.co.uk

Rescue tool carrying handles

A new gas detector from BW Technologies by Honeywell offers low cost, portable gas detection at the touch of a button. The slim and compact GasAlertMicroClip XT can be used for many applications thanks to its improved functionality. Features include IntelliFlash™, which provides a clear visual indication of current operation, ‘force bump test’ and ‘force calibration’ functionality which helps ensure that the detector is always fully maintained and ready for use. The simple interface and tamper-proof single button operation means that it involves minimal training time. www.gasmonitors.com

Medicare trailer

The latest mobile treatment and control centre produced by Marco Trailers for Medicare EMS is already helping to raise the level of emergency medical cover at major events. Built to strict Medicare specification, the new 50m trailer incorporates several innovative features to facilitate onthe-spot attention for a range of medical emergencies and other needs.

Fitted with the latest electronic technology, it also doubles as a sophisticated control centre. Stuart Marsom, Sales Director of Newhaven-based Marco, said, “Medicare EMS sets the

Holmatro has released a new generation of its popular rescue tool carrying handles with integrated LED lighting. It allows workers to start a rescue operation before the scene lighting has been installed. The new handles have many improvements, including: double light capacity, higher light intensity, longer lasting lights, more robust design and less risk of damage. Holmatro’s 4000-series cutters, spreaders and combi tools all come equipped with the handle as standard, or it can be purchased as a single unit. www.holmatro.com/rescue

LED with traffic wand

Following the company’s acquisition of Scandicraft, a company that develops microdrones for surveillance and security purposes, AnsuR has released the BirdEye microdrone, which combines Scandicraft’s development work and AnsuR’s real-time remote monitoring technology. The small UAVs can be used to monitor a wide variety of situations where police or security personnel may need to attend. AnsuR’s ASIGN technology enables real-time, high definition images and video meaning it can do the work of a manned aircraft but with a much lower cost. A modem is attached to the UAV and transmits images from the UAV’s camera using the CDMA 450MHz frequency. An Android phone can also be used when there is no terrestrial network available. www.ansur.no

The Nautiz X3 from Ndura combines rugged design with smartphone capabilities. Running Windows Mobile 6.5 and an 806MHz XScale processor it can run all your favourite applications quickly. It can upload and send documents and photos easily and can sync up with the office and other colleagues while working on the field. It also has GPS capabilities for navigation. Its rugged build means it is impervious to dust, resistant to water and can survive being dropped. It is compact and lightweight, weighing just 260g, so it can be easily tucked in a pocket. www.blazepoint.co.uk

Thermal imaging binoculars

Wireless outdoor bridge

Ideal for the emergency services and aviation sector, the new 2490 Recoil LED is a unique product in the Peli range as it combines the popular 2490 LED torch with a secure, tough traffic wand. The opaque wand screws onto the torch body to create a water resistant seal. The torch utilises Recoil LED technology, which shines a next generation LED onto a parabolic mirror, emitting a clean and brilliant collimated beam. Included is a selection of coloured disks, which can be used for many different applications.

The new BHS-Series from FLIR systems allows law enforcement officers and security personnel to see in total darkness without being seen themselves. The BHS-Series was developed on the back of the HS-Series of monoculars, when users requested binoculars for comfort and ease of use.

Options in the series include: the BHSX equipped with an uncooled vanadium oxide detector offering a 320x240 resolution and a 2x digital zoom at 160x120; and the BHS-XR delivers a sharper image and the possibility of a 640x480 when using the aux video jack in the hotshoe. Different lenses are also available.

MEL Secure Systems has released a new generation of outdoor bridges designed for streaming HD video and data in a wide range of security and IT applications. Using the latest MiMo technology with transmission rates of up to 300Mbps, it allows use of the new generation HD IP cameras. The bridge uses the latest IEEE 802.11n 5GHz technology to give a range of up to 10km. The high transmission rate means operators can use more cameras and use bandwidth-hungry applications such as VoIP and video conferences to run simultaneously.

www.peliproducts.co.uk

www.flir.com

www.melsecuritysystems.com

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The benefits of Foundation Trust status Foundation trusts embody the values of the NHS – they provide free care to NHS patients based on need. But they are membership organisations run on mutual lines, drawing on staff, patients and local people to reflect local priorities and act in a responsive and open way. They are free from central government control and strategic health authority performance management; and are currently regulated by an independent regulator, Monitor (although this is expected to change soon); with the Care Quality Commission acting as a quality inspectorate.

Foundation trusts (FTs) were established in 2003 as public benefit corporations. They are accountable to their local communities through a system of local ownership through members and governors elected by the public and staff. They are free from direct Department of Health control and have greater flexibility to respond to local needs.

FTs must be financially viable, but do not have to break even each year.

They can borrow money within limits set by the regulator, retain surpluses to reinvest in the health services, and decide on local service development.

There are currently 132 authorised NHS foundation trusts and all NHS trusts are working towards becoming FTs by 2014. Becoming an FT is a mark that an organisation is providing a quality service to patients and has a robust financial basis. The application process starts with the strategic health authority, then the Department of Health and Monitor, the independent FT regulator becomes involved. Details can be found on the Monitor website. So far no ambulance trusts have made it through to FT status as they started the process later than other trusts.

seven appointed governors representing stakeholders such as local government and PCTs. Under current legislation public governors must be in the majority.

Their role is going to become more importance over the next few years as they assume greater responsibilities.

They already appoint the chair, nonexecutive directors and the auditor, and approve the appointment of the chief executive. They also decide the chair and other NEDs’ remuneration.

Each group appoints the next – members elect governors; governors appoint the chair and NEDs; and the chair and NEDs appoint the executive directors.

The South Western Ambulance Service Trust elections are underway, with 17 public and five staff seats to be filled. The trust has just over 11,000 members, including 2600 staff.

Staff have been kept informed through bulletins, articles attached to payslips, visits to ambulance stations, factsheets and interactive web-chats.

Joined up services Three, North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust, South East Coast Ambulance Service and South Western Ambulance Service have passed the first hurdle and gained approval of their FT applications from the Secretary of State.

As part of the process of becoming an FT, trusts consult the public, enrol public and staff members and hold elections for a board of governors. The average number of FT governors is 32, but boards can range from 19 to 50 members.

North West Ambulance Service is currently holding a three-month consultation on its plans to become an FT. Chief Executive Darren Hurrell said, “Working in this way will give us more opportunities … to provide joined up services for patients across a wide spectrum of health and social care. Staff will also benefit from better access to training and development opportunities through longer term investment and will have a greater influence on decision making.”

South East Coast Ambulance Service announced the results of the elections for its inaugural Council of Governors in December 2010. It has 26 governors, 18 elected – 14 public and four staff.

The public members are elected by geographical

constituency, such as Surrey and Kent. There are eight appointed members including two from acute NHS trusts, and single members from a PCT; university; charity organisation or voluntary group.

“Foundation trusts are free from direct Department of Health control and have greater flexibility to respond to local needs.”

South West Ambulance Service has plans for a total of 31 governors – 22 elected, including five staff governors, representing constituencies such as A&E, admin and support and patient transport services. Members can choose to simply receive regular newsletters about the trust; have a direct say in the trust by participating in consultations and surveys; or stand for election as a governor.

North East Ambulance Trust is aiming for at least 4200 public and 1400 staff members. It is planning for 21 public governors; four staff governors, and

Foundation Trust Network The Foundation Trust Network (FTN) is a membership organisation for FTs and aspiring FTs with over 200 members. It represents FTs’ views with the Government, Department of Health, Monitor and other stakeholders. Its policy specialists produce briefings on national documents and represents FTs’ views in response to consultations. The FTN also runs specialist network meetings for chairs and chief executives, finance directors, HR specialists, clinical leads etc, which provide a forum for individuals to meet their counterparts and learn more about the FT landscape. The FTN e- newsletter is sent out fortnightly to keep members up-to-date.

A benchmarking team within FTN conducts detailed studies of specialities to highlight efficient and effective ways of working. It recently completed a study on A&E services. One startling finding was that A&E departments are likely to be costing most NHS trusts more to run than they receive in payments from the Department of Health. In the study, A&E costs exceeded income for all but three of the 17 trusts in the study. The highest cost trusts had doctor and nurse costs that were double those of the lowest cost trust. www.nhsconfed.org/networks/foundationtrust

Emergency Services Times November 2010

Author: Sue Slipman, Director of the Foundation Trust Network

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