Covering the entire spectrum of the Emergency Services
June 2015
www.emergencyservicestimes.com
Volume 16 | 3
ESTCONTENTS | 1
IN EVERY ISSUE
31
COMMENT
3
NEWS
4
EVENTS
8
PEOPLE
18
PROFILES
36 | 45
COMPANY PROFILES
32 | 35
PRODUCTS
60
LAST WORDS
64
IN THIS ISSUE
16
PREVENTION 26
11
CFOA President Peter Dartford says the fire and rescue service can assist in other areas of public need, such as supporting health services. Humberside Police is using Manx Telecom’s Chameleon Direct Strongest Signal SIM to help safeguard potentially vulnerable people and buildings, and the HSL highlights ways organisations can take steps to avoid slips and trips in the workplace
47
INDUSTRIAL
16
CFB Risk Management looks at how the new Seveso III Directive will affect UK COMAH Regulations and the impact on the companies affected
VEHICLES
21
Pan-European project looks to build a ‘Smart ambulance’ to better
56
reflect the evolving role of frontline medics, the Scottish Ambulance Service installs 1200 rugged tablets in its emergency fleet, OnStar telematics is set to launch in Europe and Surrey Search & Rescue replaces its Land Rover Defender with a VW Amarok, funded by the Police and Crime Commissioner for Surrey
53
COLLABORATION
39
Kent Fire and Rescue Service is leading on a collaborative PPE framework, the current picture from the Emergency Services Collaboration Working Group, how blue light services in Norfolk are exploring collaborative opportunities to bridge funding gaps and a look at the role of the National Inter agency Liaison Officer
TRAINING
47
Paramedic degrees could become three-year courses under proposals put forward by the Health and Care Professions Council and the College of Paramedics, learn about Joint Organisation Learning – the final piece of the JESIP puzzle, new standards developed for training vets for
45
www.emergencyservicestimes.com
animal rescue and Lowland Rescue take a team from O2 on a Missing Person rescue exercise
June 2015
2 | ESTA-Z
Companies Company Name
Page No
Company Name
Page No
Company Name
Page No
Company Name
Page No
ACR Electronics Inc.....................................................................................60
Emergency Planning Society .......................................................................6
Mind.................................................................................................................5
Scottish Ambulance Service ......................................................................23
Age UK..........................................................................................................13
The Emergency Services Show 2015.........................................6, 8, 30, 39
Minerva Simulator Facilities Limited..........................................................54
Siemens ..........................................................................................................4
Airbox ..............................................................................................................4
Excelerate Technology ..................................................................................6
National Ambulance Resilience Unit ...........................................................3
Siemens Healthcare....................................................................................33
Airwave Solutions.......................................................................................5, 6
Falck Safety Services...................................................................................50
National Police Chiefs' Council ..............................................................4, 43
South East Coast Ambulance Service ......................................5, 19, 22, 47
Association of Ambulance Chief Executives ..................................4, 43, 47
The Fire Service College...............................................................................3
National Search and Rescue Dog Association.........................................36
South Wales Fire and Rescue Service ................................................18, 53
Association of Police and Crime Commissioners ....................................41
FireBlitz ...........................................................................................................6
Neill & Brown Global Logistics ...................................................................62
South Wales Police..................................................................................4, 18
Atkins ............................................................................................................64
FireWare .......................................................................................................54
Network Rail.................................................................................................26
Avon and Somerset Constabulary.......................................................18, 19
FLIR Systems Inc.........................................................................................61
Newcastle City Council..................................................................................4
Avon Fire and Rescue Service ...................................................................18
Getac UK................................................................................................23, 60
Newcastle University .....................................................................................4
Babcock International.....................................................................31, 52, 53
Gloucestershire County Council ..................................................................3
NHS England.........................................................................................11, 13
BAUS-AT ......................................................................................................32
Gloucestershire Local Resilience Forum ....................................................3
NHS Leadership Academy .........................................................................49
Bay Search & Rescue..................................................................................24
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service...................................11, 41
Norfolk Constabulary............................................................................18, 42
Bedfordshire Police...............................................................................48, 58
Health & Safety Laboratory.........................................................................14
Norfolk County Council...............................................................................42
Bristol Uniforms ...........................................................................................60
Health and Care Professions Council........................................................47
Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service ...............................................................42
Bristow Helicopters Limited .........................................................................4
Health and Safety Executive.......................................................................14
North East Ambulance Service..............................................................4, 49
South Western Ambulance Service ..............................................29, 45, 47 South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue ....................................................4, 19, 52 South Yorkshire Police...................................................................................4 Sprue Safety Products...................................................................................6 St John Ambulance........................................................................................8 Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service......................................................11 Staffordshire Police .......................................................................................4 Suffolk Constabulary.............................................................................19, 42 Surrey Fire and Rescue Service.............................................................5, 26
British Animal Rescue and Trauma Care Association..............................51
Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design...............................................................21
North West Ambulance Service.............................................................4, 49
British Equine Veterinary Association........................................................51
Hertfordshire Constabulary....................................................................5, 30
North Yorkshire Police ................................................................................18
BRP...............................................................................................................28
Hertfordshire County Council ....................................................................28
Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service ........................................5, 41
Surrey Search & Rescue.............................................................................26
Cabinet Office ......................................................................................3, 6, 48
Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service.....................................................28
Northamptonshire Police .................................................................5, 18, 41
Terrafix ..........................................................................................................23
Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service ................................................53
Highways England .........................................................................................5
Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service................................................19
Thames Valley Police...................................................................................18
Capita............................................................................................................62
Home Office.................................................................................................18
Nottinghamshire Police ..............................................................................19
The Ambulance Services Charity .................................................................4
Capita Secure Digital Solutions....................................................................4
Honeywell.....................................................................................................61
O2 (Telefonica)......................................................................................36, 56
The Fire Training Group ..............................................................................50
Carnation Designs .......................................................................................24
Humberside Police......................................................................................12
OnStar...........................................................................................................31
TomTom........................................................................................................26
Central Motorway Police Group...................................................................4
Interschutz 2015 ...................................................................................31, 50
Ortus Technology Ltd ..................................................................................29
Toshiba..........................................................................................................33
CFB Risk Management...............................................................................16
Irish Fire Investigation Association.............................................................19
Orvec International ......................................................................................62
Truckman......................................................................................................26
Charities Aid Foundation.............................................................................24
ISG Infrasys.....................................................................................................5
Panasonic ProServices ...............................................................................30
University of Bedfordshire ..........................................................................58
Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service.............................................................13
Jaama............................................................................................................28
ParAid Medical.............................................................................................22
VCS ...............................................................................................................24
Chief Fire Officers' Association.....................................6, 11, 13, 19, 48, 51
JESIP.............................................................................................................48
Peli Products ................................................................................................60
VectorCommand .........................................................................................32
Civil Contingencies Secretariat ..............................................................6, 48
Kahootz.........................................................................................................44
Plas Menai ....................................................................................................59
Class Professional Publishing ....................................................................59
Kent Fire and Rescue Service....................................................................39
Premier Hazard............................................................................................35
CM Specialist Vehicles ................................................................................26
KIM Software ...............................................................................................55
Premier IT.....................................................................................................55
College of Paramedics................................................................................47
Land Rover ...................................................................................................26
Primetech.....................................................................................................61
College of Policing...................................................................................3, 58
The Larrey Society.......................................................................................19
Public Health England.................................................................................11
Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service.......................................................19, 45
Leicestershire Police...................................................................................18
Public Transformation Network..................................................................41
Crown Commercial Services......................................................................29
Leicestershire Search & Rescue ..................................................................6
Quiss Technology ........................................................................................62
DEFRA..........................................................................................................26
Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Commercial...............................................57
Red One Limited..........................................................................................50
Department for Communities and Local Government ....................5, 6, 39
London Emergency Services Liaison Panel.............................................43
Resilience Direct..........................................................................................48
DeSigns Signage.........................................................................................26
London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority.....................................18
RNLI........................................................................................................19, 56
Deutsche Messe..........................................................................................31
London Fire Brigade.................................................................18, 19, 43, 52
Rotherham Council........................................................................................4
Devon and Cornwall Police ..................................................................45, 53
Lowland Rescue ..........................................................................................56
Royal College of Art.....................................................................................21
WH Bence ....................................................................................................32
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service.......................6, 19, 53, 55
MacNeillie.....................................................................................................31
Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents ........................................4, 6
Whitby & Co..................................................................................................61
DPG plc.........................................................................................................58
Manx Telecom..............................................................................................12
Ruth Lee Limited .........................................................................................54
Wiltshire Police.............................................................................................19
Dyfed-Powys Police ................................................................................6, 18
Medical Services Ltd ...................................................................................29
SafeGuard Armour ......................................................................................60
XL Vets Group..............................................................................................51
East Midlands Ambulance Service ........................................................4, 18
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service ....................................................6, 48
SATcase™ .....................................................................................................61
Yorkshire Ambulance Service ....................................................................19
East of England Ambulance Service .........................................................29
Metropolitan Police .................................................................................4, 55
School of Resilience and Emergency Response........................................3
YPO.....................................................................................................6, 29, 30
Company Name
Company Name
Company Name
Surrey Police ..................................................................................................5
Vimpex Limited ............................................................................................61 Volkswagen ..................................................................................................26 Voluntary Sector Civil Protection Forum .....................................................8 Warwickshire Police ....................................................................................18 Welsh Ambulance Service..........................................................................29 West Mercia Police ..................................................................................4, 18 West Midlands Ambulance Service ...................................................4, 6, 24 West Midlands Fire Service...........................................................................6 West Midlands Police.................................................................................4, 6 Westbase Technology .................................................................................30
Advertisers Company Name
Page No
Page No
Page No
Ballyclare Limited ........................................................................................38
Excelerate Technology................................................................................37
ParAid Medical.............................................................................................34
Bristol Uniforms ...........................................................................................40
FireBlitz ...........................................................................................................7
Plas Menai ......................................................................................................7
British Red Cross .........................................................................................37
Goliath Footwear (YDS Boots) ..................................................................15
Premier Hazard..................................................................................OFC, 25
Carnation Designs .......................................................................................34
Life Connections 2015..............................................................................IBC
Primetech.....................................................................................................10
Class Professional Publishing.......................................................................7
Lyon Equipment Limited ...............................................................................9
Quiss Technology...........................................................................................7
Cleve Care Group ........................................................................................15
Minerva Simulator Facilities Limited..........................................................46
Ruth Lee Limited .........................................................................................46
The Emergency Services Show 2015...................................................OBC
Outreach Rescue.........................................................................................15
Strongs Plastic Products Ltd ......................................................................27
www.emergencyservicestimes.com
Page No
Supacat.........................................................................................................27 Vimpex Limited ............................................................................................40 WH Bence (Coachworks) Ltd ....................................................................20 Xtreme Sales...............................................................................................IFC YPO...............................................................................................................38
June 2015
ESTCOMMENT | 3
ISSN 1472-1090 Date: June 2015 Editor: David J. Holden MEng(Hons) Twitter: @999editor davidholden@brodenmedia.com Advertisement Manager: David Brown davidbrown@brodenmedia.com Advertisement Sales: Carol Fox carolfox@brodenmedia.com Office & Events Manager: Lesley Stevenson lesleystevenson@brodenmedia.com Marketing Manager: Emma Nicholls emmanicholls@brodenmedia.com Circulation: Christine Knoll admin@hpcpublishing.com Joint Managing Directors: David Brown David Holden Published by
Robert Denholm House, Bletchingley Road Nutfield, Surrey RH1 4HW Tel: 01737 824010 Fax: 01737 824011 e-mail: davidbrown@brodenmedia.com www: brodenmedia.com Distribution: EMERGENCY SERVICES TIMES is free of charge to officers and managers who are buyers or specifiers actively involved in the procurement of equipment or services within the emergency response industry and based in the UK and Irish Republic. All other categories of reader are invited to subscribe at £130.00 to UK addresses and £165.00 overseas. Single copy price £25.00 including post and packing. The articles within Emergency Services Times are copyright and are the property of the publisher Broden Media Limited and cannot be reproduced in any media form without permission of the publisher. Application should be made in writing. Reprints of articles and advertisements are available, allow 28 days for delivery. PDF pages are available by email at £20.00 (+VAT) per page (€32.50, $33). Prices on application to the publisher. Printed by Manor Creative Tel: 01323 514400 Studio work by Friskywhiska Design Tel: 01947 811333 Mobile: 07976 917411 charlotte@friskywhiska.co.uk
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Assurance – who do you trust to assure your training? Jon Hall is the Director of Training at the Fire Service College, and leads its School of Resilience and Emergency Response. He was awarded the Queen’s Fire Service Medal in 2014, having served as the Director of Community Safety for Gloucestershire County Council as well as being their Chief Fire Officer and chairing the Gloucestershire Local Resilience Forum. In this article he explains what professional assurance means to him – and how he would wish to demonstrate that his team were trained effectively should an operation not go as planned.
Words: Jon Hall, Director of Training, The Fire Service College. Should you be called to account for the training you or your organisation deploys, how will you answer? How credible will that answer sound when tested against a judgement of ‘reasonable practicality’? When an operation does not go to plan, anyone from a responder or Incident Commander to the Chief Executive or Chief Officer can be challenged to prove that they have provided the most effective training for their teams. Internal validation of training choices will simply not be enough. Accreditation of courses is a good starting point but only addresses the course and the quality of its delivery – it stops short of assuring competence of the individual. Occupational standards used to measure ongoing competence is a well-founded ideal but standards can be open to interpretation – and that can make it problematic to apply them to actual incidents. Response phase Concentrating on the response phase of any emergency for a moment, here is what constitutes an appropriate degree of assurance: • An approach that recognises that any one person, organisation or team is just one component of incident resolution: all training should include an awareness of how others will behave – and repeated exposure to them in a training, exercising and real-life environment is vital. The Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Programme (JESIP) is designed to facilitate understanding of this among blue light responders and, through its newly-formed Joint Organisational Learning (JOL) initiative, will make sure that this is extended beyond
traditional responders to include wider Category 1 and 2 responders and military agencies • A strong focus placed upon the holistic design of training, with integrated assessment of programmes undertaken by the appropriate body: programmes should be delivered in various ways, including self-study as well as regional and national resources. They should also include the best and most current content from each relevant agency – making the best use of legacy and emerging material. • A structured approach to assessment will enable learners to build and maintain their competencies consistently over time: taking a formal approach to continuous improvement is crucial, as is the ongoing review and constant training of best practice. This can be delivered through a system strengthened through relationships with professional bodies like the Cabinet Office, College of Policing and National Ambulance Resilience Unit. • Training providers which can effectively document and demonstrate all of these elements: any firefighter or other emergency responder that attends a course provided by the Fire Service College, for example, is able to demonstrate that they have been trained as effectively as possible – and this should be the case for all emergency response training providers. Evolving training programmes Who would I want standing by me when called to account? It’s quite simple; I would want my peers stood right by me defending my training record. We’ll never stop evolving our training programmes – what matters is that the training is the best that could possibly have been provided at the time, and that your professional peers support that judgement. www.fireservicecollege.ac.uk June 2015
32 | ESTCOMPANY PROFILE
Adapt to survive: WH Bence diversifies into new markets The constantly changing economic climate in the UK has affected the budgets and vehicle purchasing of all emergency services. This has hit the marketplace for vehicle conversions considerably but it has also allowed WH Bence to diversify and activate new markets. To expand the emergency services side of its business profile, WH Bence has teamed up with BAUS-AT, with former WAS owner Franz Baus leading the charge, to provide ambulances to the UK marketplace. The quality and cost-effective pricing have really helped BAUS to become a real force in the ambulancebuilding marketplace. Last year, production of ambulances at the BAUS factory in Poland reached over 900 units. It has the capability of converting any vehicle of any size from car and van to box body conversion. BAUS has an in-house design department that is willing to work with customers to meet their exact specifications, while still providing a cost-effective solution for the purchasing of new vehicles.
Command and control crucial With the number of incidents in the UK reducing, but the scale of the incidents when they occur increasing, command and control and incident management are crucial for the emergency services. The provision of good information for commanders to make informed decisions is now paramount and Bence has created a number of vehicle-based command and control facilities specifically for the emergency services. With the experience it has gained working with the fire and rescue services, police and ambulance services, Bence has put together a command and control package, including a multi-platform communications system, so the emergency services can have a ‘one stop shop’ when purchasing any new vehicle. Bence has found that the key requirement for any incident is communication and information transfer. With this in mind the company has developed, with a
Bence has put together a command and control package so the emergency services can have a ‘one stop shop’ when purchasing any new vehicle.
dedicated partner, a fully mobile and demountable 4G LTE network, which is integrated into the command and control unit. This is also a portable solution, which allows both the command support team based in the command hub and affords the officers on the ground the ability to have communications wherever they are.
Fluent transfer of data The LTE network is designed to transfer information on a private network over the public providers’ networks and also the opportunity of a satellite back-haul in an emergency. With the emergence of 3G and 4G network providers over the past 12 months, this has allowed the transfer of data to become more fluent and accessible for tablet-based command and control software, which Bence has teamed up with VectorCommand to provide. The next key area is data security in the digital age. Many of the key issues faced by the emergency services at the moment involve data protection and data retrieval for both training purposes and reviewing incident management. With any service trying to provide a joined up approach to incident management across the police, fire and ambulance services, this is a way to reduce the cost outlay but still providing an advanced solution. In order to achieve this, each sector of the emergency services must have access.
Cloud based server
Bence has teamed up with BAUS-AT to provide ambulances to the UK marketplace.
www.emergencyservicestimes.com
To achieve this, Bence has developed a cloud-based secure server solution to allow incident management software to be shared between the emergency services, and easy access through 3G and 4G data communications. This allows vast amounts of storage for incident information and a secure location away from any services’ dedicated headquarters. This also provides resilience to the emergency services as this data is backed up at a number of sites to provide business continuity.
June 2015
ESTCOMPANY PROFILE | 33
Currently Bence has a full demonstration package available for trials with any emergency service and would be happy to organise a date and trial for any service. The company has further diversified its business and is looking at mobile clinics and medical imaging facilities, having recently created the latest MRI demountable solutions for Toshiba and Siemens Healthcare. This has been crucial for the expansion of the business over the last 12 months, providing six MRI facilities across the UK and Europe.
Emergence of UAV technology The key part of the new command and control solution provided by WH Bence is the emergence of UAV technology to reduce the requirement for high reach platforms to be used as camera pedestals. The simple UAV solution provided by WH Bence provides high-definition footage and has the opportunity to have an IR facility to allow the operator to offer the officer in charge a broader spectrum of imagery to work with. The UAV is designed to be stable in high winds and has the ability to be GPS located so has an automated GPS locating system to hold it in situ over particular areas of interest. By providing UAV cover, this has reduced the requirement for high reach platforms to attend incidents to be used for camera support, as the UAV has the ability to provide a complete 360° image of the incident as it occurs. The UAV has intuitive control but has the options to change controls to suit each team member.
The company has created the latest MRI demountable solutions for Toshiba and Siemens Healthcare.
Service and maintenance expansion This year has seen the expansion of the WH Bence service and maintenance provision worldwide. The initial dedicated service department provides support nationwide, with Bence securing support and after-sales contracts for its vehicles throughout the UK and Ireland. This year has seen the stretching of the marketplace to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, providing support on the ground to fire and rescue vehicles provided by WH Bence over the last 12 months. This has allowed Bence to create a service network, and have an on-site service facility in the Middle East to offer any support to any customer, both current and future. Bence’s service and support team is based out of its Bristol service centre, and the company has a range of
Bence has provided six MRI facilities across the UK and Europe.
employees dedicated to providing after-sales support to its customers across the UK. Each service operative is provided with a service van, kitted with all the latest test equipment and a full set of Bence spares. By providing this service as a dedicated after-sales solution the company always has an engineer available to provide warranty support on the ground for its customers.
Generating business
This year has seen the expansion of the WH Bence service and maintenance provision worldwide.
www.emergencyservicestimes.com
The WH Bence service centre is also now a registered re-seller for Cummins Onan generators and generator spare parts, and the company has been accredited by Onan to provide servicing across the UK. This venture is supporting both Bence’s existing customers and a number of other new clients in the UK.
WH Bence is also delighted to announce a partnership with DAP/Translink, who are based in Denton, Manchester. The partnership is for the supply of specialist aerial access platforms and water tower appliances for the UK emergency services market. Bence has been working with DAP to provide South Wales Fire and Rescue Service a refurbishment service for its existing aerial platform appliance, and hopes to extend this service over the coming months.
www.whbence.co.uk To keep up to date with Bence news or to view the company’s portfolio of emergency services vehicles please visit the website or contact Oliver Brown, Sales Director on Tel: 01454 310909.
June 2015
ESTCOMPANY PROFILE | 35
Premier Hazard: for a complete vehicle conversion service As a leading provider of vehicle hazard warning and camera equipment for emergency service, commercial and industrial use in the UK, Premier Hazard has been serving customers worldwide for over 30 years. In addition to the design, manufacture and supply of high-quality components, the company also offers a complete vehicle conversion service for a full range of both blue and amber light vehicles. Working with a nationwide network of trusted installation partners, the comprehensive, competitively priced service is designed to offer an attractive alternative to customers who currently purchase specialist vehicles directly from major vehicle manufacturers.
Pursuit™ LED light bar The NAPFM Emergency Fleet Exhibition, which takes place from 9-10 June in Telford, will feature the launch of the new Pursuit™ LED light bar. The Pursuit™ bar, available to UK customers exclusively from Premier Hazard Limited, has been designed from the ground up without compromise as a solid state LED light bar uniquely featuring two levels of lighting in a low profile chassis. The upper deck provides full 360° warning lighting while the lower deck offers the opportunity to specify auxiliary lighting such as scene illumination or traffic director functions.
“The Pursuit™ bar provides UK customers with class leading performance and efficiency” The Pursuit™ bar is available in bar lengths from 750mm up to 1800mm and with a wide range of options, including single or dual colour upper light heads, auto dimming and integrated solar panels. Barrie Driscoll, General Manager at Premier Hazard, said, “The Pursuit™ bar uses the latest LED technology and is the first product exclusively available in the UK from Premier Hazard, which is the joint result of an ESG
Premier Hazard continues to develop one of the UK’s most comprehensive ranges of complete vehicle CCTV solutions.
global collaboration involving highly skilled product specialists from UK, USA and Australia coming together to offer UK customers the ultimate LED warning product with class leading performance and efficiency.”
On display at NAPFM will be the latest IP cameras and systems designed to optimise fleet usage while providing evidential quality protection for your workforce and other road users.
Complete vehicle CCTV solutions
Free fleet assessment
Premier Hazard continues to develop one of the UK’s most comprehensive ranges of complete vehicle CCTV solutions, including high definition cameras, versatile mobile DVRs, high resolution single and split screen monitors and safety proximity sensors. Premier Hazard’s range is suitable for all types of emergency vehicle including response cars, prisoner transport vans, frontline ambulances and fire appliances and offers advanced telematics intuitive user-friendly software.
Barrie Driscoll said, “The Premier Hazard team of experienced advisors and installers can provide free fleet assessment to ensure the right equipment is specified for individual needs and budgets. The result is a vehicle that is tailor-made for their purpose with no unnecessary features or wasted options. Only Premier Hazard customers benefit from this personalised reliable service.”
http://premierhazard.co.uk
The Pursuit™ bar is available in bar lengths from 750mm up to 1800mm.
www.emergencyservicestimes.com
June 2015
36 | ESTPROFILE
NSARDA: 50 years of search dogs From the first search dogs to becoming a leading modern organisation that helps bring vulnerable missing persons home, the National Search And Rescue Dog Association (NSARDA) remembers its origins and gives us a glimpse into its future. In the 1960s, inspired by a Red Cross search dog course in Switzerland, famous Scottish mountaineer Hamish MacInnes saw the potential for using properly trained dogs in locating lost and injured climbers. He started training his two German shepherds, Rangi and Tiki, and set up a training course in Glen Coe. From there, the search dog associations of Scotland, Wales and England were born and the first modern air scenting search dogs appeared. NSARDA was formed in 1965 from these associations and the use of search dogs has spread ever since.
Definitive impact In December 1988, the Pan Am flight 103 crashed after a terrorist attack. Known as the Lockerbie incident, this tragedy had a definitive impact on the use of search dogs as it was found that with little extra effort the mountain rescue dogs involved would happily work in the rural and urban setting. Dogs appeared in many other fields of search work thereafter. Today NSARDA consists of 10 member associations in Britain and Ireland, operating both in highland and lowland area.
“NSARDA member associations have many different types of search dogs, allowing them to provide the best possible resources in various scenarios.”
Air scenting search dogs work off lead, analysing airborne scent. They do not need an item from the missing person, but instead will find anyone in their search area. This is a very efficient method for covering large areas quickly – so these dogs are widely used. However, some circumstances require a different approach. To address this, NSARDA now also has training standards for scent discriminating trailing and for Drown Victim Recovery (DVR) dogs. In even more situations, dogs can help bring loved ones back home or bring closure to family in the tragic event of a fatality. Several NSARDA member associations now have many different types of search dogs, allowing them to provide the best possible resources in various scenarios.
Police callouts Callouts typically originate from the police to assist with searches for high risk missing persons. Search dogs operate alongside teams from Mountain Rescue, Lowland Rescue and any other agencies involved in the search. Callouts received by NSARDA member associations have increased over the years, from fewer than 150 in 2001 to well over 350 last year alone. Keen to support and collaborate with all relevant organisations, NSARDA has developed relationships with other search dog associations abroad and take part at home in events such as The Emergency Services Show. This year, NSARDA is organising a very special conference in Lancashire from 19-20 September to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the organisation. Around the theme ‘The life of a trained search dog’, top speakers from the search and rescue and from the canine community will gather. This conference is open to all, as NSARDA is keen to share its knowledge with the wider dog community and to encourage dialogue between experts from various backgrounds.
Thanks to a partnership with O2 Business, NSARDA is currently testing the use of a drone for training purposes and to support the work of the dogs on search and rescue operations.
NSARDA and its member associations are all charities. The economic downturn from recent years combined with the increasing use of search dogs has made an additional fundraising effort necessary. At times the pressure has been felt by some of the organisations and their volunteer dog handlers. But determined nonetheless, NSARDA looks confidently to the future. Whether it is the role of new technology in search and rescue or investigating new ways of deploying search dogs, much is still to come.
“Callouts typically originate from the police to assist with searches for high risk missing persons.” Embracing technology Many search teams already embrace technology, for instance using GPS to keep track of teams and to bring help quicker to casualties. Thanks to a partnership with O2 Business, NSARDA is currently testing the use of a drone for training purposes and to support the work of the dogs on search and rescue operations. Finally, bringing together the strong experience and knowledge of air scenting dogs with what has been learnt recently from scent discriminating trailing dogs, NSARDA is training their first scent discriminating air scenting dog. Man’s best friends when you need them the most… Here is to the next 50 years!
www.nsarda.org.uk. www.emergencyservicestimes.com
June 2015
42 | ESTCOLLABORATION
Bridging funding gaps and delivering benefits to all Norfolk Constabulary currently has an anticipated funding gap of approximately £10m and continues to actively explore collaborative opportunities aimed at bridging this deficit. After a number of successful years collaborating with its preferred partner Suffolk Constabulary, Norfolk is now looking at other additional opportunities, including working more closely with Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service – England’s largest county council fire and rescue service. Led by Assistant Chief Constable Sarah Hamlin and Deputy Chief Fire Officer Roy Harold, Norfolk Constabulary and Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service have begun to develop areas of closer working, ranging from co-location of performance and analysis departments, to full-scale training exercises testing concepts of interoperability. ACC Hamlin said, “The primary focus of this partnership is to provide an effective and efficient service to the people of Norfolk, whilst ensuring the county remains as safe as possible. We recognise the Government’s direction for closer cooperation of public bodies in the delivery of financial savings and operational efficiencies where this is in the public interest, and we have found some real benefit in the progress we have made.”
Efficiency savings Despite only being in the early stages of cooperation both organisations are beginning to find efficiency savings and that a better, more effective, service is being delivered through reduced duplication. Norfolk Constabulary’s Corporate Change and Development Department is overseeing the strategic leadership and a project board, on which representatives from both organisations sit, oversees the collaborative work oversight for the joint partnership. Key to the successful initiation of this work has been the shared vision of each organisation’s Chief Officers. “We identified early on that Chief Officers on both sides of the project needed to be clear on the direction they wanted collaboration to go in,” said ACC Hamlin. “It was also important to reassure staff throughout the organisation as well as our public that cooperation was the right thing to do.” To ease the transitions, in addition to the project board that meets regularly, a Joint Chief Officer Team meeting is held between the two organisations, which provides reassurance to organisational leaders that their statutory obligations continue to be met and that collaboration remains the right thing to do. At the outset of the project, the Chief Officer teams agreed to a number of principles: • Improved reach and impact for a safer Norfolk leading to efficiency savings • A better, more effective service through reduced duplication • Greater operational efficiency through shared knowledge and resource allocation • Greater understanding of how each service works. In addition, a Memorandum of Understanding has been developed, which has been endorsed by both the Chief Executive of Norfolk County Council and the Norfolk Police and Crime Commissioner. Recently, Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service’s Integrated Risk Management Team (IRMT) – the
www.emergencyservicestimes.com
Assistant Chief Constable Sarah Hamlin, Norfolk Constabulary and Deputy Chief Fire Officer Roy Harold, Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service. Photo: Simon Finlay.
department responsible for performance and analysis – was relocated into Norfolk Constabulary’s headquarters in Wymondham. Working next to the Constabulary’s equivalent unit, the IRMT was able to assist the police in analysing a series of arsons, which combined with police intelligence and analysis led to the arrest and prosecution of an offender. Commenting on the case, ACC Hamlin said, “This for me is an example of collaboration working at its best. Simply by relocating the departments to sharing the same space we have created an environment where information can be shared more freely and easily, which on this occasion has led to the identification and prosecution of an offender for offences, which previously looked like they would go undetected. Not only can we now prosecute those offences that have been committed, but we are in a position to prevent further harm coming to our communities.”
“Some of our most successful operational collaboration has come not from Chief Officers, but from staff willing to put forward ideas.” Firearms training Another area of successful collaboration has been between the organisation’s Firearms Training Unit, which it shares with Suffolk Constabulary, and Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service. “The opportunities for working together were identified by two PCs working in Firearms Training, who had recognised a need for new and unfamiliar training venues for firearms officers to utilise. As a result of their work we have reduced travelling time, increased our training estate, and are now provided with premises in which we can use more dynamic and realistic tactics and equipment,” said ACC Hamlin
“I am a big believer that our workforces have a lot of ideas on how we can improve our practices and this is evidenced by the fact that some of our most successful operational collaboration has come not from Chief Officers, but from staff willing to put forward ideas.” In return for the use of these training venues, Norfolk Constabulary has recently included its fire and rescue service colleagues on a large-scale firearms exercise, held inside Chapelfield Shopping Centre in Norwich. The inclusion of Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service, as well as the East of England Ambulance Service, in the exercise allowed them to accredit their teams in responding to marauding firearms incidents, as well as improving interoperability concepts further between the two organisations. Set against the background of an increasing need for interoperability, the closer working between Norfolk Constabulary and Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service has assisted both organisations in embedding cooperative working practices. As the HMIC-led inspections into the effectiveness of the JESIP principles begin later in the year, Norfolk feels optimistic about the position in which it finds itself. ACC Hamlin said, “We are finding that as operational staff begin to work together more frequently, and become accustomed to seeing one another’s uniforms around shared premises, interoperability comes more naturally which can only be a positive thing. A greater understanding of each other’s methods, terminology and capabilities has led to some useful learning opportunities particularly around firearms and road traffic collisions, where we now have a better understanding of what each organisation can do for the other.”
Future potential collaboration Looking to the future, a number of areas continue to be explored for further collaborative working, one of the key areas being integrated working between control rooms. Options are being considered that will allow for the exchange of incident logs between the two services, as well as better re-direction of incidents to third parties, which should allow calls from the public to be better directed to the most suitable agency sooner. Other opportunities include the joint procurement and maintenance of vehicles and uniform, a joint occupational health service as well as exploring the suitability of the call-out system used by retained firefighters for Special Constables. Although it is still too early to fully identify the savings and efficiencies that have been achieved to date it is clear that this collaboration is delivering benefits to both organisations and assisting them in bridging their respective funding gaps moving forward.
www.norfolk.police.uk www.norfolkfireservice.gov.uk June 2015
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The role of the National Inter agency Liaison Officer The UK fire rescue service continues to play an integral role within the emergency response to terrorist incidents, and the successful development of the National Inter agency Liaison Officer (NILO) role over the last decade has contributed to support the planning and response against such threats. Now this role is being developed with all emergency services and the military, with an accredited course at the Fire Service College providing the foundation of the intensive training requirement for the role. In light of the evolving terrorist threat, the development of an integrated response of emergency services will inevitably limit the loss of life and provide resilience across all aspects of the emergency services within the UK. Within London this concept is not new, the London Emergency Services Liaison Panel (LESLP), which was established in 1973, brought together for the first time the police, fire and ambulance services with colleagues from London’s local authorities and the military in order to review major incident procedures and established a foundation for blue light strategic multi-agency coordination for major incidents.
Bridging the knowledge gap In addition to LESLP, testing and exercising of contingency plans have always played a key role in preparations for emergencies. In 2000, Exercise Trump Card, a multi-agency exercise that simulated a terrorist attack on the underground, identified the importance of inter agency cooperation at all levels between responding agencies and organisations. It was highlighted that a specific role was required that could bridge the knowledge gap between responding agencies. What then evolved was the development of a new advisory role, initially within only the London Fire Brigade – the Inter agency Liaison Officer (ILO). The ILO was to become London Fire Brigade’s CBRN trained cadre, with the intention of using these specially trained officers to act as facilitators, helping and advising the commanders of incidents to understand the needs, capabilities and capacity of other agencies involved in the response. Since the development and implementation of ILOs within London Fire Brigade, the role has proved extremely effective not only in response to a CT related incidents; for example NILOs are commonly used as a
commanding officer at MTFA (Marauding Terrorists and Firearms) incidents; but also in a variety of multi-agency responses, including the London Riots in 2011. These specially trained officers are invaluable at the Strategic Coordination Group, ensuring that key information from other emergency services is collated and communicated to relevant operational officers, ensuring better coordination of an emergency response.
“A National Inter-agency Liaison Officer (NILO) is a function recognised within the fire and rescue service Incident Command System (ICS) and fully compliments the National Resilience capability of the UK.” National standard After the initial successful development of the ILO role by London Fire Brigade, a number of other fire and rescue services across England, Wales and Scotland introduced similar concepts. This rapid expansion of the role has ultimately led to the introduction of a national standard of National Inter-agency Liaison Officers (NILOs).
Assistant Commissioner Tim Cutbill, London Fire Brigade.
As part of the development of the NILO role, services across the country introduced ILO schemes and developed those already in existence in order to collate and disseminate best practice and to champion the role and benefits of the ILO concept at all levels of the emergency services. As of 2015, a National Interagency Liaison Officer (NILO) is a function recognised within the fire and rescue service Incident Command System (ICS) and fully compliments the National Resilience capability of the UK. A robust governance structure has now been put in place to further support development of the role nationally. Assistant Commissioner Tim Cutbill, London Fire Brigade, is the NILO Coordinator and has responsibility for the development of the role at a national level in addition to managing the development of NILO guidance and procedures. His role has the support of senior officers within the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) and the Association of Chief Police Officers (Terrorism and Allied Matters). There are a series of national regional meetings chaired by AC Tim Cutbill, which allow the sharing of information and learning across the country, including the devolved administrations of Wales and Scotland. Speaking about the development of the NILO role, Tim said, “Since its inception the NILO role has played a pivotal role at a number of major terrorist incidents and other multi-agency incidents. The NILO provides that communication link for both tactical and strategic commanders of responding agencies enabling a truly multi-agency resolution to an event. I’m proud to continue to lead in the development of such a crucial role, which is complimented and supported by the Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Principles (JESIP).”
www.london-fire.gov.uk www.emergencyservicestimes.com
June 2015
54 | ESTTRAINING
Are live fire training simulators worth the expense? As a respected supplier to the emergency services and military throughout the UK and now progressively internationally, Minerva Simulator Facilities Limited has often heard the question raised about whether the complex training simulators it designs, builds and installs are worth the capital outlay involved. Words: David Jones and Brian Dodson, Directors at Minerva Simulator Facilities Limited. While we cannot argue that, particularly in a time of cutbacks and austerity measures, the expense of many thousands of pounds needs to be justified, we feel that the benefits from the most realistic training provision cannot really be fairly measured against monetary outlay. As all our customers will no doubt agree – one life saved through good training, whether that is a member of the public or a firefighter, is priceless. According to Government statistics, since 2000 the trend in all types of fires is gradually falling, which is good news. We believe to a good extent in the development of more realistic live fire simulations to allow fires to be dealt with in the most effective manner. Sadly this still leaves us with horrendous figures in Great Britain – 1,183,507 building fires, 3,669,290 outdoor fires and 752,197 vehicular fires since 2000, which resulted in 6360 fatalities, including 25 firefighters and 181,685 non-fatal injuries. This does not include any aircraft or rail emergency situations.
started, generated and spread so that we can build these into our simulators in the most realistic way possible. We work with firefighters, instructors, scientists, structural engineers, fire prevention and detection companies and others to make sure our designs and simulators are as near as possible to the real thing. We work across all industries and can provide simulators to mirror domestic, industrial, aircraft, maritime, refinery and offshore, high rise, confined space, road traffic, railway and many more incidents, which can each be easily altered by instructors to provide multiple scenarios.
Best advantage
Safety is paramount
So – although we sympathise with organisations and companies who are trying desperately to balance budgets, we firmly believe that to keep figures falling the best training facilities will offer the best advantage to both the public and those brave enough to fight fires on our behalf. From a simple fire behaviour unit to a complex multi scenario villa or aircraft, simulators can be designed to replicate the real events that fires cause and which will be experienced by firefighters – flashover, heat, flame, gases, smoke, rescue of casualties, use of selfcontained breathing apparatus – all of this and much more can only be experienced in a live fire situation. At Minerva we constantly design and re-design to keep pace with the possible ways in which fire can be
Moving with the times we install the latest temperature monitoring and data logging equipment with a high end PLC made in house by our own engineers to ensure that while our simulators are extremely realistic they are also as safe as possible for trainees and instructors. We also provide wet and dry filtration plants to reduce smoke and emissions significantly. So – back to the original question – are live fire simulators worth the expense? I think you will agree wholeheartedly that they are and are worth every penny in working towards a safer future for us all.
http://minervasimulators.com
New era for Ruth Lee New material
Ruth Lee Limited, of Corwen, North Wales, and FireWare, of Wieringerwerf, Netherlands, are working in partnership to provide an unrivalled range of fire and rescue training products. Ruth Lee, Europe’s leading manufacturer of rescue training manikins, has, after seven years of supplying FireWare with its training manikins, become the exclusive distributor for the UK and Ireland of FireWare’s range of fire training equipment.
Innovative and progressive FireWare is an innovative and progressive company whose range of smoke generators, PPV (Positive Pressure Ventilation) trainers, sound simulation and fire extinguisher trainers are constantly evolving and improving following customer feedback, much in the same way as Ruth Lee constantly strives to improve its range of manikins. To this end, the Ruth Lee range of training manikins is about to undergo a radical transformation with the ever
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popular general purpose range and the more rugged HazMat range both being replaced with a new Duty range of manikins. The HazMat model is manufactured in PVC but, following recent evidence that PVC contains carcinogens, Ruth Lee took the dramatic decision to move away from PVC completely and switch to a Polyester fabric. The Polyester material meets the OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 meaning it is safe for use, with no carcinogenic properties.
The new material also has four times the abrasion resistance of both the canvas and PVC and is used in police stab vests, making it a more robust material and ideal for the manufacture of the training manikins. It’s not just the new duty range that will benefit from the new material, but all manikins, as they all, to some degree, use either PVC or canvas. Stuart Cheetham, Sales and Marketing Manager for Ruth Lee Ltd, said, “The new PC350FR polyester that we will be manufacturing the training manikins from heralds a new era for the training manikins as we have used canvas and PVC since we started manufacturing the manikins almost 30 years ago. “We expect the manikins to last a good deal longer as they are more abrasive resistant and the new duty range will also incorporate the features of the HazMat model, meaning that it will be able to be used within CBRN exercises.”
www.ruthlee.co.uk June 2015
56 | ESTTRAINING
Lowland Rescue, Together with O2 Lowland Rescue teams provide search and rescue support to the emergency services alongside Mountain Rescue, Cave Rescue, RNLI and others. With 1500 members covering over 30 counties of the UK (and all of Northern Ireland), Lowland Rescue has recently undertaken a major rebranding exercise, which caught the attention of O2 (Telefonica). As a keen advocate of voluntary organisations who support the blue light services, O2 has selected Lowland Rescue as one of four groups it will be proactively supporting with their essential technology needs. Words: Neil Balderson, PR Officer, Lowland Rescue. The Association of Lowland Search and Rescue (ALSAR) is the representative body of Lowland Rescue. In developing its relationship with O2, one of the first questions Lowland Rescue was asked was ‘How can O2 help you?’. The ALSAR Executive Committee met and rapidly decided upon a unique and innovative way of answering this question.
team spotted something in the reeds ahead and, quick as a flash, the Flood team ran down the bank. After contact from the Comms Officer, a 4x4 response vehicle arrived carrying the medical kit and Oxygen, and the foot team appeared with a stretcher; ropes were passed down the bank for the extrication of the casualty – it was a professionally executed and coordinated approach to casualty rescue. The casualty was then rapidly loaded into the waiting 4x4, and taken to hospital.
Hands on approach All too often companies and groups meet in sterile, air-conditioned meeting rooms and discuss the dry facts of the situation. Moreover, all those involved in rescue situations know how rapid and dynamic they really are. With this in mind, Lowland Rescue, decided to give the team at O2 a taster of a real rescue in order that they might better understand the work of the organisation and its technological needs. Through some clever planning, and great support from some ALSAR members ‘inside’ O2, the team from O2 had their morning diaries block-booked, and limited details were given. At 8.15am they each received a text: ***LOWLAND RESCUE CALLOUT*** High Risk Missing Person, RVP at Dorney Lake @ 9.15am. The bait was set… When the 34 O2 staff arrived at the RVP, they found some 60 Lowland Rescue members, fully geared up and ready to go. On site there was four Incident Control Units (ICUs), two bike teams, several 4x4 response units, multiple dog units and untold other resources. Executives were rapidly signed in, issued with PPE, assigned to teams and placed at their ICU for search briefing. This is where the Lowland Rescue Executive Committee pulled out its trump card, the Missing Person the team would be searching for was a colleague at O2. Suddenly the search became very real – the O2 team were now looking for someone they all knew.
Reality of search Lowland Rescue Search Managers promptly dispatched the teams to their search sectors. The O2 employees were walking across fields, woods, and being taught search techniques, all the while, with radio chatter going on, search dogs operating in the distance, bike teams traversing the sectors, and boat and flood teams operating in the lake.
Team medics conduct assessments and stabilise the casualty.
The reality of a search was coming home; it’s an intense, rapidly moving environment, where you need to be thorough, professional, and dedicated. The cold wind blowing in your face, wet grass around your ankles, all the while knowing the missing person out there needs your help. The Missing Person was located. But this didn’t signal the end of the exercise; simply the end of the beginning. All of a sudden the team medics were involved, conducting assessments and stabilising the casualty. The radio burst into life, with grid coordinates, stretcher requests and evacuation details. Yet all of this flowed smoothly, like a well-drilled machine. The bike team appeared, with a stretcher, with the casualty being loaded ready for transport.
“The goal as always remains to find these missing people, most of who don’t want to be found, and bring them home alive.” The O2 staff were not off the hook yet and were brought in as part of the stretcher party, for the carry out. Lifting and carrying a casualty back to the RVP is a physical and demanding aspect of the role, and to their credit they all got involved. With the casualty back to the RVP safe and well the teams could relax; but not for long. A second Missing Person had been reported, last seen down by the Lake’s edge…
Water team
Lowland Rescue and O2 are now investigating more ways they can work together.
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For this search the team from O2 were held back, for safety reasons, and given a talk-through demonstration as the boat team and flood first responders searched for the Missing Person. In full water rescue PPE, the Water team carefully checked the water’s edge, with the safety team in the boat and on the bank, just in case. The Boat
“Lowland Rescue, decided to give the team at O2 a taster of a real rescue.”
Lifting and carrying a casualty is a physical and demanding aspect of the role.
Everyone headed back to the RVP to talk through the morning, examine the equipment and vehicles, and share their experiences. The overwhelming feedback being that this was not the normal morning meeting everyone expected!
Dedicated volunteers The morning was a big success. The team from O2 was able to experience the dedication of Lowland Rescue’s volunteers and the professionalism they deliver first hand and understand more about the varying types of communications technologies, vehicles and medical equipment used by the organisation. Lowland Rescue and O2 are now investigating more ways they can work together and this brief glimpse of the search teams in action opened up the possibilities to all involved. The goal as always remains to find these missing people, most of who don’t want to be found, and bring them home alive.
www.lowlandrescue.org news.O2.co.uk/O2ESN June 2015
60 | ESTPRODUCTS
Automatic Survivor Locator Light – ACR Electronics Inc
www.acrartex.com ACR Electronics Inc, based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has released the next generation of its leading survivor locator life jacket lights. The new ACR HemiLight 3 is more affordable, compact and features an LED light, which illuminates brighter than its predecessors. The HemiLight 3 is automatically activated when it comes into contact with water. The high-intensity flashing LED light exceeds the IMO SOLAS battery life regulations by providing 10+ hours of functionality upon activation. Installation is quick and easy and the light can be retrofitted to almost any style life jacket in a matter of seconds. This robust and dependable life jacket locator light, which features a five-year battery, is now available internationally.
Marine firefighter PPE – Bristol Uniforms
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www.bristoluniforms.co.uk As part of a wider programme to introduce a range of products incorporating the very latest fabrics and PPE materials, Bristol has completely upgraded its protective clothing range for marine firefighters. The new head-to-toe range includes fire coat and trousers, helmet, boots and gloves, which are all certified to MarED standards. Marine firefighter clothing comes in the form of Bristol’s Fleet Suits, which meet both EN469:2005 Levels 1 and 2. Both include a yellow lightweight flame retardant outer layer. With a fleece-lined high collar, plain cuffs and combination zip and Velcro front fastenings, the coat is lightweight and ergonomically efficient, allowing ease of movement in frequently difficult operating environments. With an upgraded range of compatible garments, all MarED approved, now part of the head-to-toe ensemble, the complete kit includes a helmet, rubber fire boots and new structural gloves.
Rugged tablet and convertible notebook – Getac
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www.getac.co.uk Getac has released next generation versions of its successful F110 tablet and V110 convertible notebook. The fully rugged F110-G2 and V110G2 are the first Getac devices to be fitted with Intel’s® fifth-generation Broadwell technology. This new processing power, allied with Getac’s trademark rugged build, will enable the units to deliver exceptional computing performance in the harshest of working environments. The new processor also provides more efficient use of power, extending battery life in the field. Both devices feature 11.6in high-definition screens with Lumibond® 2.0, the latest version of Getac’s proprietary technology for visibility in bright sunlight with a unique screen-bonding process. This allows touchscreen usage in the rain, or with gloves, or with a stylus – making the devices perfect for outdoor operations.
GHOST Bulletproof vest – SafeGuard Armour
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www.safeguardarmor.com/ghost The SafeGuard Armour GHOST bulletproof vest is a lightweight extra-small model made with 100% Coolmax® Cooling Material. With cutting-edge breathable fabrics, this vest can be worn comfortably for long periods, keeping workers cool in all climates and high-pressure situations. This is available with either NIJ level 2 or 3A ballistic protection (both able to stop handgun bullets), and features additional defence against blades and spiked-weapons. Weighing less than 2.5kg, the GHOST vest includes adjustable Velcro shoulder and waist straps, allowing the wearer to tighten or loosen the vest as needed.
The Peli 9490 LED – Peli Products
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www.peliproducts.co.uk The Peli 9490 LED, designed as portable scene lighting, offers rechargeable LED light with no trailing cables. It features a 10 LED head that extends above 1.8m to allow a wide area light. The mast can be rotated and the head angled to position the light where required. The unit has three pre-set light levels: high, medium and low or the user can select their preferred run time, up to 24 hours, with the intelligent control mode. This self-contained system is easy and quick to set up and uses a rechargeable and interchangeable battery. With an extra battery, available as an accessory, the user can double run time. There is also a Bluetooth® App to enable remote operation.
www.emergencyservicestimes.com
June 2015
ESTPRODUCTS | 61
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BioLite NanoGrid – Whitby&Co
www.whitbyandco.co.uk A complete charging and lighting system, the new BioLite NanoGrid, available from Whitby&Co, combines the PowerLight, a three-in-one lantern, torch and power bank, with two SiteLights, soft multi-point lights that can be positioned up to 20ft from the PowerLight. A lighting and energy hub that fits in the palm of your hand, the system can be used as a 200 lumen lantern or 250 lumen torch while the two SiteLights, powered by the PowerLight, provide 150 lumen each with an effective range of 10ft. The PowerLight’s 4 x 400mAh Li-Ion batteries can be recharged from any USB source and can then be used to recharge any USB chargeable gear, such as a smartphone up to three times.
MultiNet Comms – Primetech
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www.primetech.co.uk Primetech has launched its innovative MultiNet Comms range of portable, self-supporting incident ground communications solutions. This new range answers a real need among emergency services for more flexible, high capacity incident ground communications. The new units, which are powered by light, powerful batteries, are housed in a series of Peli cases, delivering video, voice and internet access over 2.4 and 5.8 MHz WiFi via a mesh network and 3G/4G, plus private cellular networks. The units within the MultiNet Comms range include: Incident Ground Extender nodes, Command Master/Primary nodes, Private Cellular Network nodes and satellite units.
Emergency Escape Breathing Device – Honeywell
www.honeywellsafety.com Honeywell has improved its highly successful Emergency Escape Breathing Device (EEBD), Bio-S-Cape, to meet two of the most important international marine safety regulations: ISO23269-1:2008 on EEBD for shipboard use and the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). The improvements make Bio-S-Cape a robust and high performance breathing solution for workers at risk of toxic gas exposures in extremely hazardous and challenging environments. Designed to be quick and easy to put on and safe, easy and comfortable to use, Bio-S-Cape features a hood large and flexible enough to cater for all head shapes including those with beards or wearing glasses, with the regulator ensuring overpressure maintained inside the hood eliminates any risk of inhaling toxic gas.
MAXIFORCE® air lifting bag – Vimpex Limited
FLIR K45 thermal imaging camera – FLIR Systems Inc
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www.flir.com/fire The new FLIR K45 thermal imaging fire fighting camera from FLIR Systems Inc offers 240x180 IR resolution and incorporates FLIR’s revolutionary Flexible Scene Enhancement™ (FSX) technology to produce ultra-crisp thermal imagery. The newest member of FLIR’s K-Series family will allow firefighters to see even better in total darkness or in smoke-filled rooms. The K45 with FSX presents accurate thermal images on a bright 4in LCD display, allowing firefighters to navigate safely and make accurate decisions when attacking fires and searching for victims. The K45’s intuitive and simple three-button user interface allows the firefighter to access all of the camera’s controls, even while wearing heavy gloves. The K45 is available for purchase globally through established distribution networks and comes with FLIR’s exclusive warranty covering the full camera for two years and the detector for 10 years.
Smartphone to satellite phone – SATcase™
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www.rescuetools.co.uk The MAXIFORCE® G2 is the latest air lifting bag from Paratech, which is now available in the UK exclusively from Vimpex. The air lifting bag is a thin, strong, moulded envelope made from three layers of Neoprene covered Aramid fibre reinforcement. It has the power to lift, move or shift weights up to 80.9 tonnes per bag – an increase of 20 percent lifting capacity compared to the original MAXIFORCE® for the same size bag. Vimpex offers MAXIFORCE® G2 in sets of various sizes and the airbags are fully compatible with all previous MAXIFORCE® equipment.
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www.satcase.com SATcase™ transforms a common smartphone into a sophisticated, satellite phone. The transformation is seamless: after placing a smartphone inside a durable, ruggedised case, users simply install the SATcase™ application. The resulting device runs on a familiar operating system that is now loaded with cutting-edge technology able to assist those in extreme emergency conditions. The SATcase™ is equipped with a smart mix of emergency features that can reduce the time it takes search and rescue (SAR) teams to locate people accurately. This includes an SOS button, two way rescue communications, online track and trace for live monitoring, silent alarms and infrared strobes for victims of kidnapping. The device uses technology that can be utilised by SAR teams searching by land, air and sea.
www.emergencyservicestimes.com
June 2015
64 | ESTLAST WORDS
Mobile working–saving time, improving accuracy, increasing productivity At a time when all three emergency services face reduced budgets, resources and headcount, a greater emphasis is being placed on the flexibility and mobility of personnel. I believe that technology has a key part to play in helping the emergency services achieve this. In our social lives we use mobile technology whenever we want and wherever we are. So why not apply this same principle to meet the demands of the emergency services? Words: Colin Heyes, Atkins Emergency Services Client Manager. The benefits of remote data collection are numerous. Updating in the field allows emergency services personnel to get more work done, resulting in higher productivity. It also helps to improve the accuracy of information as it avoids multiple stage data entry, eg making notes then entering the data back at the office or sending notes to an admin colleague to undertake the data entry. Updating in the field also allows users to create a record in the moment, whether they are a police officer on the beat, a fire inspector inspecting a building or a CSI collecting evidence at the crime scene. Doing this may capture additional relevant thoughts or details that might otherwise not have been recorded or remembered at a later date. Ultimately mobility improves accuracy, timeliness and productivity. However, it would be naïve to assume that web-enabled devices are a panacea as they all rely on mobile coverage. In the demanding and often remote jobs undertaken by emergency services personnel, this is clearly a challenge. It is for this reason that I propose a two-way approach. When users are online and have a signal, they can record data and upload it immediately and directly to a central database. When not online and without a signal, they may simply record the data locally on their device and then wait for it synchronise with the central database as soon as that device has mobile coverage again.
The right tools for the job Although laptops are the most obvious means to capture this data, they are not without their drawbacks. They take time to boot up, further time to acquire a network/signal, and they also create health and safety concerns due to their bulk and weight. Furthermore, they can also be seen as putting up a barrier between the user and the person they are talking too, for example when police personnel are talking to the victims of crime. As a result we advise our clients to look at tablets instead. Tablets are always ‘on’, have no reboot time and present a better, more professional/up-to-date image to the public that compares favourably with their experience of using mobile devices. Where possible, we recommend tablets that have the ability to be docked (with a keyboard and mouse), providing further flexibility back at the office.
Data sensitivity and security Understandably, many of our emergency services clients have security concerns regarding the use of mobile data. Whether cataloguing forensic evidence, collating potentially sensitive fire risk data or collecting personal details, the user (and the public) must be confident that this data is held and transmitted securely.
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Importantly, those same clients will already have an established policy in place regarding hard disk encryption and secure transmission of data to/from a mobile device. We always recommend the use of mobile working solutions that comply with these established protocols.
We’ve got an app for that Increasingly our clients are asking for the same kinds of solutions they use in their social lives to be available in a professional context. Typically this revolves around an app-based approach to software and, where appropriate, employing even smaller devices such as smartphones. One key benefit to this approach is that the user would only ever need to download apps relevant to their duties from a centrally controlled App Store, rather than having a device full of irrelevant software. Apps could also be downloaded on demand in the field as specific needs arise. Furthermore, these apps could be updated seamlessly via that App Store and the updates cascaded to all users. Seamless updates in this fashion require considerably fewer resources (IT and mobile worker downtime) than those needed to maintain existing, legacy laptop applications, which could involve recalling devices to a central point.
“It will be interesting to see how the growth of the smart watch market helps shape the services available to emergency services personnel.” We are developing apps that can be downloaded by emergency services personnel to help them in their daily jobs. The build up of the App Store also identifies where complementary technologies, commonly found on mobile devices, can be used to improve the mobile working experience: • Mapping – to identify the locations of the inspections • Cameras – to capture photographs/videos and specific items of data, e.g. fingerprints at the crime scene • Scanning – of barcodes used to uniquely identify data records • Smaller devices – smartphones or phablets may be suitable for certain mobile tasks that do not collect a great deal of data.
Colin Heyes, Atkins Emergency Services Client Manager.
The right information, at the right time Mobile working is not just about collecting data. Emergency services personnel are constantly required to make critical decisions out in the field and this process is greatly enhanced by having access to the right data at the right time. Use of the correct mobile device and the availability of the relevant data in the appropriate format is an essential element of this. The App Store idea extends to the provision of ‘readonly’ apps, which deliver critical data to the mobile worker at the point of decision. These apps will be consumed on a variety of devices that are targeted at individual groups of mobile workers, eg smartphone for police officers, tablet for victim support, etc. These apps will be designed to provide the right data to meet the demands of the particular situation.
Looking to the future I believe that new functions and apps on devices for social networking use will ultimately drive business use. It will be interesting to see how the growth of the smart watch market helps shape the services available to emergency services personnel. They could certainly be employed to help track personnel when they are in the field, especially police or fire personnel in a high-risk environment like a building fire or a riot. If you know exactly where your people are, you can advise them of any imminent risks based upon their current location. These watches might also be used to monitor the wearer’s vital signs, rather like certain sports apps do. The technological solutions required to realise mobility ultimately play into a whole new world of smart city applications and services. By taking concepts already in every day social use and bringing them to bear on the challenges faced by emergency services professionals, we can find effective and intuitive solutions.
www.atkinsglobal.com/angles June 2015