Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service Adopts Connected Fleet for Enhanced Emergency Response

Overcoming Geographic Challenges and Ensuring Real-time Situational Awareness for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service (MAWWFRS) faces unique challenges due to its diverse and expansive coverage, spanning two-thirds of the country and approximately 4,500 square miles. With 58 stations and a responsibility for both urban and rural areas, the service employs over 1,400 personnel, catering to a population of 910,000 living in 431,000 households. The geographical and demographic complexities require cutting-edge technology to support their emergency response efforts effectively.

The Challenge

To address the daily challenges faced by MAWWFRS, there was a pressing need to significantly improve situational awareness and track personnel accurately, especially during hazardous incidents. Previous events, such as the Manchester Arena bombing and the Grenfell Tower fire, highlighted the importance of seamless communication and real-time data sharing among individual and multi-agency responders.ne key issue was the lack of a network infrastructure capable of providing instantaneous live feeds, voice, and video data in various environments. The technology needed to be flexible and extend beyond the vehicles, allowing deployment anywhere within the incident ground.

Key Challenges:

1. Real-time tracking of firefighters within buildings and proximity to hazards.

2. Mobile technology for instant creation of a digital network for information sharing at incident locations.

3. Software solution enabling seamless data collection and sharing across emergency responders and partner agencies.

The Solution: Developing a Connected Fleet

Excelerate Technology stepped up to provide a fully scalable and flexible

'connected fleet' solution to meet the specific requirements of MAWWFRS. The solution included vehicle-based 4G/WIFI connectivity with GPS tracking for various vehicles, including command support units, pumps, officer cars, water response vehicles, and more. Moreover, Excelerate supplied multiple portable WIFI bubbles (Linx Hub) with GPS tracking, unsteered SIM cards for roaming across UK networks, and dual SIM body-worn cameras for live streaming and personnel tracking.

The collaboration with technology partners, including Unblur's IRIS Core platform, further enhanced on-scene situational awareness and interoperability for first responders. Excelerate's Linx Hub, a portable WIFI bubble, complemented the incident command unit (ICU) and provided communication resources when the ICU was not present, allowing access to critical data and applications in remote locations.

Results: Advancing Emergency Response Capabilities

The implementation of the connected fleet strategy and Linx Hub resulted in significant advancements for MAWWFRS:

1. A fully connected fleet strategy comprising 53 vehicles equipped with cutting-edge technology.

2. Linx Hub providing portable WIFI connectivity, enabling data access in remote locations.

3. A scalable and flexible solution compatible with third-party situational awareness and command software.

4. Comprehensive training and service maintenance support for the complete solution.

With this innovative technology, MAWWFRS can now tackle emergencies more efficiently and effectively, ensuring enhanced safety for both firefighters and the communities they serve. The blueprint set by this connected fleet solution has become a benchmark for addressing national recommendations following major incidents, empowering fire and rescue services across the UK with the latest tools to save lives and protect their communities.

Contact

For additional information please visit the Excelerate Website or contact them Directly.

Website: https://www.excelerate-group.com/

Telephone: +44(0) 845 65 85 747