Emergency Services Times cover 14.2_- 27/06/2013 15:28 Page 1
June 2013
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Volume 14 | 3
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Emergency Services Times 14.3_– 27/06/2013 15:10 Page 1
ESTCONTENTS | 1
IN EVERY ISSUE
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26
Comment 3 News 4 Events 16 People 44 Profile 39, 43, 63 Kit Evolution 32 45 Company Profile Products 66
49
IN THIS ISSUE Efficiency Savings
30
58 32
50
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Dr Paresh Wankhade, Director of the Centre for Research in Emergency Services and Training (CREST) at Liverpool Hope University, discusses the implications of the recommendations made by Sir Ken Knight in his Government commissioned report on the future of the fire and rescue service. Also, the new Bromsgrove Joint Emergency Services Station highlights how public sector bodies are using the West Midlands Contractor Framework to embrace collaboration to deliver high quality construction projects.
PPE
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This packed feature includes: an update on the Technical Refresh of the Integrated Clothing Project, which is due for completion by late 2014; the importance of hearing protection for frontline emergency workers; Tom Hainsworth, Managing Director at Hainsworth looks at the considerations driving the PPE market; plus eyewear protection innovation from BollĂŠ Safety, healthcare sector footwear from Magnum and the British Association of Women in Policing asks police forces to embrace the excellent body armour products available for female officers.
Training
47
A roundup of recent training exercises, including the NARU-organised Exercise Amber 2, Exercise Georgiana in Lincolnshire and Exercise Selfridge in Gloucestershire and Wiltshire; JESIP encourages engagement from those responsible for operational training, learning or education; Dr Mark Forrest from Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service and ATACC Faculty Medical Director opens our eyes to the benefits of trauma team training; and London Ambulance Service has developed a new incident planning and response course.
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Emergency Services Times June 2013
Emergency Services Times 14.3_– 28/06/2013 13:22 Page 2
2 | ESTA-Z
Companies Company Name
Page No
Company Name
Page No
Company Name
Page No
Company Name
Page No
3tc Software Ltd .........................................................6
Dorset Fire and Rescue Service ................................6
Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service.......................57
Rescue 3 International .............................................43
AA SORT ....................................................................8
Durham Police......................................................6, 17
Le Maitre Ltd ...........................................................62
RNLI ..............................................................32-35, 39
Air Rescue 24 ............................................................37
East Midlands Ambulance Service...................10, 11
LHD Group ..............................................................28
Road Haulage Association.................................17, 59
Airwave................................................................10, 63
East of England Ambulance Service ............4, 10, 51
Lincolnshire County Council .................................49
Royal College of Nursing.........................................37
Amputees in Action .................................................47
EE...............................................................................12
Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service .............49, 59
Aquobex.....................................................................66
Emergency Planning College..................................53
Liverpool Hope University (CREST)....................18
Argus Thermal Imaging ............................................6
Emergency Planning Society ..................................16
London Ambulance Service....................................58
Asian Fire Service Association .................................8
Emergency Response Driver Training Ltd ...........60
London Fire Brigade ...................................10, 22, 44
Association of Ambulance Chief Executives.....3, 63
The Emergency Services Show 2013................17, 45
London’s Air Ambulance ........................................12
Association of Chief Police Officers .........................3
Environment Agency...........................................6, 19
Lucy Air Ambulance for Children ...........................4
Babcock International................................................6
Ferno UK ..............................................................8, 44
Lyon Equipment Ltd...............................................61
BEARS.......................................................................44
Fire Brigades Union.................................................18
MacNeillie.................................................................65
Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service.............6, 28, 44
Bedfordshire Police ..................................................44
The Fire Service College ...................................17, 53
Magnum ....................................................................37
South Central Ambulance Service............................6
Bollé Safety................................................................37
Firefish Marine.........................................................66
Manchester Medical Services..................................44
South Wales Police ...................................................44
Brake..........................................................................16
FlamePro...................................................................28
Maritime and Coastguard Agency..........................19
South West Ambulance Service ..............................50
Breitling.....................................................................66
Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service...........4, 50
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service ......................10
UKRO........................................................................55
Bristol Uniforms Ltd ...............................................22
Gloucestershire Local Resilience Forum...............50
Metropolitan Police Service ....................................10
Ultimate Hearing Protection Systems ...................25
British Association for Women in Policing...........30
Gloucestershire Police..............................................50
National Ambulance Resilience Unit ..12, 44, 47, 53
Godiva........................................................................45
NHS Ambulance Service First Aid Training..17, 58
Goliath Footwear......................................................37
Norfolk Constabulary ..............................................51
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service......6, 8
Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service......................17, 51
Greater Manchester Police ........................................8
Norfolk Resilience Forum.......................................51
HAAGEN..................................................................60
North Fire Plc.............................................................6
Hainsworth................................................................26
North West Ambulance Service..............................10
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service ................44, 59
Nottinghamshire Police...........................................62
West Midlands Ambulance Service....................4, 47
The Health and Safety Event..................................16
NSL Care Services....................................................44
West Midlands Contractor Framework .................20
heightec .....................................................................57
Peterborough Medical Emergency Response Incident Team......................................51
West Midlands Fire Service ....................................17
Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service ..................................................8, 20
Physio-Control..........................................................66
HM Coastguard ........................................................39
Police Scotland....................................................10, 44
Home Office..............................................................19
RAF............................................................................50
Independent Ambulance Association................8, 44
RAYNET...................................................................50
WL Gore & Associates Inc......................................30
International Fire Training Centre ........................61
Redfoot Technologies...............................................45
Wolverhampton University.....................................61
J & J Carter................................................................66
RedR ............................................................................4
Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation .......................28
JESIP..........................................................................53
Rescue 3 Europe .......................................................43
Zodiac MILPRO ........................................................8
British Red Cross................................................49, 66 CFOA National Resilience......................................17 Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service ....................55, 56 Chief Fire Officers’ Association....................3, 18, 59 Civil Nuclear Constabulary.....................................68 Cleveland Fire Brigade ............................................45 College of Paramedics ..............................................17 College of Policing....................................................53 CPDme ......................................................................17 Crewsaver ............................................................33, 35 Crown Computing....................................................68 Department for Communities and Local Government .........................................19, 22 Department for Transport .................................19, 39
SARbot UK Underwater Rescue ............................17 Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance.........................12 Scottish Ambulance Service....................................12 Scottish Fire and Rescue Service................10, 19, 45 Serco Combined Resilience.....................................17
URENCO ....................................................................6 VectorCommand.......................................................45 Vimpex Limited..........................................................4 Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service..................44
Department of Health..................................19, 37, 63
Welsh Ambulance Service .......................................10 West Mercia Police ...................................................20
WH Bence .................................................................45
Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service ................11, 17 Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service ...............................................17, 43
Ruth Lee Ltd ............................................................62
Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service......................6, 50 Wiltshire Police ........................................................50
Advertisers Company Name
Page No
Company Name
Page No
Company Name
Page No
Company Name
Page No
Amputees in Action .................................................13
Excelerate Technology Ltd.................................14,15
Le Maitre Ltd ...........................................................31
SP Services (UK) Ltd..............................OBC, 40, 41
Babcock International..............................................42
FlamePro...................................................................24
London Ambulance Service....................................51
Strongs Plastic Products..........................................64
Barden UK ..................................................................7
FLIR Commercial Systems.......................................7
Lyon Equipment Limited .......................................48
Toyobo........................................................................36
Bollé Safety................................................................29
Getac UK...................................................................27
Magnum ......................................................................9
Bristol Uniforms Ltd ...............................................27
Goliath Footwear................................................63, 65
Mercedes-Benz.......................................................IFC
British Red Cross......................................................13
HAAGEN Fire Training Products .........................46
Nortech Infrared.......................................................31
County Durham Emergency Medical Services Ltd.......................67
Hainsworth................................................................24
North Fire plc ...........................................................29
Emergency Response Driver Training...................31
HAIX Schuhe Produktions-und Vertriebs GmbH ...................................................19
The Emergency Services Show 2013...................IBC
heightec .....................................................................52
Emergency Services Times June 2013
TSI Instruments Ltd................................................64 University of Leicester.............................................46 Vauxhall Special Vehicles ..........................................5
Pickup Systems Ltd .................................................54
Vimpex Limited .......................................................23
RSG Engineering Limited ......................................24
WH Bence.......................................................OFC, 21
Ruth Lee Limited.....................................................54
Zodiac Milpro ...........................................................52
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Emergency Services Times 14.3_– 27/06/2013 15:10 Page 3
ESTCOMMENT | 3
ISSN 1472-1090 Date:
June 2013
Editor: David J. Holden MEng(Hons) Twitter: @999editor davidholden@brodenmedia.com Advertisement Manager: David Brown davidbrown@brodenmedia.com Advertisement Sales: Carol Fox carolfox@brodenmedia.com Office & Events Manager: Lesley Stevenson lesleystevenson@brodenmedia.com Marketing Manager: Emma Nicholls emmanicholls@brodenmedia.com Circulation: Christine Knoll admin@hpcpublishing.com
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 Keystrokes, Shoreham by Sea, West Sussex Tel: 01273 453300 keystrokes@btconnect.com
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Emergency services support for Driver First Assist initiative A major new initiative, which could both play a dramatic role in reducing road traffic accident casualties and produce a much needed enhancement in the image of the road transport industry in the eyes of the public, has been rolled out to the truck industry and will be launched to other professional drivers soon. Driver First Assist (DFA) is a new life-saving road safety initiative, which is supported nationally by all three emergency services and has broad industry support through Skills for Logistics, the transport industry’s sector skills council. The brainchild of former truck driver, Business Development Director at the Road Transport Industry Training Board and General Secretary of the United Road Transport Union, David Higginbottom, DFA will empower professional drivers – starting with truck drivers – to provide initial first aid support at the scene of road traffic collisions (RTC).
“Our vision is for hundreds – if not, ultimately, thousands – of trained personnel equipped to take action in the first critical moments after a RTC.” “We believe we have an effective strategy to train a significant number of drivers, starting with HGV drivers, but moving on to include van, car fleet and bus and coach drivers over time. These are the drivers out there on the roads where accidents happen and as such are best placed to offer immediate assistance,” says David Higginbottom. “Our vision is for hundreds – if not, ultimately, thousands – of trained personnel equipped to take action in the first critical moments after a RTC. Simple first aid techniques could do much to reduce casualties while the emergency services own ability to perform would be dramatically enhanced by receiving an onsite situation report the moment they arrive on scene,” said Mr Higginbottom. High level support
The initiative has the active support of the police through the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), the fire and rescue service through the Chief Fire Officers’ Association (CFOA) and the ambulance
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service through the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE), who believe DFA has the potential to become an important extension of the ambulance Driver First Assist is the brainchild of service not dissimilar David Higginbottom. to Community First Responders. The NHS is also behind DFA, as is Britain’s Senior Traffic Commissioner, Beverley Bell. RTC deaths cost the UK economy in the region of £3bn per annum, about twice the estimated costs associated with traffic congestion. It is estimated that 46 percent of fatalities could be prevented if first aid assistance was available early at the scene, with the potential to save the UK economy in the region £1.5bn per annum. The DFA scheme is being developed in partnership with the emergency services and will be operated as a not for profit Community Interest Company (CIC) with management involving representatives of the emergency services and major stakeholders such as Skills for Logistics. The CIC’s business model will ensure sustainability independent of traditional forms of fund raising and direct government subsidy. In brief, this will be achieved through the sale of training to transport companies and individuals, as part of their requirement to comply with the Driver CPC regulations. Companies/brands will also be invited to demonstrate their commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility by advertising their support for the DFA community in the form of branded vehicle decals, first aid kits, high visibility jackets, etc. Sponsorship opportunities
Sponsorship is now being actively sought, particularly from companies with direct links to aspects of the DFA operation: manufacturers of road safety and first aid products for example. Part of the DFA operation involves the development of a communications App and sponsorship for this and support for the project generally has already been secured from Google. www.driverfirstassist.org
Emergency Services Times June 2013
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4 | ESTNEWS
Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service (GFRS) is looking to further drive down emergency response times with the introduction of a new mobilising system to its control room. The system, called Vision 4, is designed to reduce the time it takes operators to handle calls and for fire stations to respond to emergencies. It includes new technology that increases the service’s capacity to handle large incidents and uses upto-the-minute mapping and identification software to pinpoint emergencies quickly before sending the best possible response. GFRS is only the second fire and rescue service in the country to install the new system, though several others are expected to follow suit in the coming months. www.glosfire.gov.uk
Following a period of intensive training the new helipad at St Mary’s Hospital, Newport, Isle of Wight, became operational on 17 May. The helipad was tested with flights by the air ambulance and coastguard working with the trust’s staff to ensure that the handover of patients is managed safely. The helipad was constructed by Mansell Balfour Beatty plc using primarily its island based supply chain. www.iow.nhs.uk
Lucy Air Ambulance for Children has recently joined the Association of Air Ambulances (AAA), the representative body for air ambulance services in the UK, as an Associate Member. This service is provided at no cost to those children requiring hospital transfers by air, and is mobilised at the request of the senior medical staff coordinating their care. Having direct access to both rotary and fixed wing aircraft enables Lucy to undertake all transfers on the most appropriate platform, depending on the care needs of the patient. www.lucyairambulance.org.uk
RedR, an international disaster relief charity, which trains aid workers and provides skilled professionals to humanitarian programmes worldwide, and Lloyd’s Charities Trust, have launched ‘Ready to Respond: Urban Disasters’, a three-year project, which marries the expertise of the UK private sector’s structural and civil engineers with that of academics and humanitarian professionals. Humanitarians from leading aid agencies will be given specialist training in how to quickly reinstate clean water and waste water systems and structurally assess buildings after mega earthquakes. www.redr.org.uk
New heights for HART in West Mids Fleet
investment is driving force for EEAST’s future The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) is investing approximately £14m in new emergency ambulances and £2.3m in its response car fleet.
West Midlands Ambulance Service’s Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) has recently installed a new training aid into their base to ensure they continue to be on top form. WMAS HART consists of 42 paramedics that are trained in a variety of skills enabling them to provide lifesaving emergency medical treatment in some very difficult environments. To assist the team with some of their specialist ‘Safe Working at Height’ training, a new purpose-built structure standing 7m high has recently been installed at their base in Oldbury. All HART operatives have to successfully pass a nationally recognised certificate in order for them to work at height. This certificate, which entails them undertaking and successfully passing an external two-day course, officially lasts for three years.
However, as the teams have so many specialist competencies West Midlands Ambulance Service provides protected training for each HART paramedic every seven weeks. This refresher training ensures all HART paramedics operate confidently and safely within all their competencies. James Price, WMAS HART Manager, said, “The organisation has a responsibility to keep staff and patients safe. As a regional asset HART find themselves having to work in a whole host of unfamiliar and very difficult environments in which they have to use a number of specialist skills. Having this equipment so readily available will help to assist the teams to complete their strict working at height training programmes.” www.wmas.nhs.uk
Portable hydraulic cutting tools aid cannabis farm raid Ogura’s battery powered hydraulic cutting tools were put to good use during a recent raid on a cannabis farm by one of Vimpex’s police customers. Vimpex has supplied numerous kits to the UK’s MOE (Method of Entry) armed response units and public order teams, where they are frequently used for forced entry, protestor release and all sorts of breaking, opening and cutting operations. The Ogura range of battery-powered hydraulics forms only a small part of Vimpex’s extensive range of products suitable for forced entry and breaching operations. Other products in the range include Paratech FET (Forcible Entry Tools), the Canguro SceneStar specialist batterypowered (silent) scene lighting, as well as PPE in the form of stylish but protective safety glasses, Pacific Helmets and a range of specifically designed protective gloves with enhanced heat protection.
Emergency Services Times June 2013
The new fleet of ambulances and rapid response cars (RRVs) are to be rolled out across the region as part of a new vehicle replacement programme. EEAST’s board agreed to a rolling replacement programme of 145 A&E ambulances and 110 rapid response cars between now and the end of June in 2014. Associate Director of Operations Support, Paul Henry said, “The board approved the programme to replace older vehicles and, in addition, to support our work on ambulance capacity and it was agreed that an additional 25 new ambulances over and above the standard replacement programme would be brought into service.”
Vimpex can also supply handheld thermal imaging cameras and hotspot technology to aid the police in the detection of cannabis farms. The company has over the past four years gained significant experience in the use of tools for special operations; so much so that the company is now relied upon to provide a significant part of an official police protestor release course.
Paul added, “Our fleet team is currently completing the procurement process that will anticipate that 50 of the new ambulances will be in service before Christmas and a further 47 coming into service during March 2014. The remaining 48 ambulances are expected to come into service between May and June 2014.” The fleet team will work closely with operational staff representatives to refresh and review the ambulance’s design and specification to ensure it fully meets patient and staff requirements.
www.rescuetools.co.uk
www.eastamb.nhs.uk
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Wiltshire and Dorset Fire and Rescue Services have both decided to procure the Symphony Bluelight Suite of gazetteer management software from Aligned Assets. The system, which has been developed specifically for use in the emergency services, is designed to enable the creation of corporate gazetteers that can feed all frontline and back office systems with the Ordnance Survey’s AddressBase Premium. Both services will be using the software as part of the Networked Fire Control Services Partnership (NFCSP) that will see collaboration between Wiltshire, Dorset, Hampshire, and Devon and Somerset fire and rescue services. www.aligned-assets.co.uk/bluelight
Following a successful pilot Durham Police are rolling out new body worn video devices as personal issue to all frontline officers. The Body Worn Video (BWV) is a cheaper, smaller and more effective alternative to head-mounted video cameras. The new equipment will prove of particular value as part of the early evidence gathering process to support prosecutions for vulnerable domestic abuse victims who are unwilling to provide a statement or give evidence in court. Durham is believed to be the first force in the UK, which is making the BWV available as personal issue to all operational officers. www.durham.police.uk
Babcock International Group has been awarded a multi-million pound five-year contract with URENCO, a leading global nuclear fuel business, for the provision of a fire resilience service at its Capenhurst site, located close to Chester. The contract sees Babcock providing 24/7 fire fighting and command and control room services, including responsibility for meeting training and regulatory requirements for its people. Babcock will also manage and maintain Urenco’s appliances and equipment, as well as over 300 stock items of specialist support equipment. www.babcockinternational.com
3tc Software Ltd has announced that Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) has selected MODAS as its corporate mobile data solution. The MODAS solution includes a communications gateway, back office and front office applications that link into GMFRS command and control and various other existing GMFRS systems. MODAS will be available for use on every fire appliance and will provide crews with risk critical information en-route to an incident and at the incident. www.3tcsoftware.com
Solar panels help drive efficiencies North Fire creates specific for local ambulance fleet trading arm for South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SCAS) is the police market first ambulance service in England to introduce solar panels on to its Rapid Response Vehicles (RRVs). SCAS started trialling solar panels in January 2012 and from September 2012 started fitting them on all new RRVs. To date solar panels, manufactured by Hampshire-based Barden UK Ltd, have been installed on 36 of the trust’s RRVs and SCAS is currently in the process of fitting solar panels to a double-crewed ambulance to evaluate their use. Daylight is converted into voltage by the two 34-watt solar panels with a separate C-Tec regulator located in the boot of the RRV to supply power to the secondary battery system that is used to charge the mobile data technology, medical equipment, blue flashing lights and radio. SCAS Green Team Coordinator Brian Miller said, “South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust is taking the initiative to introduce solar panels to its Rapid Response Vehicles (RRVs) to reduce fuel consumption, fuel and battery replacement costs, the trust’s carbon footprint and the need for RRVs to return to base and traditional shoreline
Following on from a successful launch of the Argus Mi-TIC into the UK fire and rescue services, North Fire has created a new Police & Security specific trading division to create an unrivalled supply chain direct to UK police forces. systems to recharge vehicle batteries.” The introduction of solar panels means that vehicles no longer need to standby with their engines running to recharge essential battery systems, or to return to base to recharge vehicle battery systems using static shoreline systems, which mean that the vehicles are unable to respond to emergencies while batteries are being charged. The use of solar panels means that the trust’s fleet of RRVs can be fully mobile at all times to provide the best in mobile healthcare services to patients suffering life threatening injury or illness across the four counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire and Oxfordshire. It is estimated that by using the solar technology the trust’s fuel consumption will be reduced by 11,232litres annually and CO2 emissions reduced by 30.28t. The expected cost savings amount to almost £50,000 over the five-year life of the 36 vehicles. www.southcentralambulance.nhs.uk www.barden-uk.com
Shropshire’s anti pollution push The ability to tackle pollution incidents in Shropshire has been boosted with a joint initiative between Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service and the Environment Agency. Four of the brigade’s existing four wheel drive vehicles are being kitted out by the Environment Agency with better equipment for firefighters to deal with fuel and chemical spills to prevent potential environmental disasters. Also, a new Toyota Hilux, dubbed an Environmental Protection Unit, has been jointly provided by the Environment Agency and the county’s fire and rescue service. Based at Minsterley Fire Station, it will have a dual role to respond to pollution incidents and be used to fight the regular grass and heath fires, which break out in the region.
Emergency Services Times June 2013
Equipment to deal with pollution incidents includes kit to block drains, plug fuel leaks and absorb chemical or fuel oil leaks. “The fire and rescue service gets to incidents quicker than we can and firefighters can act immediately to contain pollution until our officers get there,” said John Bateman, from the Environment Agency, based in Shrewsbury. “Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service always does a fantastic job in stopping pollution incidents but this new vehicle and equipment will allow them to respond even more quickly.” The new vehicle and extra equipment for Shropshire is part of a national project to equip all UK fire and rescue services. www.shropshirefire.gov.uk
“The move to create a specific Police & Security arm of the company came reactively due to the increased demand of handheld thermal imaging units from our Police & Security forces,” said Oliver North, MD, North Fire Plc. “We now have specific administrative, sales and service personnel who can cater specifically for the police as efficiently and effectively as possible. “Over the past 12 months we’ve seen a huge uplift in police thermal imaging products being delivered into the UK’s police forces as they try to improve officer safety and operational effectiveness. What we’ve seen with the forces using the products operationally is that less helicopter assistance is needed when thermal imaging is being used ‘on the ground’, and with such high call-out costs associated with helicopters, our thermal imaging units can save police forces millions each year in addition to increasing officer safety tenfold.”
Angus Drummond, Vice President for Global Sales, Argus, said, “In North Fire we have an extremely efficient sales and service partner who can react quickly and efficiently to fire services’ thermal imaging requirements and service needs. To put our new police range through a successful, existing organisation was a natural move but the new specific trading arm, Nortech Infrared, will ensure all emphasis can be placed on the police forces’ best interests.” www.nortech-ir.com
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The Independent Ambulance Association (IAA) has announced that it is expanding its geographic reach across the United Kingdom. A special category of Associate Membership has been established that will be offered to a limited number of companies in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, where currently ambulance companies are not yet regulated. The first IAA Associate Members are: Paramed UK Ambulance Service in Scotland; and the CPNI Ambulance Service in Northern Ireland. The IAA is in discussion with ambulance companies in Wales and hopes to appoint an Associate Member for the region in the near future.
Zodiac MILPRO supplies first IAA welcomes boat for the AA Special Ops team CPS changes on emergency driving
www.iaauk.org AA Special Ops team tries its Zodiac MILPRO UAB Scout River Runner
Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service (HWFRS) has upgraded two fire appliances, so that they can provide ‘Ultra Heavy Rescue’ support for fire crews. The new vehicles, which are based at Droitwich and Hereford Fire Stations, can help to lift, cut or move heavy or large vehicles using the equipment on board. Staff at these stations have received an extensive programme of advanced training to support the use of these new appliances. www.hwfire.org.uk
The work firefighters and staff do in the community has led to Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) winning a national award for its work with black, minority and ethnic communities. GMFRS was named Asian Fire Service Association (AFSA) Fire and Rescue Service of the Year at a ceremony in Derbyshire on 24 May. The AFSA Gold Award, which was in recognition of overall excellence and significant achievement in improving the safety of the community, was presented to GMFRS’ Head of Prevention, Area Manager Dave Keelan. www.manchesterfire.gov.uk
Ferno is one of 18 emergency medical equipment manufacturers to be included on the framework agreement for the East of England Collaborative Procurement Hub (EECPH) for the supply of bariatric furniture and equipment. The contract allows procurement through one channel with a view to providing public sector NHS trusts with products that fulfil their requirements at the right price without them having to go out for an OJEU tender as individual organisations, which can prove very costly. www.ferno.co.uk
The AA has moved its services onto water after becoming equipped with a rugged Zodiac MILPRO Scout River Runner for use by the AA’s C-Type Special Operations Response Team (AA SORT). The bright yellow 3.73m long craft is manufactured at the Zodiac MILPRO factory in South Wales and is capable of carrying seven people. It will be used by the AA’s inland water rescue team to provide back up for other emergency responders during major flooding events. Decorated with the AA’s distinctive logo, the new boat is based in the West Midlands from where it can be quickly deployed to emergency locations anywhere on the mainland UK. Because the majority of flood emer-
gencies arise from severe weather, they are usually predictable so the team believes that it will be possible to provide support in good time wherever it is needed. In recent years, the AA has typically attended over 1000 vehicles trapped in water and the purchase of a Zodiac MILPRO Scout River Runner is a natural evolution of this service. The boat is served by an eightperson team, which will travel to the emergency location in two off-road vehicles with the River Runner stowed inside. On arrival the boat can be quickly inflated and be on the water in minutes, with its two or three-person crew providing paddle power. www.zodiacmilpro.com
Police station becomes new base for ambulance staff Police in Stretford, Greater Manchester, have welcomed new neighbours to their headquarters. North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust (NWAS) staff, formerly based at Stretford Ambulance Station, have moved into offices at Trafford Divisional Headquarters after their former base was reviewed as part of the ambulance estate. The move was made on 1 May following months of preparation and planning by the two agencies. It included work to ensure the building was kitted out with appropriate equipment for the staff to be able to use. Chief Inspector Robert Pell, of Greater Manchester Police’s Trafford Division, said, “The co-location and collaboration of Stretford Ambulance Station here at our Divisional headquarters has enhanced the already strong links between the two groups. It is an example of emergency services coming together to work more effi-
Emergency Services Times June 2013
ciently and effectively while servicing the community of Trafford. “By basing themselves here at the police station the two services now have a far better understanding of each other’s roles and how they can support one another, which in turn means we are able to provide a better service to the public.” Patrick McFadden, Deputy Head of Service for the Greater Manchester area, said, “We’re delighted that this co-location has occurred. Extensive planning work has gone into this move to ensure that the ambulance station’s relocation best serves the area. The police station is in a secure location, has better access links to the local area and the facilities are much improved for staff and vehicles. Not only this, the co-location with our emergency service partners will help share running and maintenance costs.” www.gmp.police.uk
David Davis, Director, IAA.
The Independent Ambulance Association has welcomed the decision by the Crown Prosecution Service to change its guidance on charging offences arising from incidents concerning drivers in emergencies. Announcing the change, Keir Starmer QC, the Director of Public Prosecutions, said, “If a driver was responding to an emergency and took proper care, a prosecution is very unlikely to be in the public interest, but nothing in this guidance excuses recklessness or taking unjustifiable risks.” In cases involving drivers in emergencies, prosecutors will consider: • The nature of the emergency known to or reasonably perceived by the driver. For example, whether the driver was responding to a 999 call in compliance with the agreed operating practice in that service • The level of culpability of the driver (including the nature of the driving) • Whether there is evidence the driver may be a continuing danger to others. For example, such evidence may include relevant convictions or internal disciplinary proceedings against the driver. The change followed a campaign by police and fire organisations as well as the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives and the IAA. David Davis, Director, IAA, said, “The change is long overdue and will be welcomed by independent ambulance companies, which provide A&E support for the NHS during periods of peak demand and also undertake the emergency transport of human organs for transplant operations.” www.iaauk.org
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Five ambulance stations in the East of England have had solar panels fitted in a major bid to reduce the service’s carbon emissions. The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) have pinpointed south-facing stations across the region, in Hellesdon, Great Notley, Welwyn, Melbourn and Luton. The data from three of the stations show that in May this year the solar panels produced enough energy to boil more than 100,000 one-litre kettles and power nearly a 1000 energy-saving light-bulbs for the month. So far, more than 7000kg of CO2 emissions have been saved, which is enough to fill nearly 1.5 hot air balloons and almost the same as a car travelling around the world.
‘Talking’ emergencies with deaf, Shared service deafened and hard of hearing people in the Borders
www.eastamb.nhs.uk
London Fire Brigade (LFB) has joined forces with Ghent Fire Brigade in Belgium for the FIRED-uP project, which is looking for innovative ways of reducing the environmental impact of the cities’ frontline fleet of fire engines and other vehicles. Running until June 2015, the project provides the opportunity to investigate a range of new technologies and processes – from alternative fuels to components and power management to logistics. The three year project is being funded by a European Grant of €1.39m. www.fired-up.eu
Airwave has won the ‘Resilience in Infrastructure’ award at the 2013 Business Continuity Awards, in association with CIR Magazine, held at the Hilton on Park Lane, London. The annual awards ceremony recognises business continuity, security, resilience and risk professionals whose innovative strategies and industry savvy make them stand out above the rest. The Airwave Network was awarded for meeting the exacting standards of resilience demanded by the emergency services in providing users with robust and secure communications. www.airwavesolutions.co.uk
Health Minister Mark Drakeford has announced funding of £9.484m towards a major upgrade of the Welsh Ambulance Service’s fleet of vehicles. The money will allow the replacement of 110 vehicles, including emergency ambulances and rapid response vehicles. The Minister made the announcement ahead of a debate in the National Assembly for Wales on the Ministerial Review of the Welsh Ambulance Service, which was published on 29 April. www.ambulance.wales.nhs.uk
Paramedic Tim Hargraves gives Action Deafness a tour of an emergency ambulance.
Frontline ambulance staff have spent time with local people discussing the services provided by East Midlands Ambulance Service with the aim of better understanding the difficulties experienced by deaf, deafened and hard of hearing people. The meeting, which was part of an ongoing dialogue between EMAS and the Leicester-based Action Deafness, was run in various languages to ensure that it was accessible for all members of the group, ie English, British Sign Language (BSL) for the deaf people whose first language is Sign Language, spoken Gujarati, and remote captioning for those with a severe hearing loss but who rely on English for communication. Action Deafness Manager Jaz Mann said, “This has been a great success with a number of people attending
the event. They were keen to give their feedback as users of ambulance services in the past and had some interesting experiences to relate. The day was also about finding possible solutions to barriers and to change negative patient experiences into positives ones for the future. We know changes won’t happen overnight, but have seen the commitment of EMAS staff and are looking forward to working with them on an on-going basis, improving accessibility of the ambulance service throughout the East Midlands.” East Midlands Ambulance Service will continue to develop its relationship with Action Deafness, with continued dialogue and user involvement to improve services in the long term. www.emas.nhs.uk
Emergency Services Times June 2013
www.firescotland.gov.uk
Station collaboration
process will take another two years to deliver. Faith Boardman, Non-Executive Adviser on the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime, added that the Met simply did not possess a longterm IT strategy. She said that the force was now reaping the rewards of a failure to look at technology in the round. The Budget and Performance Committee is currently reviewing how the Met can improve its use of technology while cutting ICT spending by £42m in 2014-15 and a further £60m in 2015-16. The Met is expected to complete its new technology strategy in the summer.
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service firefighters have moved into their new station in Southport. Southport Community Fire and Ambulance Station, which has six vehicle bays and is being shared with the North West Ambulance Service, was recently handed over to Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority by Balfour Beatty Fire and Rescue. The new Southport station is one of seven stations that are being opened across Merseyside over a two-year period. They are part of a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) project, which will see a total of 16 new fire stations built in collaboration with Cumbria and Lancashire fire and rescue services. Southport Community Fire and Ambulance Station, Belle Vale Community Fire Station and Birkenhead Community Fire Station are all expected to be officially opened during this autumn, although all will be operational by the end of July.
www.london.gov.uk
www.merseyfire.gov.uk
Met Police admits long-term IT strategy failure Speaking at a meeting of the London Assembly’s Budget and Performance Committee on 18 June, Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley warned that close to 70 percent of the Met Police’s technology platforms are currently obsolete. He expected this figure to rise to 90 percent by 2016. Mr Rowley went on to admit that the force’s technology was ‘not in a good place’ and that more than 400 separate IT systems are currently in use, with some dating back to the 1970s. He also gave an example of how officers recording a crime may have to enter the name of suspects and witnesses more than 12 times on separate systems – and said that the 20,000 plus new mobile devices the Met wants to streamline the
In the first example of its type in Scotland, Police Scotland will have a dedicated office within a fire station, where the local Community Officer and fire and rescue service staff will share facilities. The move effectively reinstates a police post in Newcastleton in the Scottish Borders. Following the closure of Newcastleton police station in 2012, police listened to the concerns of the community and looked at how to maintain a presence in the village. Through a partnership approach and an enthusiasm from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, a police post facility has been re-established. The official launch of the new dual-purpose station took place on 17 June and was attended by representatives of Scottish Police, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Scottish Borders Council and the local community council. Chief Superintendent Jeanette McDiarmid, Commander of the Lothians and Scottish Borders Division of Police Scotland, said, “We fully understand that the public want to see police officers in their community and to have somewhere to go to report a crime or to get crime prevention advice. Thanks to collaborative working with the fire and rescue service, we are able to strengthen our community commitment in Newcastleton.”
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‘Think Sprinkler’ campaign gains local authority support
Twelve children have died in house fires across Derbyshire since 2011. This startling statistic is hard reading but then when you consider that these deaths could have been avoided, it becomes even more tragic. It is these human tragedies that were the catalyst for Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service Chief Fire Officer/Chief Executive Sean Frayne to drive the ‘Think Sprinkler’ campaign in Derbyshire, with a very simple aim: to have domestic sprinklers fitted in all properties in Derbyshire.
The importance of domestic sprinklers was highlighted in the recent high profile deliberate fire at Victory Road, Derby. Even in this case, Mr Frayne claimed that the blaze that ripped through the house on Victory Road would have been out in seconds, had safety measures been in place. In order to demonstrate Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service’s (DFRS’s) commitment to the ‘Think Sprinkler’ campaign, £200,000 of funding was provided for the retrofitting of sprinklers in domestic dwellings. This was based on the criteria that £20,000 would be offered to each council, borough/district (or housing association/arm’s length management organisation where council did not own their own property) on the basis that this would be match funded by them up to the same amount. To date nine of the 10 local authorities in Derbyshire are now in support of the campaign, giving total spends for 2012/13 of £360,000. The retro fitting of sprinklers has now begun and a further £200,000 has been set out by DFRS for the campaign in 2013/14. Huge savings Domestic sprinklers benefit a wide range of people other than the potential victims and the fire and rescue service. If a serious outcome can be prevented through the fitting of domestic sprinklers it provides huge savings on both resources and budgets for other agencies and services. In the case of a fire fatality the cost to the economy
is extremely high. A life lost can involve the police, National Health Service (NHS), Crown Prosecution Service, Prison Service, Probation Service, Social Services, housing providers etc. Fire Investigation is also resource intensive and involves a strain on manpower to deal with the situation effectively. In addition to the above, if a serious injury is inflicted following a fire this can result in the victim undergoing a lifetime of treatment on the NHS, amounting to thousands over the lifetime. As well as the physical impact of fire, there is also the emotional cost of fire. This is longer lasting to both individuals involved and also the wider community who can be deeply affected by a tragic fire. Indeed, while the debate on how to manage the property burnt by fire is on-going, the community will have a constant reminder then and in the future of the events that took place. This can put additional strain on services through required management of the long lasting psychological impact. When you consider that the average cost to fit a domestic sprinkler is £2800 per home* the return on investment provides obvious savings to all services involved in fires. Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service will continue to work tirelessly to promote domestic sprinklers both locally and nationally through the ‘Think Sprinkler’ campaign, which continues to receive local, regional and national attention. www.derbys-fire.gov.uk
*price varies on property size and build
EMAS Medical Assessment Unit includes police response The East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) Polamb team – a paramedic and Leicestershire police officer – respond to alcohol-related 999 calls received from the City of Leicester on a Friday and Saturday night in a specially adapted ambulance vehicle, which acts as a Medical Assessment Unit (MAU). Responding together means the paramedic can do their job safely and the police officer can secure a victim, witness or the scene of the incident while assessment and treatment is provided. The MAU provides a safe and warm environment in which to assess patients and is resourced with both medical and police equipment. EMAS paramedic Tim Hargraves works on
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Polamb and was involved in the design of the vehicle. He said, “Data shows that the majority of 999 calls we respond to are dealt with in the MAU on scene. This is good for the patient and good for our local hospital because it means we reduce the number of people visiting the busy A&E. “Importantly, it also means that our other ambulances can be used to protect and prevent loss of life or serious injury by continuing to respond to life-threatening emergencies across the rest of Leicestershire.” Between March and May 2013, Polamb was operational for eight weekends and responded to 92 emergency calls. Of those: 57 were treated in the Polamb MAU. Only 18 patients required transport to hospital and the remainder either made their own way home/to a treatment centre or were dealt with by the police; conditions included overdose, injury from a fight or fall, emotional distress, collapse and underlying health problems; and 89 percent of the patients had consumed alcohol in the previous three hours. The Polamb MAU was designed by EMAS paramedics and built by O&H vehicle conversions in Goole, North Lincolnshire. The total vehicle cost
with conversion and equipment is just short of £60,000 and EMAS has invested to provide two MAUs in Leicestershire (City and in Loughborough), and two in EMAS North division (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire). The service plans to introduce another MAU vehicle to Lincolnshire in the near future. www.emas.nhs.uk
Emergency Services Times June 2013
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Major incident action cards launched for ambulance services
Air Ambulance to use 4G technology
Words: Robert J Flute, Chair of NARU – Response and Recovery workstream.
The cards were a natural progression from the successful standardisation of tabard colours and helmets for ambulance personnel.
The National Ambulance Resilience Unit (NARU) was established in summer 2011 and works with all NHS ambulance trusts in England – and those in the Devolved Administrations – to help strengthen national resilience and improve patient outcomes in a variety of challenging pre-hospital environments.
Robert J Flute MBA FEPS FICPEM, Head of Resilience and Special Operations, East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust & Chair of NARU – Response and Recovery workstream & Chair of Norfolk Resilience Forum.
NARU works with ambulance trusts to support the development of properly trained, equipped and prepared ambulance responders to deal with hazardous or difficult situations, particularly mass casualty incidents that represent a significant risk to public health. The NARU response and recovery workstream (made up of lead resilience specialists from ambulance trusts across the UK) was tasked with producing a set of national major incident action cards to ensure all ambulance services deliver an effective standardised national response capability for major/catastrophic incidents. This is particularly beneficial in times of mutual aid, demonstrating interoperability between ambulance services across the UK, including the devolved administrations and Crown Dependencies. The cards were a natural progression from the successful standardisation of tabard colours and helmets for ambulance personnel, and all follow a standard format – showing the tabard to be worn by
role and then a series of actions and considerations. The cards are wipe cleanable and come complete with a chinagraph pen for ease in the field. The cards have been designed in two formats: A5 with a leatherette folder for gold, silver and bronze commanders to easily access; and A6 pocket editions of the initial action cards for all operational ambulance staff – it is so important that the initial actions are carried out at the scene of a major incident as soon as possible and that a METHANE report is delivered to the ambulance control room. The folders come in a ring binder format to allow cards to be replaced easily and specific local action cards to be inserted as required. http://naru.org.uk
The folders come in a ring binder format to allow cards to be replaced easily and specific local action cards to be inserted as required.
Emergency Services Times June 2013
London’s Air Ambulance has formed a strategic partnership with mobile operator EE to develop new systems that will use 4G technology. The partnership is aimed at enhancing the service provided by the capital’s air ambulance and cutting vital minutes off mission times for the benefit of patients. The service’s trauma team already started using tablet PCs with navigation apps, using EE’s 4G network, in rapid response cars, which are used at night to deliver a senior trauma doctor and paramedic to the patient. In addition, EE is currently looking to develop an application that will reduce the time it takes to get the aircraft airborne. Instead of gathering the data on paper, then running on foot with the paper to the helicopter, it is hoped that the new system will transmit information wirelessly, and instantly, to an on-board iPad, potentially shaving off seconds or even minutes to take-off time. In addition to saving minutes on dispatch time, EE is developing apps for London Air Ambulance Service to manage its data, checklists and paperwork to increase efficiency in the workplace. www.londonsairambulance.co.uk
Lift off for Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance Scotland’s first and only charity-funded air ambulance helicopter has taken to the skies, flying emergency frontline clinical care into the hearts of communities across the whole of the country. SCAA logged on with the Scottish Air Ambulance Service despatch centre at 1pm to say ‘Helimed 76’ was ready for operational deployment. In Scotland the Government funds two helicopters and two fixed wing aircraft based in Glasgow, Inverness and Aberdeen. Scotland now has an additional helicopter air ambulance supplementing the work of the Scottish Ambulance Service in delivering an even more extensive frontline emergency response service. Pauline Howie, Chief Executive, Scottish Ambulance Service, said, “The new charity air ambulance is a welcome addition to our fleet of helicopters and planes. The additional helicopter will bring more flexibility and resilience to air ambulance operations across Scotland. It will be crewed by our own paramedics and tasked by our Ambulance Control Centre in the same way as our own aircraft.” SCAA will cost around £1.5m each year to fund the aircraft, pilots, paramedics and charity staff. www.scottishambulance.com
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Save lives, save money: manage road risk with Brake By prioritising road safety, organisations can not only help to prevent needless road death and injury, but can also lower costs (through reductions in insurance premiums, the cost of fuel and vehicle repairs and lost employee time following crashes) and improve reputation and trust in their local communities. Brake, the road safety charity, has been supporting organisations, including blue light fleet operators, to improve at-work driver safety through its not for profit initiative, the Fleet Safety Forum, since 1995. It provides up to date guidance and tools to tackle road risk within any organisation employing people who drive for work. Subscribers get a host of benefits, including: a regular e-bulletin covering road safety research and initiatives; password access to more than 50 guidance reports on a range of topics, as well as new reports emailed on a regular basis; and discounted delegate places at essential Brake events including regional one-day seminars, online webinars and the charity’s annual Fleet Safety conference.
Other benefits include the chance to get involved with Brake’s community campaigning on road safety issues. Emergency services organisations often get involved in the charity’s flagship annual Road Safety Week in November, reporting that it’s a useful platform to leverage local road safety campaigns. Subscribers are also entitled to a free place at Brake’s Pledge training, equipping you to deliver road safety training and campaigns to at-work drivers, making your workplace and community safer. Annual subscription to the Fleet Safety Forum is just £155 + VAT. www.fleetsafetyforum.org
H&S event launches EPS celebrates at the NEC 20th anniversary
The Health and Safety Event, a new national health and safety (H&S) exhibition and conference programme, has been launched at the NEC in Birmingham from 11-13 March 2014. The new event will be held at the same time as Maintec, the maintenance, plant and asset management exhibition. The new event is to be organised by Western Business Exhibitions, which for the past seven years has been responsible for a series of regional health and safety events, including: Health and Safety – South; Health and Safety - North; Health and Safety – Scotland. Visitors to the new national event will have the opportunity to access a range of educational conferences and seminars, all of which are available free of charge. A central platform of the educational programme will be seminars organised by The British Safety Council, which address the major topics of the day as legislation and behaviour dictates, as well as further seminars taking place across the three-day event.
The Emergency Planning Society (EPS), the UK’s leading organisation for resilience and emergency planning professionals, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Since its creation in 1993, the EPS has become the driving force in the world of resilience, influencing Governmental change at the highest level. To commemorate the past two decades, the EPS has announced details of this year’s annual conference, encompassing the theme of Resilience: Past, Present and Future, as well as the national Resilience Awards and Annual General Meeting. EPS members are invited to join the Board of Directors at the AGM, which is taking place on 25 September at the Ramada Solihull, Birmingham, from 3pm to 5pm in the Courtyard Suite. Following the AGM, members are invited to the fifth national Resilience Awards and Dinner, taking place on the evening of 25 September, also at the Courtyard Suite. This year’s conference is a one-day event, taking place at the NEC Birmingham on 26 September. A draft programme, including details on this year’s speakers, will be released shortly. The conference is being held alongside The Emergency Services Show 2013, also at the NEC from 25-26 September.
www.healthandsafetyevents.co.uk
www.the-eps.org/events
Emergency Services Times June 2013
Upcoming Brake events 2young2die course A one-day training course enabling you to work with young people in your community to run campaigns on road safety issues: £45 + VAT Date
Location
19 September 2013
Birmingham
17 October 2013
Manchester
19 November 2013
London
11 December 2013
Leeds
15 January 2014
Edinburgh
4 February 2014
London
19 March 2014
Bristol
Police family liaison following road death and serious injury conference A one-day conference for police family liaison officers: £71 + VAT for subscribers (£120 + VAT for non-subscribers) Date
Location
2 October
Leeds
9 October
Edinburgh
17 October
Bristol
Dates for your diary 23-29 September 2013 National Air Ambulance Week 25-26 September 2013 The Emergency Services Show 2013 The NEC, Birmingham www.emergencyuk.com (See page 17 for more details)
9-10 October 2013 CATO Conference Bonn, Germany www.cato-project.eu
26 November Lone Worker Safety 2013 London Olympia www.loneworkersafetyexpo.com
20-23 November Medica 2013 Dusseldorf, Germany www.medica-tradefair.com
11-13 March 2014 Security and Policing FIVE Farnborough Hampshire www.securityandpolicing.co.uk
1-2 April British APCO Manchester Central www.bapco.co.uk
29-30 April Counter Terror Expo Olympia, London www.counterterrorexpo.com
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Free onsite training opportunities at The Emergency Services Show 2013 As well as giving you access to key training institutions and equipment providers, The Emergency Services Show 2013, which takes place from 25-26 September at the NEC, Birmingham, provides visitors with free onsite training opportunities including first aid, water and roadside rescue. The most respected training providers in the industry will be exhibiting at this year’s event, including: • The Serco Combined Resilience Team – which brings together the International Fire Training Centre, the Emergency Planning College and Gold Standard Exercising • Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service Training Academy – which supplies firefighters from fire and rescue services, as well as international and commercial clients, with fire behaviour and specialist rescue instruction • The NHS Ambulance Service First Aid Training consortia (NASFAT) – a partnership of NHS ambulance services that are working together to promote a full range of high quality first aid training services locally and nationally • The Fire Service College
“Free parking for all visitors and exhibitors.”
Get to grips with equipment Nothing compares to physically handling new equipment and seeing how it can be used to its full potential. Keeping informed of the latest kit developments – including those that you may see other blue light services using when they attend incidents – is key to improved multi-agency working and should be part of every service’s training programme. Ruth Lee will be demonstrating its new handcuff training manikin (developed following an enquiry Training equipment providers exhibiting at The Emergency Services Show 2013 Amputees in Action; Cardiff International White Water; Class Publishing; Concept Smoke Systems; Coventry University; Emergency Response Driver Training; E-Semble; Haagen Fire; ITLS; Jones & Bartlett Learning; Laerdal; Le Maitre; Minerva Simulator Facilities; MT Training Services; Rescue 3; Ruth Lee; Simulaids; Simulation; TEEX, USA; Training 4 Resilience; University of Wolverhampton; Vector Command.
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from the personal safety training team at Sussex Police) and the new body recovery manikin aimed at police underwater search and recovery teams. (See page 62 for further details) Training for Hot Zone situations Visitors to the Durham Police stand can find out more about its Tactical Training Centre. The nationally approved (College of Policing) firearms and multi-functional training facility is available for police and non-police organisations looking to develop firearms, leadership and decision making skills. Training modules available include Dynamic Intervention, which covers hostage rescue situations. College of Paramedics CPD sessions The College of Paramedics is planning a further series of Continual Professional Development (CPD) sessions, comprising a mix of 30-minute lectures and workshops. Although designed to help paramedics keep abreast of the latest developments affecting professional practice, other emergency, health and care professions including the police and fire and rescue service, will also find these sessions beneficial. All attendees will be provided with CPD certificates for inclusion in their portfolios. Sessions include: • Rapid Paediatric Assessment • Chest Pain: To Convey or Not to Convey? • Diabetic Emergencies • Basic and Advanced Life Support • Obstetric Emergencies – Covering Breech Birth and Shoulder Dystocia • Non Traumatic Hip Pain-Assessment and Examination Maintain an accurate record of your personal development Healthcare professionals visiting the CPDme stand can sign up for 12 months free membership of the online portfoliobuilding service, designed for maintaining CPD logs. They will also receive a free download of the new CPDme App, which enables users to build a print ready portfolio as well as search, find and book development courses, conferences and training right from their mobile or hand held device.
Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service will be showcasing The Ex-Tractor, an HGV ‘transformer’ that is designed to demonstrate the nationallyadopted six-phase HGV rescue approach: removal of the windscreen, door removal, dash board roll, quarter cab removal, front roof flap and full stabilisation of the vehicle. The vehicle was designed by second year motor sport engineering students at Derby University. Meanwhile CFOA National Resilience, West Midlands Fire Service, Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service and SARbot UK Underwater Rescue and will be running exciting demonstrations of water rescue in the Pendigo Lake at the NEC. Register for free entry The Emergency Services Show 2013 will feature 350+ companies showcasing the latest technology and initiatives focused on improving public safety and assisting all blue light services, voluntary workers and service providers. Register now for free entry at www.emergencyuk.com/est12. Book a stand For suppliers to the industry the show offers access to 5200 buyers from a wide range of sectors including police, fire and rescue, public and private ambulances, emergency planning, maritime and coastguard agencies, search and rescue teams, government agencies, health authorities and many others. If you would like to book a stand please contact Carol Fox: Tel: 01737 824010 or e-mail: carolfox@brodenmedia.com.
Live rescue demonstrations The Road Haulage Association is once again organising the popular Recovery Demonstration that will highlight the skills and professionalism of those in the industry, the equipment available and what it can achieve in the correct hands with the right training.
Getting there The NEC is physically linked to Birmingham International Station and Birmingham Airport. Visitors arriving by car find the venue directly accessible from the UK motorway network and can enjoy free parking thanks to dedicated parking sponsored by Emergency Services Times. www.emergencyuk.com/est12
Emergency Services Times June 2013
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Facing the future: latest fire and rescue services reforms proposal – time for a real debate? The latest study by Sir Ken Knight, a former Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser to the Government, calls for greater interoperability and working towards a unified fire and rescue service in England. But what are the implications of these latest recommendations? Words: Dr Paresh Wankhade, Director of the Centre for Research in Emergency Services and Training (CREST) at Liverpool Hope University. The Government commissioned report, Facing the Future: Findings from the review of efficiencies and operations in fire and rescue authorities in England, builds on the previous reviews undertaken during the last 10 years, notably the Bain Review (2002) and the Fire Futures report (2010). Sir Ken’s independent review provides context to the current risk assessment for the fire and rescue service in the light of massive reduction of fire incidents (by more than 40 percent) and calls for a new approach and model for the fire and rescue services in England.
• The 46 fire and rescue authorities in England, each with different governance structures, senior leaders, and organisational and operational quirks does not make for a sensible delivery model. There is a lack of local political appetite and incentive to combine • Interoperability or collaboration, and co-location with other blue-light services do happen but the progress is patchy and driven or hindered by local relationships • Greater sector leadership is needed to drive through a culture of learning from good practice and challenging services to rise to the level of the best • National level changes to enable greater collaboration with other blue-light services, including through shared governance, co-working and co-location, would unlock further savings.
Sir Ken Knight, former Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser.
Some of the key recommendations of the report include: • Deaths from fires in the home are at an all-time low – incidents have reduced by 40 percent in the last decade, but expenditure and firefighter numbers remain broadly the same. The review suggests that there is room for reconfiguration and efficiencies to better match the service to the current risk and response context • Increased efficiencies could lead to annual savings of about £200m • Some fire and rescue authorities spend almost twice as much per person per year in some areas than others, but there seems to be little relationship between expenditure and outcomes • Fire and rescue authorities have transformed themselves from organisations that dealt with fire response to organisations also covering preventative work and have succeeded in reducing incidents. They now need to transform themselves again to reflect the completely different era of risk and demand
Future operating model ‘options’ However the most radical and perhaps more controversial recommendations or ‘options’ as the report puts it, relate to the future operating model for the fire and rescue authorities in England. These include, among others: • Moving towards a more national model, through enforced mergers to reduce the number of fire and rescue authorities or potentially a full merger (in the style of Scotland) • Allowing fire and rescue authorities to procure their fire and rescue service from a mutual • Following international example and privatising the provision of fire and rescue services • Merging fire and rescue services with one or more of the other blue light services, improving interoperability • Sharing governance structures with other blue light services, such as Police and Crime Commissioners taking on the role of fire and rescue authority • Improving join up at a government level between sponsors of the blue light services and other departments that hold an interest in activity related to fire and rescue work. Opposition to the proposals None of these recommendations are new, including the opposition to these proposals from various quarters. The review has met with severe criticism from the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), the main union representing fire and rescue service
Emergency Services Times June 2013
Dr Paresh Wankhade is the Director of the Centre for Research in Emergency Services and Training (CREST) at Liverpool Hope University. He is also the Editor of the International Journal of Emergency Services, an Emerald publication. His research and publications focus on analyses of organisational culture, organisational change and interoperability within the emergency services, including strategic leadership in the public services.
personnel, which criticised these proposals as nothing more than a cover for introducing more cuts. Matt Wrack, General Secretary of the FBU, attacked the report as ‘a fig leaf for slashing our fire and rescue service to bits’ (Guardian, 2013).
“This is an opportunity too good to be missed.” The response of the Chief Fire Officers’ Association (CFOA) has been more guarded. CFOA has generally welcomed the proposals for greater efficiency and in acknowledging the contribution of the fire and rescue service. It has however raised concerns about the report’s reference to international examples of privatisation of the provision of fire and rescue and argues that the fire and rescue service remains a publicly provided service and that profit should never come before protection (CFOA, 2013). The association has also been sceptical about any move towards a single fire and rescue service, which would have to be driven by central government and would require significant investment while not necessarily guaranteeing significant savings. Media reports quoting response from the operational fire officers has been rather mixed (BBC, 2013). There has been no official response from the government to these proposals at the time of writing. Improving interoperability Another important recommendation in the report is improving interoperability between the three blue light services (fire and rescue, police and
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ambulance) currently actioned through the Joint Emergency Service Programme (JESIP) housed within the Home Office and currently chaired by the fire and rescue service. The CREST-hosted Resilience Conference in October 2012 deliberated the various issues impacting multi-agency cooperation within North West of England. There remain, however, huge challenges in effective coordination and joint working. The three main blue light services work under different government departments – the ambulance service under the Department of Health, the police comes under the Home Office and the fire and rescue service falls under the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). Similarly the Category 1 responders (as defined in the CCA, 2004), work within different departments – The Environment Agency is part of the Department of Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), local authorities come under DCLG whereas the Coastguard Agency is an executive agency of the Department for Transport, and so on. There are also disagreements between the emergency services in sharing resources and having control of the emergency 999 call facilities. The fire and rescue service proposal to share 999 facilities with the ambulance service (Fire Futures, 2010) did not find support with the ambulance service. It does have some merit given the joint work being done by both the services in the rural areas in England and the fact that emergency medical response is provided by the FRS across many parts of Europe and in North America. Would the ‘Scottish model’ work? The report alludes to the unified ‘Scottish model’ for emergency response services. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service was created on 1 April 2013, replacing the country’s previous eight regional services. The unified service, with its new headquarters in Perth, operates with three ‘hubs’, in the north, west and east of Scotland. There are similar debates for policing reforms in England (Winsor Reports, 2011; 2012). Police Scotland was formally established on 1 April 2013 after the merger of the eight former police forces and is now the second largest force in the UK after the Metropolitan Police. The key arguments supporting both the mergers relate to efficiency and savings by pooling resources, therefore protecting front-line staff and services. It is too early to evaluate the impact of these momentous changes in Scotland but there is no doubt that in coming days, this debate will gather further momentum in England. The coming months are likely to witness a greater polarisation of views between the critics and the sympathisers of these latest recommendations, especially, on the issue of merger and reorganisation leading to a single unified service and the involvement of the private sector in the fire and rescue service delivery. These are early days but in my view, the report provides an excellent opportunity to CFOA in playing a key role in shaping this debate and leading constructive and honest discussions with various stakeholders, notably the FBU and the Government. The lessons from the experience of the newly created Scottish Fire and Rescue Service should be objectively assessed. This is an opportunity too good to be missed. http://crest.hope.ac.uk
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To build or not to build… Construction framework agreements are designed to reduce costs, reduce risk and deliver value for money for local people. They should also embrace the ethos of collaborative teamwork – but is that easier said than done? Words: Andrew Peasgood, Framework Manager for the West Midlands Contractor Framework (WMCF) at Worcestershire. Construction is an expensive process for any public sector body, and in the era of the Comprehensive Spending Review and central government’s ongoing desire to see further cost savings, it’s increasing difficult to justify major programmes of construction. But at a local level, people still want to see services protected and – where needed – improved, presenting many public sector bodies with a significant challenge: to build or not to build.
We see this point as crucial. We’ve already asked the contractors to compete to secure a place on the framework, so it would be counterproductive to ask them to do the same thing for each project. It’s our belief the benefits of further competition are outweighed by the benefits of collaboration and group knowledge sharing, which is a guiding objective of the WMCF. By being open about the way work is awarded and judged, we encourage the contractors to share their experience, knowledge, successes and mistakes rather than keep this information for personal advantage. It’s this spirit of joint venture that allows us to seek common solutions and refined procedures across all projects to enhance our understanding of what works and what doesn’t. Bromsgrove Joint Emergency Services Station The proof is in the projects we deliver. So far, 25 projects with a combined value of £100m have been brought into the framework, including a library, leisure centre and new schools, but it’s the new Bromsgrove Joint Emergency Services Station that really highlights how public sector bodies are using the WMCF to embrace collaboration to deliver high quality projects.
Andrew Peasgood, Framework Manager for the West Midlands Contractor Framework (WMCF) at Worcestershire.
The West Midlands Contractor Framework (WMCF) was launched in 2010 as a delivery vehicle for new public sector construction projects in the region. With support and backing from Improvement and Efficiency Partnership West Midlands, the WMCF was developed as a multiclient framework by Worcestershire County Council, Herefordshire Council, West Mercia Police and Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service. Ultimately, the £180m four-year framework provides a common mechanism for the procurement of construction work from appointed contractors Speller Metcalfe, Kier Construction Central and Thomas Vale Construction. Quality and service The overarching objectives of the framework are to improve project management, value and delivery, principally through the removal of the need to tender each construction project individually – which can add as much as two percent to the budget. Instead, projects are allocated rotationally to each contractor subject to their performance, which is rigorously measured through a series of performance indicators covering a wide range of success criteria that focus on quality and service rather than cost.
“When completed in 2014, the finished building will be the first of its type in the UK and could set the bar for joint police and fire facilities in the UK.” Started in November 2012, the Bromsgrove Joint Emergency Services Station is West Mercia Police and Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service’s concept for a more effective local emergency services centre. Replacing two former police and fire stations that have become increasing costly to run, the new facility brings police and fire and rescue services into one location. While the project uses the WMCF as the delivery vehicle, the facility itself is the first to be delivered under the Worcestershire Capital Asset Pathfinder initiative, which looks at how a partnership approach to public services – such as police and fire and rescue – can lead to better services for local people while increasing value for money and efficiencies through shared facilities. The building itself is designed to be as modern as possible and targets BREEAM ‘Very Good’ as the environmental baseline. To achieve this, it uses the
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latest in efficient heating and cooling systems and, given this is a building where emergency response vehicles are parked and used, well-ventilated and clean spaces with plenty of room for maintenance and manoeuvre. Low-energy lighting and water facilities are also key features, and the building uses natural light as much as possible to keep energy bills to a minimum. Experience and knowledge And while the idea might come from the public sector partners, the WMCF has been essential in the development and design of the building. As stakeholders in the framework, West Mercia Police and Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service engaged the WMCF early in the project’s life to capitalise on the contractors’ experience and knowledge at the design stage. The result is that appointed contractor Thomas Vale was able to highlight risks and opportunities, such as the ability to reduce floor space by almost 25 percent by combining rooms and shared facilities even further – which could cut running costs by as much as 20 percent per annum. It also meant the project could be delivered without the cost and delay of an OJEU tender process, significantly reducing costs associated with tendering and timescale delays. These are huge benefits, and they go to show how effective collaboration can be, both between different public sector bodies and the public and private sector through a framework agreement. By engaging with the contractor through the framework at an early stage, their experience can help influence the way the building the works and what issues might arise during the construction process that may otherwise be missed. The benefit is a smoother construction process, fewer defects, shorter timescales and – potentially – reduced costs.
The Bromsgrove Joint Emergency Services Station is West Mercia Police and Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service’s concept for a more effective local emergency services centre.
When completed in 2014, the finished building will be the first of its type in the UK and could set the bar for joint police and fire facilities in the UK. At the WMCF, we also hope it sets the benchmark for the effectiveness of a framework. www.worcestershire.gov.uk/WMCF
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ICP update looks to capitalise on next generation PPE benefits In the run-up to the Technical Refresh of the Integrated Clothing Project (ICP), due to be completed by late 2014, work has already begun. This is intended to allow for the safety, performance and comfort benefits made possible by developments in materials, fabrics and designs in the complete head-to-toe range, since the original technical and user trials, to be incorporated into the standard specification at the conclusion of the refresh programme. It will also provide an ideal opportunity for other fire and rescue authorities (FRAs) to take advantage of a tried and tested programme, which has already realised major benefits for existing users. Words: Roger Startin, Joint Managing Director, Bristol Uniforms. The ICP’s founding principles remain relevant. Just under 10 years ago a plan to deliver greater efficiency for public sector procurement saw the initiation of the National Procurement Strategy within which were plans for ‘an Integrated Clothing Project (ICP) to provide an integrated system of clothing, from the skin out, designed specifically for firefighters to do their job safely and in comfort whilst meeting the needs of a modern diverse workforce’.
of the wearer trials required by DCLG and ICP FRAs, a timetable for consultation, an impact assessment, an implementation plan and a financial proposal. Once all aspects have been agreed and approved, and thorough wearer trials have been carried out at ICP FRAs during 2014, a timetable for the introduction of the refreshed product ranges will culminate in new products being made available by the early autumn of 2015. The ICP User Group, with representatives from every participating FRS, meets regularly to review the performance of the programme. Within this is the Change Control Process, instigated at the start of the ICP, through which all garments have been subjected to regular appraisal and improvement. In the case of some items, such as station wear, this will also have led to the introduction of additional products to the original range. An integral part of the plan will be a comprehensive User Feedback project involving all ICP Users, which will provide a ratings score for every garment they have used. This will result in over 600 individual scores and around 70 item by item averaged scores, which will be fed into the review process.
“A timetable for the introduction of the refreshed product ranges will culminate in new products being made available by the early autumn of 2015.” Following the earlier instigation of a project by London Fire Brigade in 2000, which soon involved 40 FRAs, the Audit Commission recommended in its 2001 report, ‘A Uniform Approach’, the introduction of a standard specification for uniform and PPE for all FRAs to access. In 2003, the ICP became a national project in its own right with an
ICP Board formed with representatives from FRAs across the UK. In 2006 it was transferred to Firebuy to carry out the procurement, with the full support of government. In 2008 the ICP contract was awarded to Bristol Uniforms following lengthy and exhaustive technical and wearer trials. This was to run for a minimum 15 years, with a three-year extension, and include a mid-term technical refresh. In spring 2011 Firebuy’s activities as a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) ceased and the management of the framework contracts were transferred to The Consortium for Purchasing and Distribution Limited, while the ICP came under the direct control of the DCLG.
How the real benefits have emerged over time The ICP has been much more than a vehicle for FRAs to obtain best value in terms of quality, performance and value for money. As a procurement programme, a major objective of the
Invitation to potential suppliers May 2013 saw an invitation to potential suppliers to register their interest in becoming part of the extended supply chain for ICP components, products and services for the second half of the contract, which included an advertisement in the fire trade press. By November this year a Refresh Report will have been prepared for presentation to DCLG, including which technology is to be investigated and evaluated over what timescales. The comprehensive report will include its recommendations for future products, an indication
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ESTPPE | 23 scheme has been to ensure that the lifetime management of high value PPE would be a focus for improving the systems and processes through which the return on the investment made in firefighter clothing could be optimised. In essence, attention was switched away from the traditional approach to procurement, to one which focused on the long-term cost of ownership. This places the emphasis on achieving the most cost effective management and maintenance systems as a means of improving garment longevity, particularly for PPE, and making budgets stretch further. The key components of the lifetime care element of the ICP are regular garment condition monitoring, efficient and effective maintenance programmes and the use of IT to allow for the recording, storing and retrieval of data on individual items of kit and its wearer. This, in turn, provides detailed usage profiles and condition coding and allows for cost effective garment replacement planning and management. Much of the management process for FRAs can be done remotely through secure online access to this information, reducing the time and costs of managing the whole procurement process. Within an online comprehensive Wardrobe Management System, coupled to a Stock Management System, there is a
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facility to set garment replacement parameters at selected levels to allow individual firefighters to obtain replacement kit without needing to involve procurement departments. This has been shown to save money and shorten timescales leading to an overall improvement in process and operational efficiency. How other emergency services can benefit The protocols, systems and processes, which are an essential part of the ICP, have become embedded in the procurement approach now widely adopted throughout the fire and rescue service and have been shown to deliver considerable efficiency savings at the same time as driving down waste arising from premature garment disposal. A clear demonstration of the practical benefits to the country’s fire and rescue services, working hard to deliver the same standard of service with fewer resources, has started to create an interest within the wider emergency services environment. In the case of the ambulance service, the increased usage of specialist PPE, such as that worn by the HART responders, has been accompanied by a growing trend towards adopting managed services similar to those used in the fire and rescue service. While similar efficiencies and savings could be available to the police service for their technical garments, such as public order crowd control (POCC) kit, to date little interest has
been shown in managed services despite the very real pressures to maintain frontline services against a background of reducing levels of public funding. While the fire and rescue service has clearly shown a lead to others in the emergency services using high value technical protective garments, it has been the police service, which has proved to be most resistant to change. The scope and potential for the wider emergency services of adopting the type of national procurement strategy, which has already proved its value to the fire and rescue service, would not only provide a tried and tested formula but also significantly easier entry than that afforded the fire and rescue service when it pioneered the concept. A unique chance The mid-term refresh will provide the opportunity for fire and rescue services to deliver their verdict on the benefits they have secured since adopting the ICP. It will also offer a particularly convenient window of entry for those FRAs which, fully appraised of the benefits, have been looking for the right moment to adopt the ICP. And, with the refresh adopting the latest technical and performance advancements in both PPE and other garments, a unique chance to enter at the most favourable moment. It will also be an ideal time for others, whether in fire fighting or the police and ambulance services, to actively review their own procurement programmes, evaluate their options and consider the benefits of adopting a similar programme during what is clearly a very challenging and much changed operational and financial environment. www.bristoluniforms.com
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Noising off – the importance of hearing protection For frontline emergency service personnel being exposed to noise is unavoidable. It seems, however, that although measures are taken to ensure the correct levels of head to toe PPE are provided to safeguard the individual when performing their roles, we don’t see the widespread adoption of effective hearing protection. Indeed in many cases it has been determined that hearing protection cannot be provided as it either compromises other PPE or the situational awareness of the individual wearer, even though toxic noise levels are known to be prevalent and are putting the hearing of the personnel at risk of hearing loss. Words: Dave Marshall, Founder and Managing Director, Ultimate Hearing Protection Systems. More and more cases of noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) are being identified and being attributed to normal operational duties. As well as damaged hearing and the affects on lifestyle, NIHL is also becoming a very real cost to employers as, if they are found to be liable, claims are made and compensation paid out. Historically, it is true that the provision of adequate hearing protection without the wearing of it impairing the performance of the wearer may have been true once, but this certainly isn’t the case today.
“The capability of being able to listen to radio or phone communications in high noise environments is perhaps the biggest single problem for emergency workers.” In 2011 the East of England NHS Ambulance Trust’s HART department, the largest UK HART department outside of London, wanted to make provision for hearing protection that allowed for situational awareness and communications. Their requirements were quite clear, the protection needed to be easy to wear, quick to fit, comfortable and allow for connectivity to both Airwave and Intrinsically Safe (IS) radios. Custom hearing protection Ultimate Hearing Protection, a specialist manufacturer of custom hearing protection, has been supplying custom hearing protection solutions to the British Armed Forces, police forces, fire and
rescue services and NHS ambulance trusts since 2003. The company’s products conform to EN352-2 and carry CE approval. In conjunction with HART management and supervisors, the company developed and trialled a prototype to ensure it would work and not impair any of the specialised PPE used by HART/USAR crews. Following successful trials this programme has rolled out and continues to be rolled out across HART and through its continued expansion over two years. This is but one example of Ultimate Hearing Protection meeting one group’s requirements and this has been echoed throughout the emergency services in the UK. Police motorcyclists experience harmful noise as soon as they ride above 40mph and yet they still require clear radio communications. Policing at live events calls for clear communications of an overt nature and also calls for covert operations – both can be provided for with different solutions connecting to Airwave/Sepura radios, phones or other devices. Firefighters have to contend with sirens, radiocomms in the cab (competing with engine noise and sirens) and pump operators and hydraulic cutting gear as well as use radio comms and maintain on the ground situational awareness, while maintaining their ability to communicate to casualties and colleagues verbally and via comms.
“The team have worn their ear plugs every day since we got them and now they barely notice they are there.” Firearms Support Unit – North Yorkshire Police
Compounding the problem In general, however, the capability of being able to listen to radio or phone communications in high noise environments is perhaps the biggest single problem for emergency workers and the cause of most noise-induced hearing loss. This is due to the fact that, as the wearer of an earpiece does so without the necessary noise protection, so the volumes are higher to ensure they can be heard over the noise, thus compounding the problem of adding to the noise exposure. By placing the comms earpiece within the hearing protection, the
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wearer is protected from the noise first then only requires low levels of volume to hear those comms and, by ensuring they are in one ear, the other ear, while protected, provides the situational awareness. Soft silicon solution In addition to the capability of protection, being a custom solution bespoke to the individual means it is a perfect fit. The soft silicon is comfortable to wear and it lasts for several years (the ear is made of cartilage tissue and continues to grow throughout the adult life requiring re-fittings in a three to five year time frame). Over the life of the product this makes it very affordable and significantly cheaper than the provision of generic hearing protection. About Ultimate Established in 2003, Ultimate is a British company based in the South East of England, where its entire manufacturing and production is done in-house by our own staff in an ISO 9001:2008 quality controlled plant. All our custom products are manufactured in CE approved anti-microbial medical grade silicon, they are safe to wear for long periods, extremely easy to keep clean and the perfect fit will last for three to five years or more. We operate extensively throughout the UK and further afield and our highly trained and experienced field-based staff ensures that every client regardless of location is on our doorstep and they benefit from a ‘local’ service. Where we believe we are unique is in the selection of the softest, most comfortable grades of silicon and in combining different grades of silicon in a single product to ensure the best comfort and strength. We also offer original equipment manufacturing with extensive experience in design, prototyping right through to a delivered solution and roll out. www.ultimateear.com
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Considerations driving the PPE market Manufacturers working in the PPE industry appreciate only too well the huge responsibility, which is bestowed upon them. This is not just a responsibility to develop and produce the highest quality fabrics and garments to be worn by our emergency services, although clearly this is important. The biggest responsibility, and something enshrined in Hainsworth’s own mission statement, is to ensure that the garments worn by our fire and rescue, police and other services, in all the different scenarios they face, offer the best possible protection. Words: Tom Hainsworth, Managing Director, Hainsworth. When asked what our number one objective is, my reply is always the same, ‘To protect individuals that work in hazardous environments from burn injury so they return home safely to their families’. Those responsible for developing the standards and ensuring that they continue to be as relevant as possible to the challenges faced by our emergency services are looking for a number of attributes from industry suppliers.
Firefighters tackle a blaze.
One of the most important is the expectation that manufacturers will continue to demonstrate innovation in their product development. Innovation needs to be backed up by a strong understanding of the science behind the performance of the products that have been developed and a thorough appreciation of the risks being faced by the end user. Only by understanding these two areas well, can you properly assess the performance of the innovation in real life. Attention to detail Every product developed by Hainsworth is subject to the most stringent levels of testing in our own accredited laboratory and, like other leading manufacturers, we pride ourselves on the attention to detail. The environment in which the firefighter or riot police officer operates will heavily influence the design of fabrics and how garments made from those fabrics will be worn. All kit has to be robust enough to offer high levels of thermal and mechanical protection while also being light and breathable enough to minimise heat stress. Heat stress is the
biggest killer of firefighters in the world and is a threat to both structural and wildland firefighters. However, the particular design and use of fabrics differs according to the specific environments encountered. Designed for purpose A firefighter tackling a fire in a burning building will typically be confronted by extreme levels of heat for a relatively short period, whereas a firefighter battling a wildland blaze will be exposed to extreme heat (in the case of the recent wildland fires in New South Wales and Tasmania temperatures hit 45°C) over a much longer period of time. Heat stress, if not managed and monitored effectively, not only endangers the life of a firefighter but, on a more day to day basis, can seriously harm someone’s decision-making ability which, in turn, puts the lives of colleagues on the line. The body’s internal core temperature is closely regulated and remains within a very tightly defined range from approximately 36-38°C (97-99.5°F). This temperature range is maintained by controlling the equilibrium between the amount of heat the body produces through physical activity, the amount of heat stored by the body and the amount of heat lost to the surroundings through sweat evaporation and heat radiation, convection and conduction aided by vasodilation.
One of the biggest challenges facing those involved in the garment manufacturing process is to marry the best possible protection with the best possible levels of comfort. When the ambient temperature of the surroundings rises to above 35°C (95°F), heat loss through radiation, convection and conduction stops and the only way left for the body to cool itself is through sweat evaporation. This will also stop if the heat and humidity becomes excessive, causing the body to store the excess heat produced and produce a rise in the core body temperature. Standards are not only rigorous in terms of the importance of the levels of protection offered, they also expect manufacturers to go considerably further. One of the biggest challenges facing those involved in the garment manufacturing process is to marry the best possible protection with the best
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possible levels of comfort. It is absolutely essential that those involved in the PPE industry also demonstrate the ability to work in collaboration. Collaboration is essential because a complete understanding is not held by any individual fire and rescue service or member of the supply chain. For example, a firefighter or riot police officer needs to have an understanding of dynamic risk assessment so he can make the right call, while an understanding of the human body and the science behind burn injury is also beneficial to aid the development of PPE standards. Meanwhile, the garment manufacturer needs to understand fit, comfort and the relationship between that and protection, while a fabric innovator, such as Hainsworth, needs to have an appreciation of all of these requirements as well as an in-depth understanding of how different fibres react in different environments. Quality control is another important requirement and ensures that the materials used in manufacturing processes are from reputable sources. For more than 200 years, Hainsworth has been importing Australian Merino wool, which is known for its ability to regulate temperature to keep you cool when it is hot and warm when you are cold. Now, thanks to advances in textile production and finishing, the many benefits of wool are making a comeback into the world of PPE. An example of this is Hainsworth® ECO-DRY, an innovative range of lining fabrics incorporating the benefits of wool to provide today’s emergency services personnel with the highest possible standards of comfort when wearing their PPE. Value over time Another important consideration is value – but the right kind of value. There should be no place in the PPE industry for suppliers hoping to make a quick profit. It is the companies that take the longterm view and invest serious time in properly understanding the requirements of our firefighters, police and other personnel, which will build and sustain lasting relationships. Value should be about understanding the whole life cost of a product. For example, a product with better durability may cost more at the beginning but over a period of time, it will give far greater value than an inferior product, which cost less at the outset. The challenge facing the PPE industry is to continually demonstrate that the fabrics and products that they are bringing to the market offer value for money – not in the crudest sense of the cheapest in price, but in the more sophisticated sense that they provide long-term value for money. www.hainsworth.co.uk
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Rugged technology – safety and reliability is the key Words: Peter Molyneux, President of Getak UK Today’s emergency vehicles carry a large amount of sophisticated technology on board designed to ensure crews can do the most efficient and effective job possible. And in high-pressure situations, the last thing you want to be worried about is your computing kit. Robust, resilient technology, which stands up to the knocks and drops that happen in a stressful, mission-critical environment is essential. On-board technology must also withstand the potentially damaging vibration that can be experienced on high-speed Peter Molyneux is the President of Getac UK, which journeys, or over roads full of provides a comprehensive range of rugged computing potholes and speed humps. solutions. Arriving at the scene safely and intact is a pre-requisite for the crew. Given the nature of their work, ambulance, fire and rescue, and police vehicles are far more likely than non-emergency vehicles to be involved in traffic incidents. That’s when a piece of unrestrained equipment can become a highly dangerous projectile. Securely mounted technology that has achieved all the necessary safety certification will ensure the equipment does not present an additional hazard to the crew, whatever speed a vehicle is travelling. In the UK, all equipment carried in ambulances has to meet the BS1789 certification that specifies the requirements for the design, test methods, performance and equipping of road ambulances. But requirements go beyond crash-test certification: even the most securely mounted screen won’t help the crew if the information displayed is illegible. Specific risk assessment data or GPS instructions can be crucial but if it’s difficult to read because the screen is at the wrong angle, or the light conditions are challenging, it can hinder not help. Swivel screens that are readable whether in low light or full sunlight will assist crews to access vital information in the most demanding of circumstances. Tried and tested Our own range of rugged laptops and convertible tablets meet all the challenges of the emergency environment and carry on working regardless. Features such as powerful processors, glove-friendly touch screens, waterproof keyboards and in-built GPS receivers ensure a crew arrives on scene equipped with the knowledge and support it needs to handle a situation efficiently, while comprehensive connectivity including Bluetooth, WLAN and WWAN ensures full communication wherever the crew finds itself. Getac’s V100 laptop and docking station has passed the highest standards at the MIRA (Motor Industry Research Association) facility in Nuneaton, with the whole process overseen by VCA (Vehicle Certification Agency) – the national approval authority that determines environmental and safety standards for vehicles. And our V200 is helping the fire and rescue service to accrue Site Specific Risk Information crucial for crews handling hazardous emergencies. The essential information stored on the laptop allows the service to pre-plan rescues and evacuations to ensure priority is given to those most in need. Reliable, rugged technology should be one of the first things the services consider when optimising operations - because in a crisis situation, kit concerns should be the last thing on their mind. www.getac.co.uk
If you would like to discuss any aspect of your rugged computing requirements, call 01952 207 221, e-mail: ruggedsolutions@getac.com or visit www.getac.co.uk
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Quality is key to global success for LHD Group LHD Group (United Kingdom), formerly known as Lion Apparel in the UK, is part of the LHD Group headquartered in Cologne. In the last 10 years the company has become one of the world’s leading providers of innovative, comprehensive solutions in personal protective equipment (PPE), uniforms, military apparel, workwear and corporate fashion products. A commitment to continued research and development is at the core of LHD Group’s product strategy, which has developed some of the highest performing PPE available in the world today. The company’s detailed understanding of technical fabrics and physiology, along with its expertise in design, results in solutions that meet the specific challenges of modern day fire fighting as well as those faced by security, police and military organisations.
Impressive track record The LHD Group has an impressive track record as a specialist in workwear, corporate uniforms and PPE with a broad range of high-profile customers around the world. This has recently been extended through LHD UK’s presence on the Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation (YPO) framework for Emergency Services Uniforms, which completes a trio of frameworks that include PPE, Managed Service and now all other non-PPE uniform items. In the fire and rescue service, the LHD Group, under its LION branding, is recognised for the provision of high performance firefighter PPE to EN specifications, protecting more than 30,000
firefighters around the world. In addition, LHD provides a wide range of clothing and equipment to police and military organisations, covering everything from uniform garments and protective footwear to ballistic body armour and helmets. In Germany, over 29,000 federal police officers and 240,000 military personnel benefit from clothing solutions that are designed, manufactured and managed by LHD. Focus on quality A key factor in LHD’s continued success is its unique 360 degree service delivery model with customer centric processes that focus on quality to meet the specific needs of the end user, from garment conception through to end of life management. This holistic approach starts with detailed consultation with the customer to gain a comprehensive understanding of every aspect of their needs with regard to operational use and management of all uniform items and protective clothing. LHD’s in-house product development and design team create bespoke solutions that are fit for purpose and the company’s specialist fabric and garment technicians work closely with clients to develop innovative solutions. A product development phase allows for end user feedback and the sharing of best practice from the global team. This process leads to a high quality product that is comfortable to wear in its operational environment and meets the highly demanding performance standards of the company’s diverse client base. Quality assurance technicians source raw materials and manage production and supply chain on a global basis, providing a one stop shop for clients with complex and extensive uniform, PPE and equipment requirements. Logistics specialists will then create the most appropriate solutions for delivery as part of LHD’s Never Out of Stock policy, while specially trained and locally based service technicians work with end-users to optimise garment lifecycles, adding further value.
Global supply chain LHD’s organisational structure combines local knowledge and expertise with access to a global supply chain so that the company meets every aspect of its customers’ clothing needs. Tim Ottridge, Managing Director, LHD Group (UK) said, “At LHD we work together closely as part of a global organisation which has unrivalled strength in depth, combined with an extensive pool of specialist skills and experience. It is a formula that delivers world-leading innovation, backed by first-class customer service across all areas of group operations to deliver the highest possible quality of both product and service for our clients.” www.lhd-gruppe.de/en/
FlamePro offers bespoke service In a world of standardisation it’s often difficult to get a garment that fulfils one’s particular requirements. With constant downward pressure on costs it’s understandable that garment manufacturers hold only limited ranges in stock, making bespoke products in short supply. This is not FlamePro’s philosophy; the company believes that, since it promotes itself as a design and manufacturing company, it should be just that. Furthermore, FlamePro believes that every single customer is equally important. This is why the company treats all customers, large or small, with the same degree of attention and care. It bothered with the lone firefighter from St Helena Island in the South Atlantic, listening to his story and supplying kit that best suited his circumstances
and pocket. The company bothered to listen to Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service when they set out a brief for their new fire kit last year, working with them to achieve the outcome they had hoped for. And FlamePro bothers to make sure that, having secured an order, a customer’s garments are delivered in as short a time as possible and to that customer’s specification and satisfaction. Cost-effective solutions FlamePro always seek the most cost-effective solutions for its customers, taking the time to research the most suitable fabric and components to address their individual needs. The company is always honest in telling a customer what it can and cannot do and where it can’t satisfy a particular
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enquiry FlamePro will always suggest a trustworthy alternative supplier. The company believes that this, together with a personal service offering up-todate technical advice on a one-to-one basis, makes it unique in the fire fighting market today. There are larger suppliers, but being bigger is not always best for every customer. FlamePro believes it can match its competitors’ claims for reliability, honesty and dependability while adding an important claim of its own – only from FlamePro can customers get the personal, technically competent, bespoke and caring service described above together with lead times that are short by industry standards and a diverse, high quality range of products. www.flame-pro.com
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Moisture barrier combines comfort and protection One of the most important milestones in the development of protective clothing for emergency responders in the last 25 years has been the introduction of a durable, waterproof, breathable moisture barrier in garments. WL Gore & Associates Inc was the first to create the concept of keeping emergency responders dry and comfortable on the frontline with the introduction of its renowned GORE-TEX® fabric in the late 1980s. This was followed by the arrival of CROSSTECH® fabric in recent years, which adds protection from blood borne pathogens and common chemicals to the core qualities of breathability and waterproofness.
Because one size doesn’t fit all
firefighters from getting wet from the outside in; b) keeps the thermal insulation material dry, preventing build up of moisture that could reduce the level of protection; and c) removes moisture vapour from the body, ensuring the wearer is at ease wearing their garment, reducing body core temperature rise as much as possible and reducing risk from a scald. Durable, breathable waterproof barrier The pores in the GORE-TEX® and CROSSTECH® moisture barriers are 20,000 times smaller than a droplet of water but 700 times larger than a molecule of water vapour from perspiration. The fabric is unique in that as a microporous bicomponent membrane it is combined with a solid monolithic hydrophilic film to create a durable, waterproof barrier that is breathable. The durability of the fabric ensures that it continues to perform over the lifetime of the garment, delivering the best protection to responders while still satisfying the ‘best value’ philosophy. In recent years, the company has developed AIRLOCK® Spacer Technology, which is available in both GORE-TEX® and CROSSTECH® fabrics and uses silicon spacers to create an airspace that acts as a thermal barrier and replaces the heavier fibre version. Gore’s technology also protects hands and feet in a wide range of specially developed, highperformance gloves and footwear worn by a range of specialist emergency responders and military personnel.
Everyone accepts police officers and staff colleagues need a uniform, which is practical, comfortable and enables them to perform their roles safely and effectively. However, police officers have been under the protection of the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 only since 1998, and compliance is patchy. At the risk of stating the obvious, PPE is ‘equipment which is intended to be worn or held by a person at work and which protects him against one or more risks to health and safety’, and this equipment should be: a) appropriate for the risk or risks involved and the conditions at the place where exposure to the risk may occur b) takes account of ergonomic requirements and the state of health of the person or persons who may wear it c) capable of fitting the wearer correctly, if necessary, after adjustments within the range for which it is designed’.
Reduces heat stress The introduction of Gore’s fabrics created a durable layer in PPE that keeps the wearer dry by preventing water from entering the garment but allows sweat to travel out the other way. This minimises the build up of moisture inside the garment and in more extreme conditions, which are often experienced by emergency responders, reduces the risk of heat stress and burns. Gore’s fabrics are worn all over the world by firefighters, police officers, ambulance crews and military personnel. Gore has carried out extensive research, which shows that the breathable membrane makes a significant contribution to the reduction of heat stress in a moderate to light duty environment for firefighters, who spend 80 percent of their time carrying out this type of work. The moisture barrier in a garment performs a number of key tasks simultaneously: a) prevents
Further benefits All Gore fabrics comfortably exceed European PPE performance tests. They maintain that level of performance thanks to outstanding resistance to wear and abrasion and an ability to consistently maintain high breathability and waterproofness after exposure to extreme heat. Gore products are renowned for their consistently reliable thermal stability. Overall, responders have to understand that breathability offers benefits of improved comfort and reduced risk of heat stress throughout most of the tasks performed during a normal shift. www.gore.com/en_gb
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Many police forces have now recognised the supply of unisex clothing and equipment for a female, primarily designed for a male, is neither acceptable nor appropriate, and this is particularly relevant for body armour. Despite this, some procurement officers seem reluctant to acknowledge they are contravening the regulations. The current market is good, with many excellent products now available designed specifically for women with their needs in mind – forces just need to embrace them. Comfortable and effective The answer is not to have a different uniform for women but to ensure the provision of uniformed clothing and equipment, which enables female personnel to work comfortably and effectively. BAWP, the British Association for Women in Policing, started campaigning for appropriate body armour for women in the 1990s, and although there have been tremendous advances, there are still many women being denied their legal right to equipment that is appropriate, ergonomic and fits. www.bawp.org
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Lifejackets for lifesavers Four years in the making, the RNLI’s new lifejackets are a milestone in maritime innovation. Words: Anne Millman | Photo: RNLI/Nigel Millard A lifejacket is the one item of personal protective equipment (PPE) that RNLI crews must wear: their lives, and the lives of others, may depend on it. Our volunteers take pride in their kit and maintain it well but, even with regular maintenance and servicing, vital safety gear like this doesn’t last forever. And with the majority of stock now at its 10year limit, it’s increasingly expensive to maintain.
“The lifejackets provide a new benchmark in the field of search and rescue” Innovation has always been at the centre of the RNLI’s work so, just over five years ago, the charity started to investigate new designs. The process was lengthy, taking time to look at what we wanted the new lifejackets to do operationally and technically; making sure they’re appropriate for different lifeboats, weather and sea conditions; consulting our crews; and conducting coastal trials to ensure they perform for a range of crew – from little to large! As the purpose of lifejackets remains unchanged since the RNLI’s first design in 1854, some of the
previous requirements are still valid: they should be quick and simple to put on, enable crew members to go into the water on a split-second decision, immediately provide enough buoyancy to support them and another person, and be hard wearing. An investigation into the effectiveness of existing designs was a vital first step. Allen Stevens, RNLI Senior Engineer for Safety Equipment, approached the users first. He says, “I carried out informal interviews to ask crew, without prior briefing, what they liked, didn’t like, what they wanted and didn’t want. They unanimously complained about the weight around the neck area and found the current ones uncomfortable after long periods; they thought it would be useful to have pockets to store items such as casualty care check cards and gloves; and the inshore lifeboat (ILB) crew also wanted a grab handle on the back of the lifejacket so they could be pulled out of the water easily.” Compiling this feedback with that from RNLI trainers and other staff, Allen developed new specifications for bespoke RNLI lifejackets. He drew up two new lifejacket specifications, one for allweather and Thames lifeboat crews and the other for ILB crews. The very nature of inshore rescue means that crews are more likely to be in the water so inherent buoyancy is key to an ILB lifejacket.
Comparing these new specifications with lifejackets already available on the open market, Allen and his colleagues found nothing fit for their purpose. They duly invited five of the possible 15 manufacturers to tender to make a product that would suit. In December 2008, the challenge began. Testing, testing and more testing As well as providing a technical brief, the RNLI invited the potential suppliers to an event that vividly demonstrated the operational circumstances in which a lifejacket would be used. Allen and his colleagues rated each company against a range of commercial and technical criteria, assessing how well they would work with the charity. Finally, in August 2009 they judged the resulting prototypes in action in the wave tank at RNLI College. All testing involved crew wearing helmets, drysuits or jackets and trousers, and boots, swimming 25m in calm and rough conditions. Allen explains, “This requirement goes beyond the British Standard (BS EN ISO 12402) and is not normally part of lifejacket testing but I believe it’s essential to prove that the kit works in the most demanding conditions that our crews encounter.” This brought the initial shortlist down to two but there were still areas to improve upon. Allen needed
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Cork lifebelt
Kapok lifejacket
Beaufort lifejacket
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to know that a fully kitted crew member could get out from under a capsized Atlantic lifeboat. After more testing, changes were incorporated into the designs – but there was still one area that no company had yet overcome. Sizing up the problem The in-water performance of all lifejackets is dependent on the wearer’s body mass, size and shape. This was particularly apparent when it came to testing the prototypes’ ability to turn over a wearer who was lying face down in the water. They proved inadequate for individuals of less than 50kg or more than 150kg, yet RNLI crew range from 43– 185kg and 1.5–2.15m. The project was halted for the RNLI’s specialists and the two suppliers to carry out further research and development. In June 2010, the resubmission from one supplier, Crewsaver, crossed this final hurdle and the RNLI declared them preferred designer and supplier. Nigel Parkes, Design Manager at Crewsaver, commented, “It has been a challenge to meet the exacting requirements of the RNLI but we worked hard to achieve this and are delighted to be selected.” Approval to CE Standard came in February 2011 and Allen’s team gave Crewsaver the go-ahead to
produce lifejackets for six months of coast trials. More than 80 volunteers at 14 lifeboat stations put the kit through its paces. Their feedback was positive but revealed the quick-burst zip around the inside of the lifejacket to be too weak. The lifejacket inflates through three of these burst points, using the same technology as car air bags. Modifications were again made and coast trials resumed for a further three months before the final design was agreed and Crewsaver was awarded the contract in July 2011. In recognition of many years of collaboration, the RNLI also made Crewsaver its Supplier of the Year. A unique achievement Allen brings us up to date, “The culmination of our project saw the first of the production lifejackets arrive at stations in Scotland in January 2012 and all stations around the service, with some 4500 crew, received them by the end of the year. “Although the lifejackets are slightly heavier than the previous design, the harness holds this weight at the waist rather than the neck – and the kit is more compact. The shaping gives freer movement for the arms and ensures that heads are kept well clear of the water and at the optimum angle. “It’s unique in providing 290 Newtons of
buoyancy when inflated, achieved using a 60g gas cylinder rather than the previous 28g. And dual side adjusters allow crew to quickly customise to a perfect fit.” Other features include a water-activated flashing light, flare pockets and a spray hood that can be easily deployed. With reinforced tubing to stand proud, the hood makes crew more visible in the water and reduces the risk of spray being inhaled. Allen concludes, “The lifejackets provide a new benchmark in the field of search and rescue, which is hugely rewarding for everyone involved. It’s wonderful to see these innovative designs in use by our extraordinary lifesaving volunteers.” Cost and funding The RNLI secured the new lifejackets at less than the cost of the charity’s previous kit and negotiated a royalty donation on every sale to a third party. Many supporters contributed to the RNLI’s regional lifejacket appeals, helping the charity to continue saving lives at sea. www.rnli.org This article first appeared in the Spring 2012 issue of Lifeboat Magazine. Used with permission.
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All-weather lifeboat lifejacket
Inshore lifeboat lifejacket
New design of all-weather and inshore lifeboat lifejacket
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Comfort and fit: adjustable waist and shoulder straps allow for various sizes of wearer, however, lack of crotch straps means the jacket could ride up over the head when worn in the water. Safety features: without a light source or use of reflective material in its construction the cork lifejacket would be virtually invisible during night rescues.
Construction: made from cork ‘blocks’ stitched onto a canvas vest.
Buoyancy: although cork does float, the material is porous and will take up water.
The cork lifejacket In 1854 an RNLI inspector called Captain John Ward created a cork lifejacket. Narrow strips of cork were sewn onto a canvas vest, so the lifejacket was flexible enough to move with the body during rowing or swimming. In order to encourage merchant vessels to carry lifebelts for crew, the RNLI sold chests of them at low prices, arguing that ‘the value of these simple and inexpensive instruments has been proven in too many cases to need any argument in their favour’. The jackets’ worth was proven in 1861, when one of Whitby’s lifeboats capsized in service, just one crewmember of the 13 on board survived. Henry Freeman, the youngest aboard, was the only one wearing a cork lifejacket, and went on to become Coxswain at Whitby. Cork lifejackets such as these remained a popular choice for 50 years. www.rnli.org
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Safety features: zipped pockets hold casualty care kit, torches, gloves or knives. A spray hood to protect against sea spray and preserve an airway is also included in the design.
Comfort and fit: one size fits all – increased safety for all size and shapes of crew member and a comfortable, secure fit.
Search and rescue fitted with a water activated emergency light and integral flare pockets for day and night distress flares, plus retro-reflective tape to aid visibility.
Buoyancy: each chamber of this twinchamber lifejacket has 290N of buoyancy – one chamber automatically inflates and the other can be manually inflated. If both chambers are inflated they will pressure equalise so that there is never more than 290N of buoyancy.
Crotch straps: prevent the lifejacket riding up over the crew member’s head when in the water. Integrated harness: designed to pull the lifejacket away from the wearer’s neck, allowing for greater freedom of movement while rescuing those in trouble.
The RNLI all-weather lifejacket Developed over four years in collaboration with Crewsaver, the new RNLI lifejackets incorporate the latest material technology and were designed specifically to meet the charity’s current search and rescue operational requirements. Led by RNLI Senior Engineer for Safety Equipment Allen Stevens and through close consultation with crews around the coast, the RNLI was able to bring a wealth of detailed user feedback into the development of two new lifejackets, one for all weather and Thames lifeboat crews (shown here)and the other for inshore lifeboat crews, which were rolled out to all 237 RNLI lifeboat stations, for use by its volunteer crews, during 2012. www.rnli.org
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Magnum’s Armadillo HPi YDS kits targets healthcare sector out Air Global certified uniform footwear brand Magnum has officially launched its new shoe for healthcare professionals – the Armadillo HPi. When focusing on the healthcare market, Magnum’s research has shown that while there is an NHS instruction regarding the use of protective clothing, including aprons, gloves, gowns and masks – there is no directive for footwear. However, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) does provide some ‘minimum standards’ guidance on uniforms and workwear for employers and employees, and the Department of Health (DH) also offer some
guidance for NHS employers/employees. Utilising these guidelines, and early feedback from nurses at the RCN Congress Exhibition 2012, Magnum has designed and manufactured a shoe which provides unprecedented levels of comfort and protection, allowing wearers to genuinely focus more on patient care. The Armadillo HPi, which was named by nurses in a recent survey carried out by Magnum, offers the following key features: all day comfort; antibacterial memory foam insole; breathable; provides support; wear as a shoe or mule; great protection; strong needlestick-resistant leather upper; and liquid/blood-borne pathogen resistant. First launched for retail at the RCN Congress Exhibition 2013, the Armadillo HPi is now available to buy in black in the UK, sizes 4-8, and has a suggested retail price of £49.99. www.magnumboots.com/uk
Innovation from Bollé Safety is clear to see Bollé Safety, a world leader in the design and manufacture of protective eyewear, has recently launched two new double lens versions of its market leading safety goggles. The Atom and Duo goggles are fitted with Equalizer Technology, which is a high performance system to protect against lens fogging. The second lens is fitted with an Equalizer regulator valve, which filters and regulates moisture and prevents misting in the most extreme situations; perfect for all applications of the emergency services. The Atom is an extremely versatile, low profile goggle that has been tested and approved to meet the highest levels of impact protection, EN 166 1BT 3,4,5 KN, and also provides the wearer with protection against chemicals, dust and gases. It is fitted with clear anti scratch and anti fog optical class 1 polycarbonate lenses with a wide adjustable strap for extra comfort. There is a prescription insert available but the Atom will also fit comfortably over prescription spectacles. Adding to its versatility, the Atom is also available with an easy to attach visor and tear off lens protectors.
The Atom from Bollé Safety is an extremely versatile, low profile goggle.
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The Atom and Duo goggles are fitted with Equalizer Technology, which is a high performance system to protect against lens fogging.
The Duo is also a low profile goggle that has been tested and approved to meet the highest levels of impact protection, EN 166 1BT 3,4, and also provides the wearer with protection against chemicals and dust. It is also supplied with a neoprene strap, which provides high levels of resistance to oil and water, and fitted with clear anti scratch and anti fog optical class 1 polycarbonate lenses. All Bollé products provide the wearer with protection, style, comfort and an exceptional field of view due to their lightweight design, advanced material technology and the company’s worldrenowned optical class 1 lens quality. www.bolle-safety.com www.bolle-tactical.com
Rescue 24
Paul West (Air Rescue 24), Russ Lock (Goliath Footwear Ltd), Nick Isherwood (Air Rescue 24), Nick Van Breeman (Air Rescue 24).
The first UK multi-agency advanced level medical search and rescue service, Air Rescue 24 has been kitted out with YDS rescue boots, donated to help the service get established. With the aim to significantly enhance the existing emergency service provision, Air Rescue 24 brings a helicopter and land support vehicles together for use by a firefighter and rescue medic team working together and sharing vehicles for the first time. The organisation is currently operating in the Cheshire and Merseyside region but hopes to take the concept to a national level. Current fire boot supplier to the North West Region of the UK, Goliath Footwear with technical footwear brand YDS, was approached to support the organisation, which is entirely funded by charitable means. The lightweight and versatile Linewalker GTX GORE-TEX® boot was selected to see the team through all weathers, with a slip resistant and fuel oil resistant outsole and super quick release zip feature. Paul West, Chief Executive Officer of Air Rescue 24, said, “The response team could be called out to any situation urban or rural so we are delighted that YDS could contribute good quality GORETEX® safety footwear to our doctors, firefighters and specialist volunteers.” Steve Hall, Sales and Marketing Director, is keen to support the new approach for emergency response. He said, “Our association with Air Rescue 24 reflects our determination to develop and give the best quality footwear for all professionals in the emergency services. We hope the project is a great success.” www.airrescue24.org.uk www.ydsboots.com
The YDS Linewalker GTX.
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PBO Fibre, New Generation Material for Fire Fighters Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Performance of PBO fibre PBO fiber is the world’s strongest fiber. The strength of PBO fiber is 37cN/dtex which means a 1mm diameter rope made from PBO fiber can support up to 400kg. As shown in figure 1, the strength of PBO fiber is almost twice that of p-Aramid and 10 times that of polybenzimidazole fiber (PBI). PBO fiber does not melt or decompose below 600 degree C. PBO fiber also boasts the highest flame/fire resistance among all the fire retardant fibers. Figure 2 shows the limiting oxygen index (LOI) of various fibers where the LOI is the minimum concentration of oxygen that will support flaming combustion. The LOI of PBO fiber is 68 which is far higher than other fire resistant fibers such as PBI and p-Aramid fiber. Applications for PBO fibre The outstanding properties of PBO fibre as mentioned above enables the design of high performance products in many high-tech fields. Formula One (F1) is widely known as the world’s highest category of automotive racing and driver safety is the top priority. The design of the cars is strictly set up by Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and as stipulated in the regulations the cockpit of the cars must be constructed of a hybrid structure of PBO fibre blended with Carbon fibre. Carbon fibre gives the cars rigidity for speed and PBO fibre gives the cars impact resistance for driver protection in case of high speed accidents. F1 drivers’ helmets must also contain PBO as reinforcement. Needless to say, both these applications require high heat and fire resistance in addition to tensile strength and lightness in weight. PBO fibre is also used in elite Grand Prix Yacht racing such as the America’s Cup and the Volvo Ocean Race. PBO fibre is used for ‘sheets’ (ie. rope to control the sail) for protecting the surface of the rope from heat and abrasion caused in the winching process. High strength steel rod had been used previously as the main material for standing rigging on sailing yachts but now PBO fibre composite cables have become more popular due to its strength and lightness. The durability of PBO fibre or abrasion resistance is also the key in several applications. Most of continuous variable transmission belts (CVT) for large motorized scooters and snow mobiles are made from PBO short cut fibre reinforced rubber. PBO fibre reinforced fabric is also used in motorcycle biker suits. PBO fibre is becoming increasingly popular for Fire Fighters Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) worldwide. PBO garments have been accepted in the USA, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, Sweden and the UK. Not only does PBO have the highest flame resistance of all comparable retardant fabrics but it also has higher abrasion resistance providing the fire fighter with security and safety in extreme conditions. Field tests on PPE made from PBO fibre are currently under way in many European and Middle Eastern countries. TOYOBO CO., LTD. High Performance Fibres Department, ZYLON Group, 2-8, Dojima Hama 2-Chome, Kita-ku, Osaka 530-8230, Japan http://www.toyobo-global.com/seihin/kc/pbo/ E-mail: pbo_zylon@toyobo.jp
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HM Coastguard looks to the future The UK, as an Island nation, relies on shipping for about 95 percent of its imports and exports, with UK sea ports handling half a billion tonnes of goods and over 21 million passengers passing through our ports annually. Even with the UK’s variable weather, visiting our beaches and coastal environments remains a popular pastime. The provision of maritime search and rescue is a national function covering both the 20,000 miles of mainland and island coastline and sea cliffs of the UK and up to 1.25 million square miles of sea. With this level of activity and responsibilities the importance of the UK’s maritime search and rescue, security, and vessel traffic surveillance functions has never been higher. Words: HM Coastguard Search & Rescue With this rapid development of both industry and leisure activities in the maritime domain, we need to modernise HM Coastguard and its capacity and capability to fulfil our current and future responsibilities, in particular as an emergency service provider within a wider range of missions. In order to ensure we have the right resources in the right place at the right time, this involves changing to a nationally networked organisation where we can match professional officers in the right numbers to the work in hand. Our service will have at its heart a National Maritime Operations Centre to manage the network, maintaining a UK-wide view of the civil maritime domain utilising terrestrial marine band radio, satellite technology, modern telecommunications systems, and upgraded incident management software.
“Safety is our top priority along with our intention to be recognised as the best maritime safety organisation in the world.” Future Coastguard Rescue response is delivered by the Coastguard Rescue Service, the RNLI, independent lifeboats, dedicated search and rescue helicopters, along with other rescue assets and emergency services. Our Future Coastguard will not impact on these services except that we will be increasing the numbers of professional coastguards working in coastal communities and providing operational leadership and support to our 3500 volunteer Coastguard Rescue Officers. The Coastguard Rescue Service (CRS) carries out search and rescue on the coastline of the UK and is trained and equipped by HM Coastguard (HMCG).
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The Coastguard Rescue Teams (CRTs) are situated at strategic locations and are equipped to deal with incidents appropriate to the risks associated with local coastal terrain and local shoreline activities and conditions. The CRS has 3500 members organised into 352 teams based all around the UK coastline and are trained and equipped for search, water rescue, rope rescue, mud rescue, supporting helicopters and lifeboats, dealing with ordnance and pollution. Each main team has a fully equipped 4x4 response vehicle. Eleven of the 22 new helicopters will be AW 189s, which will operate from five locations around the UK.
extract them from their entrapment and allow them to work safely and effectively in an environment, which can be quickly covered by rising tides. HMCG has 40 mud rescue teams placed strategically around the UK.
Coastal rescue environment HMCG’s Coastguard Rescue Service provides a comprehensive SAR and technical rescue capability around the UK coastline. The coastal water rescue environment includes; beaches, shoreline, foreshore, backshore, estuaries/estuarine features, harbours/docks /marinas/jetties, sea defences, coastal rivers, lochs/lakes, maritime structures (piers, breakwaters, groynes, bridges, causeways), salt marsh/Broads. The coastal littoral area creates a variety of water rescue scenarios, which can vary greatly depending on weather conditions and tides. The teams have specific rescue techniques, equipment and training to work in this environment. 200 CRTs are equipped for rope rescue. These teams are trained and equipped to deal with the myriad of high angle rescue scenarios found on the UK’s coastline, including: cliffs, docks, sea defences, bridges and vertical rescues. Each full rope team has access, pick-off, stretcher and domestic animal rescue capabilities. A significant part of the UK coastline can be categorised as soft ground, whether tidal mud flats or quick sand. Coastal mud rescue is a specific aspect of unstable surface rescue. The equipment is specific to this rescue arena and requires teams to be able to access casualties up to 400m from a safe point,
SAR helicopter services As part of our commitment to UK search and rescue the Department for Transport recently signed a £1.6bn contract with Bristow Helicopters to provide dedicated search and rescue helicopter services in the UK. The move to a contracted service follows the decision by the Ministry of Defence to retire the Sea King and the success and extremely high standards of the contracted SAR helicopters services that has been operated on behalf of the Government by HM Coastguard for over 30 years. The new service will operate in HM Coastguard livery and be managed by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. This contract represents a major investment in a crucial frontline service, with 22 new helicopters operating across 10 bases and meeting the highest professional standards. The service will progressively start operations from 2015 and will be fully operational by summer 2017. These helicopters will be able to reach a larger area of the UK search and rescue region within one hour of take-off. The Government estimates that the average flying time to an incident will reduce from 23 minutes to 19 minutes. Experience not lost Crews in the new service will likely comprise a mixture of former military SAR helicopter personnel and existing coastguard helicopter contract personnel, further making sure that the valuable experience gained in SAR operations under the current arrangements transfers across to the new service. www.dft.gov.uk/mca
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Rescue 3 Europe: what’s in a name? Rescue 3 Europe is the European arm of Rescue 3 International and develops externally accredited safety and rescue courses for training providers, ensuring that first responders, technicians, instructors and managers can deliver to the highest standards, whether working solely within their agency or as part of a large-scale multi-agency event. Within Europe, Rescue 3 Europe oversees course development and accreditation of all Rescue 3 students and instructors and maintains a database of all Rescue 3 students’ qualifications via its network of Rescue 3 training providers. There are over 100 high-level training providers operating under the Rescue 3 Europe banner, throughout Europe. All branches of the emergency services, mountain rescue teams, and commercial training and leisure activity providers are delivering the latest training following the Rescue 3 syllabus.
“There are over 100 high-level training providers operating under the Rescue 3 Europe banner, throughout Europe.” Independent training providers Some of these training providers use the name Rescue 3 in their trading name and this usually reflects that they were the first training provider to deliver Rescue 3 courses in their country, but all are independent training providers in their own right. Not all Rescue 3 training providers use Rescue 3 in their trading name. Full details of all courses, students and instructors are kept in a bespoke database at the Rescue 3 Europe office and these records can be used to inform all students when they attended their training, with whom and when that qualification is about to expire – an extremely useful resource for busy training managers trying to keep track of operational fire and rescue teams and instructors! Of particular importance to UK emergency services, Rescue 3 Europe’s courses comply with Defra’s Flood Rescue Concept of Operations water
rescue training modules (see table below). As a result, Rescue 3 courses are the leading choice for fire and rescue services in the UK and Ireland. Agencies that are new to Rescue 3 can take their training programme to a number of levels. The simplest of these is for staff to attend a training course offered by a Rescue 3 Europe-accredited training provider. Whether it’s a Safe Working at Height (SWAH) course, a Flood Rescue Boat Operator (FRBO) course, or a bolt-on module to the SRT course, like Rescues from Vehicles in Water (RVW), they can all be delivered directly to emergency service personnel. All student-level Rescue 3 courses offer external international accreditation valid for three years.
Train to instructor level If an agency wishes to develop its training programme further, its students can be trained to instructor level by Rescue 3 instructor trainers. Full details of upcoming instructor courses are available on the Rescue 3 Europe website. Instructor-level Rescue 3 courses offer external international accreditation as part of a two-year training cycle.
Defra Module
Defra title and description
Rescue 3 Europe course
Module 1
Water Awareness General water safety awareness training and basic land-based rescue techniques
Water and Flood Awareness – AW
Module 2
Water First Responder To work safely near and in water, using land-based and wading techniques
Swiftwater and Flood First Responder – SFR
Module 3
Water Rescue Technician Specialist rescue operation
Swiftwater and Flood Rescue Technician – SRT
Module 4
Water Rescue Power Boat Operator Rescue boat operation
Swiftwater and Flood Rescue Boat Operator – SFRBO
Module 5
Water Incident Management Water-related operational and tactical incident command relating to local incidents
Management of Water and Flood Incidents – MWFI
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With fully qualified Rescue 3 instructors, an organisation can then sign up as an agency training provider in its own right, enabling it to deliver Rescue 3 courses within its agency. Being able to deliver an SRT course in-house offers many obvious benefits to organisations who wish to offer the benchmark training course for swiftwater and flood rescue teams to their personnel. Training providers with a high level of skill and broad range of experience can seek accreditation to train personnel from other agencies too by training their instructors to an independent instructor level. There are, for example, fire and rescue services that have world-class training venues within their jurisdiction, and so are ideally placed to deliver training to other agencies within the emergency services from slightly further afield. The training cycle coming full circle ensures even greater interoperability, and the further broadening of the Rescue 3 family.
Close working relationship Rescue 3 Europe enjoys a close working relationship with all its training providers, drawing on the great wealth of skill and experience from training managers and instructors from a variety of backgrounds, to establish best practice and industry standards. One such example of working closely with training providers is the Technician Field Manual and Operational Guide for water rescue, jointly produced by Rescue 3 Europe and Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service. Printed in a handy pocket size, on high quality, water-resistant and tear-resistant paper, it’s perfect for outdoor use. It fits nicely into most rescue buoyancy aid pockets for ease of reference. Earlier this year, Rescue 3 training providers from across Europe came together at the Millennium Stadium and Cardiff International White Water, for the biennial Rescue 3 Europe Technical Rescue Conference. This unique event combined practical instructor updates, with a conference day with international keynote speakers, and a trade exhibition. Many training provider managers and related emergency service staff find the conference day to be a major date in their diary, and are already planning their attendance and involvement for the 2015 event. www.rescue3europe.com
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The Independent Ambulance Association (IAA) has announced the appointment of three new directors, filling existing vacancies on the board: Ali Hashim is a trained ‘blue light’ ambulance driver and the owner/manager of BEARS (British Emergency Ambulance Response Service). Additionally he brings to the Board experience in business management and marketing; Kate Lawson, Business Manager, NSL Care Services entered the private ambulance industry in 2006 having previously worked for 15 years in NHS estates and facilities management; Phillip Warren is the co-owner and co-founder of Manchester Medical Services (MMS), which was formed in 2006. Phil is responsible for sales and finance with a focus on training and quality control. www.iaauk.org
Southsea firefighter Jasper Taylor was named in the Independent on Sunday’s Top 100 Happy List 2013, which aims to honour those who make Britain a happier place through their selfless work. Jasper, who has just celebrated 25 years with Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, was recognised for his tireless fundraising for The Fire Fighters Charity.
New Chief’s ‘shared vision’ for policing in Bedford Colette Paul has been named as Bedfordshire Police’s new Chief Constable following the county’ Police and Crime Panel’s unanimous agreement to the appointment. Bedfordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Olly Martins welcomed the decision. He said, “I am sure that Colette Paul is the right person to grasp the challenges that we face in tackling crime, and that she will build on the strong legacy of improved performance that the departing Chief Constable, Alf Hitchcock, leaves. She will be leading a very able force that repeatedly proves its ability to punch above its weight. “Colette will bring a new perspective to tackling crime in Bedfordshire, but
www.ferno.co.uk
David Bull, the Head of Education at the National Ambulance Resilience Unit (NARU), has been awarded the Queen’s Ambulance Service Medal for Distinguished Service in Her Majesty the Queen’s Birthday Honours. Mr Bull has received his QAM for his, ‘tireless dedication to driving national ambulance education forward by demonstrating initiative, innovation, determination, confidence and leadership’. The Queen’s Ambulance Service Medal (QAM), which was introduced last year, honours a very small, select group of ambulance personnel who have shown exceptional devotion to duty, outstanding ability, merit and conduct in their roles within NHS ambulance services. http://naru.org.uk
www.bedfordshire.police.uk
Interim CFO appointed in Warwickshire Shropshire Andrew Hickmott has been appointed as interim Chief Fire Officer for Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service while the process to find a new permanent Chief Fire Officer is undertaken.
www.hantsfire.gov.uk
Ferno, a world leading supplier and manufacturer of medical equipment to the emergency services and funeral sector, has strengthened its team in Scotland with the appointment of Scott Campbell. Scott has joined the company as a business development manager and will focus on managing and developing key accounts in the Scottish region as well as opening doors to new opportunities for Ferno north of the Border.
she is also very fortunate to have such a driven team working with her.” Police and Crime Panel members were impressed by Ms Paul’s aim for the Bedfordshire force to be among
the top 10 percent for victim satisfaction. They also noted her success in achieving a 15 percent increase in detection rates while at South Wales Police, despite significant budget reductions. Their report further comments on her strong leadership skills – shown by her track record in achieving substantial organisational change and improvement by involving and listening to all parties – and her experience of working in different and innovative ways to address issues such as rural crime. Ms Paul was also commended for her proven ability to develop and sustain relationships with a wide variety of community leaders.
Starting his career in Royal Berkshire and transferring to London Fire Brigade five years later, Andrew has a wealth of experience in service delivery, fire safety, operations, personnel and training, and technical services. In 2009 Andrew took on the role of Assistant Commissioner for Service Delivery and Community Safety in London Fire Brigade, where
he was responsible for 53 wholetime stations and over 2000 operational staff. He also held brigade-wide responsibility for all community safety work, overseeing policy development, arson prevention and youth engagement. In 2011, Andrew took on the role of Assistant Commissioner for Technical Services with responsibility for the brigade’s physical assets including fleet, equipment and property. In addition to his operational role, Andrew is a qualified member of the Institution of Fire Engineers. He also has an MSc in Public Service Management and successfully completed the Fire Service Executive Leadership Programme at the Fire Service College in 2010. Sue Evans, Head of Human Resources and Organisational Development, Warwickshire County Council, said, “We are delighted to welcome Andrew to the service. He is a wellrespected and experienced fire and rescue professional, bringing with him a wealth of knowledge, which I am sure will help to provide fresh impetus on the work being undertaken here in Warwickshire.”
names new CFO
www.warwickshire.gov.uk/fireandrescue
www.shropshirefire.gov.uk
John Redmond, the current Deputy Chief Fire officer, is the new Chief Fire Officer of Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service. He said, “I am delighted to have been appointed to the role of Chief Fire officer and look forward to the challenges ahead. I am looking forward to working with the fire authority in continuing to provide the excellent service that Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service is renowned for.” John takes up his post on 8 July from the present Chief Fire Officer, Paul Raymond, who is retiring.
Knighthood for Scotland’s top police officer Stephen House, the Chief Constable of the national Police Scotland force, has been knighted in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to law and order. Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said, “This is a well-deserved honour recognising the outstanding contribution Chief Constable House has made to policing in Scotland. His expertise and professionalism is respected and admired not just in Scotland, but also
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throughout the UK. As Police Scotland goes from strength to strength under his leadership, this announcement marks a great year for Chief Constable House and his team. It is also the highest possible recognition being given to mark Scotland’s excellence in policing.” www.scotland.police.uk
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Bence thinks big with mini appliances Over the past three months, WH Bence, in conjunction with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, has been designing and developing the latest in the Bence mini-appliance range. The appliance is based on a standard Iveco van, which was specially manufactured for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to meet the requirements of the stations, with restrictions on height, length and width playing a crucial part in the design of the vehicle. The vehicle is designed with a plastic fabricated pod system, which is built in-house at WH Bence and designed as a cassette to be able to slide through the rear doors of the vehicle, creating the internal vehicle structure. Latest BA stowage technology There were some key attributes, which were required by Highlands and Islands to ensure that it met their fire fighting criteria for the regions in which the vehicles are to be based. The vehicle has an integrated 800-litre water tank providing a feed to the hose reel via the latest Godiva 1210 Power Flow pump. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service plans to deploy these vehicles to its island stations where they will be crewed by retained firefighters.
“Constantly developing new products helps Bence to design new and improved systems for the fire and rescue service In the vehicle, Bence also integrated the latest in BA stowage technology, with the integrated BA seat, which allows the vehicles to double up as people transporters when not in active use. The seats are both M1 tested and meet all current roadgoing regulations. Oliver Brown, Sales Director, WH Bence, said, “Constantly developing new products helps Bence to design new and improved systems for the fire and rescue service, and with each project we complete we gain the experience of working with the fire and rescue service to meet
their requirements.” Bence will be delivering the vehicles in early July and will have information on these units at stand J52 at The Emergency Services Show, which takes place at the NEC in Birmingham from 25-26 September 2013. Incident command demo unit Bence has partnered up with Redfoot Technologies and VectorCommand to create an incident command support demonstration unit for an upcoming countrywide road show. After the success of the Cleveland Fire Brigade Command Support Unit, which was delivered earlier this year, Bence, Redfoot Technologies and VectorCommand have invested in creating a mobile demonstration suite to be able to show the latest in command support unit design, software and technology. The vehicle will be fitted with a Ka band satellite offering the latest in broadband connectivity providing higher speeds and greater broadband capacity. The unit will also be demonstrating the latest Command Support System (CSS) software from VectorCommand, which is currently used by 25 percent of the UK fire and rescue services across 13 major incident rooms, over 30 command vehicles and on hundreds of mobile devices on a daily basis. In addition to the fixed technology WH Bence will also be demonstrating how the CSS software can be used in a mobile format with a tablet-based version of the software. www.whbence.co.uk
If you are interested in a demonstration please contact Oliver Brown, Sales Director at WH Bence Coachworks – e-mail: oliver@whbence.co.uk or Tel: 01454 310909
The latest in the Bence mini-appliance range, designed and developed in conjunction with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
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The integrated BA seat allows the vehicles to double up as people transporters when not in active use.
The vehicle will be fitted with a Ka band satellite offering the latest in broadband connectivity providing higher speeds and greater broadband capacity.
Bence, Redfoot Technologies and VectorCommand have invested in creating a mobile demonstration suite to be able to show the latest in command support unit design, software and technology.
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Interoperability ‘at its best’ on show at Exercise Amber 2 Feedback from observers at the National Ambulance Resilience Unit (NARU)-organised Exercise Amber 2 has revealed it to be one of the largest and most significant ambulance-led exercises ever held in the UK, with its success referred to by one Government department official as ‘showing interoperability at its best’. Exercise Amber 2 was one of the largest exercises ever undertaken by the NHS ambulance service on a national basis, and involved over 500 people to test the combined emergency service response to a highly complex major mass casualty incident. It took place in May 2013 at a closed army base in Staffordshire.
“There is no doubt these exercises help us to learn more about working with each other to save lives.” In addition to staff and equipment from all 10 English NHS ambulance services, plus the ambulance service of the Isle of Wight, the military, several police forces, fire and rescue services, air ambulances and voluntary groups, Exercise Amber 2 also included around 130 people acting as ‘casualties’ at the event – most being paramedic and nursing students from local universities. In addition, almost 200 observers from various Government departments and other emergency services backgrounds attended to view the exercise. Joint working Exercise Amber 2 was developed and led by the ambulance service’s National Ambulance Resilience Unit (NARU) – which is hosted by West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust. It was a ‘live-play’ exercise that clearly demonstrated the complex response required by
the ambulance service and their partner agencies to deal with a mass casualty incident. Exercise Director David Bull, the NARU Head of Education, said, “The ambulance service response capabilities for mass casualty incidents have developed significantly over the past 10 years, in terms of equipment, infrastructure and staff, and it is the same for our partners in fire and police. So it is vital that we run exercises like Amber 2 with our colleagues across the emergency services spectrum, helping us really emphasise the patient as the primary focus for emergency services staff who find themselves on-scene at particularly challenging incidents.
“There is no doubt these exercises help us to learn more about working with each other to save lives in a dynamic and highly realistic environment and therefore help us remain better prepared if the real thing happens.” Incident response Exercise Amber 2 provided an excellent opportunity for observers to see how all parts of the ambulance service would work together during the response to a mass casualty incident and gave observers the opportunity to get to grips with the intricacies at very close quarters, including: multiagency on scene command; specialist response capabilities; patient treatment in challenging environments; casualty clearing station procedures; and ambulance mutual aid and coordination. The exercise follows a year on from the original
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Exercise Amber event, which took place in London to test preparedness and resilience in advance of the Olympic Games in 2012. http://naru.org.uk
Amputee actors add heightened realism
The skills of a team of Amputees in Action’s actors and special effects artists were required to support Exercise Amber 2. The company provided over 30 amputee actors, five SFX artistes and one manager for this exercise and coordinated over 100 volunteers. Amputees in Action is the UK’s largest provider of fully trained amputee actors. The agency’s ever-growing reputation is based on the degree of realism that its actors, supported by a team of special effects artists, can bring not just to film and television productions but also to the casualty simulations used to train the people who have to deal with serious accidents and injuries. CEO John Pickup says, “We know that the heightened level of realism we can bring to training exercises like Amber 2 can really help to save lives by de-sensitising emergency services staff and military personnel to the shock of the real thing. That’s why we’re delighted to take part whenever we can.” www.amputeesinaction.co.uk
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Exercise Georgiana: preparing for a multi-agency response to a major disaster As a typical spring day begins in rural Lincolnshire, all seems well. Farmers are tending to crops and parents are preparing for the school run. But this seemingly ordinary morning is about to be shattered. A three-coach commuter train travelling on the East Coast Main Line is about to collide with a tractor on a level crossing causing a chain of events that, if it was to happen for real, would wreak havoc in the county. Exercise Georgiana was a large-scale training simulation organised by Lincolnshire County Council alongside emergency services and the voluntary sector. The aim of the exercise was to determine how a multi-agency response to a major disaster would unfold and to help ensure the county of Lincolnshire is well prepared should the worst happen. And the organisers of the exercise certainly ensured the worst happened in this scenario.
“This is what exercising is all about – learning from each other, our partners and other professionals so we can deliver a wellpractised, professional and effective response to emergency incidents in the community.” Paramedics and specialist teams from blue light agencies were confronted with a scene of horror when they arrived at the train wreck, where two carriages had catapulted off course leaving dozens hurt and several dead. Medics were faced with
strikingly realistic and gruesome casualties. Some passengers had lost limbs, others had suffered serious head injuries and were unconscious. The screams and desperate pleas for help rang out across the crash site. Just the beginning But the derailment was just the beginning. Shortly after the level-crossing crash, a lorry attempting to bypass the traffic caused by the incident careered into a primary school close to the nearby village of Claypole. And the vehicle was carrying chemicals, which subsequently contaminated the local water supply. The British Red Cross was the lead voluntary agency throughout the exercise and was responsible for running the survivors’ reception centre – a village hall transformed into a hub of first aid teams, volunteers trained in psycho-social support and people on hand to help those looking for loved ones caught up in the crisis. Frenetic scenes As the drama unfolded at the scene of the derailment, subsequent lorry crash and chemical spill, there were frenetic scenes in the nerve centre of the response – Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service HQ. Nicknamed ‘the bunker’, the control room is where every agency is represented. Teams of logisticians, health professionals, voluntary sector members, press officers and high-ranking staff were striving to coordinate the response as the catastrophe escalated. Joy Clift-Hill, a Regional Operations Director for the British Red Cross, headed up the voluntary sector response. As a veteran of emergency situations, Joy is no stranger to stress but she says
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the adrenaline rush is ever-present, even in seasoned personnel. “The rush I get when I’m called out to respond to an emergency surprises me every time,” she said. “After 35 years of responding in emergency situations, first in the health service as a Ward Sister and Nurse Manager and now as an Operations Director for the Red Cross – that injection of adrenaline enables you to function at a very different level.”
Lessons learnt So after a high-octane four days of being immersed in disaster, what was the verdict of those who took part? “All aspects of the exercise went well – the train crash site, the survivor centre and the control room,” Joy said. “We have learnt a few lessons and will need to make some adjustments to our plans and protocols. But this is what exercising is all about – learning from each other, our partners and other professionals so we can deliver a wellpractised, professional and effective response to emergency incidents in the community.” www.redcross.org.uk
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SAR following ‘mid air collision’ Words and photos: Adrian Balch, an Observer at Exercise Selfridge.
A wreck of a former Army Lynx helicopter was used in the exercise.
Exercise Selfridge, which took place on 24 April, was a multi-agency search and rescue (SAR) exercise initiated by Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service on behalf of Gloucestershire Local Resilience Forum. Being located close to the Wiltshire border, at the Cotswold Water Park in South Cerney, the exercise involved the emergency services from both Gloucestershire and Wiltshire: Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, Gloucestershire Police and South West Ambulance Service NHS Trust were joined by Wiltshire Police, Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service and several volunteer rescue services, as well as RAYNET and the RAF, who deployed a Sea King helicopter from RAF Chivenor in Devon. Real and ‘mock’ press were also invited to attend to report on the exercise.
Mid-air collision The scenario involved a mid-air collision between a helicopter and aircraft over the Cotswold Water Park. A wreck of a former Army Lynx helicopter was used in the exercise, from which casualties needed to be extracted. The ‘aircraft’ was presumed to have broken up on hitting the water. ‘Survivors’, ‘bodies’ and ‘body parts’ were distributed around the area, which the emergency services had to locate and recover. Coordination, communications and planning were key elements in this exercise. The RAF Sea King helicopter located and winched up three survivors from the lake, but chose not to recover a fourth from a small island, as its downwash would have disturbed a swan’s nest, resulting in that rescue being done by boat! www.gloucestershireprepared.co.uk
Search and rescue techniques were implemented using boats and hovercraft manned by Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service and volunteer services.
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The RAF Sea King helicopter located and winched up three survivors from the lake.
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Rail exercise tests the East of England The East of England Ambulance Service (EEAST) held a live major incident exercise on 24 April. The exercise, which took place on a preserved railway line in Wymondham, Norfolk, also served as a live exercise for the Norfolk Local Resilience Forum and was held as part of the service’s requirements under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004.
Robert Flute, EEASTs Head of Resilience and Special Operations (Chair of Norfolk Resilience Forum), said, “The aim of the exercise was to ensure that the multi-agency response to a major incident is effective and coordinated. There was a multi-agency command and control structure, which will include all levels of command structure with a Strategic Coordinating Group (SCG).” A multi-agency group, including Norfolk Constabulary, Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS), HM Armed Forces, Norfolk County Council (NCC), NCC Children’s Services, South Norfolk Council (SNC) and Peterborough Medical Emergency Response Incident Team (MERIT)
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formed a partnership to attend and take part in the exercise. Students from Lowestoft College who are studying on the public services course and who are aiming to become paramedics, firefighters and police officers of the future, acted as live casualties during the exercise. Course Director Jackie King, one of the trust’s Resilience Managers, said, “After a year of planning and organising, the exercise went extremely well. Everyone has worked so well together and I wish to thank my colleague Michelle Coustance for her help and assistance through the planning.” Neil Storey, EEASTs Director of Operations, said, “I watched the exercise from the initial 999 call coming in where the call handler did a superb job to get the initial responses en route to the incident.
As an ambulance service, we have attended several major incidents over the years and we are very confident our plans are robust to deal with incidents such as this.” www.eastamb.nhs.uk
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JESIP encourages innovative local solutions to joint training Following on from the last issue, we continue our coverage of the JESIP workstreams. In this issue the focus lands on Training & Exercising, which is likely to be the ‘workhorse’ for all other JESIP work. Many of the JESIP objectives will be achieved via training, testing and exercising. Words: Carl Daniels and Joy Flanagan – JESIP Team. The JESIP working groups are moving at a rapid pace as the programme timeline ticks down to September 2014. In order to meet the programme deadlines, we have needed the knowledge and expertise from the three blue light services in order for us to progress as quickly as possible. We are extremely grateful to those individuals and their supporting organisations who have contributed up to this point. This has enabled us to keep on track.
“Our aspiration, wherever possible, is for the emergency services to train and exercise together.” The JESIP Training and Exercise Working Group (T&EWG) has been formed and has met on five occasions since January 2013. The group comprises representatives from three blue light services, from their relevant national working groups or business areas, as well as subject matter experts. This includes representation from the National Ambulance Resilience Unit (NARU), the Fire Service College (FSC), the College of Policing (CoP) and Emergency Planning College (EPC). Training and exercising deliverables As part of the overall delivery and implementation plans for JESIP, the training element is at the core. We need to raise skills, knowledge and awareness levels now but we also need to ensure there is a legacy that goes beyond JESIP. The focus for this workstream has initially been on the training products that will be required. However, work is also underway to establish a long-term joint training and exercising strategy. Our plans include: • The need to improve interoperability awareness across all frontline responders while prioritising the need to train those currently in on-scene (bronze) and tactical (silver) command roles • The need to train the commanders of the future by supporting services to incorporate interoperability training within their existing training and development programmes • The need to improve interoperability awareness and knowledge within control rooms. Training products The focus for JESIP is on improving the initial response to a major or complex incident. Therefore,
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the group sought to clarify and agree the joint roles and responsibilities for those officers who are most likely to be the ‘On Scene and Tactical Commanders’ from all three blue light services. From this analysis, the T&EWG has articulated an outline for the joint roles and responsibilities. This outline has been shared with a broader group of currently practicing On Scene and Tactical Commanders from the three blue light services. This drew in further experiences and opinions to amend the initial work but then agreement was reached to allow the group to progress to the next stage. From the joint roles and responsibilities work, draft learning outcomes for On-Scene and Tactical Interoperability Command Courses were developed. These learning outcomes have formed the basis on which the JESIP training products can be built. Through the working group, a number of subject matter experts were identified to assist with the course build and content, which is almost complete. It is envisaged that some content for training and awareness will be delivered online, making the products more accessible to existing staff in the short term. This should also make it easier for services to incorporate these elements into existing training and development programmes. Once completed, the courses will be subject to a vigorous validation process to ensure they are fit for purpose. This will include two pilot courses at two separate sites; Manchester is the first one with the second to be confirmed. Train the Trainer Programme Clearly with the scale of the training requirement, training will need to be delivered at a local level. To facilitate this, JESIP is proposing a regional ‘Train the Trainer’ programme, with scalable numbers depending on the size of the organisations involved. As the geographic footprint of the three services is not common, JESIP will follow the ambulance regions footprint for the Train the Trainer programme. Services will be expected to support this approach as the most effective and efficient way of cascading training nationally. We will be discussing these proposals with services at our planned JESIP Engagement Events. Our aspiration, wherever possible, is for the emergency services to train and exercise together. It is recognised this may be challenging because of existing training commitments and patterns, geographic locations and the numbers involved. We want to encourage services to think creatively and generate innovative local solutions to joint training. We will aim to support them as much as we can to achieve that goal.
JESIP Interoperability Workforce Survey A reminder for all those who work in blue light command roles or within control rooms at all levels. Ensure your voice is heard by taking part in our Interoperability Workforce Survey. It is a short online survey to collate current levels of knowledge and understanding about what happens when the three blue light services have to work together. You can find the link on the JESIP website. www.jesip.org.uk
JESIP Engagement Events Our engagement events are the start of our journey in terms of true dialogue with services. They are taking place in Bristol, Birmingham, Leeds and London and are planned for late June and early July. These events, which are aimed at the blue light services, will also involve representatives from Local Resilience Forums. They will hopefully allow every blue light organisation to get involved, learn more about our proposals and start to consider how and what they and their neighbouring services will be required to do. If you are involved in the operational training, learning or education within your blue light service we would ask you to ensure your service is represented at one of the events. More details about the events can be found on the JESIP website. What can my service do now? The JESIP products are only one element of improving the way the blue light services work together. We would encourage services to start their journey to improving interoperability now by ensuring they are represented at one of the engagement events. In addition, we know in some areas local interoperability or ‘JESIP’ groups are already established but where they are not, we would encourage services to create links with peers in neighbouring police, ambulance and fire and rescue services; start discussions to learn about each other’s organisations; and generate opportunities to open up channels of communication. JESIP is a time limited programme, which will work hard to provide the underpinning framework and initial support allowing services to achieve effective interoperability as part of business as usual in the future. www.jesip.org.uk jesip@homeoffice.x.gsi.gov.uk
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ATACC – an integrated approach to trauma care It is dark and raining as your six-person, multi-agency team, respond to a serious RTC entrapment, following a police firearms incident in a local scrap yard. The firearms team declare it safe to enter the scene to manage the seriously injured casualties. The gunman is pinned against heavy railings by a car and is screaming in pain and bleeding out rapidly from two large thigh wounds, over his broken legs. The driver is conscious, with a gunshot wound to the neck, which is bleeding very heavily from a major artery, and his passenger has a gunshot wound to the chest and is barely breathing. The team rapidly takes in the scene and under the direction of the Lead Medic, begin to manage each casualty simultaneously. All three could die on scene, but with the skills of the firefighter, police firearms officer, paramedic and doctors working together they could save them all. Words: Dr Mark Forrest, Medical Director, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service & ATACC Faculty Medical Director. This sounds like the latest Bruce Willis Blockbuster or your worst nightmare, but this is actually a typical advanced trauma simulation for candidates on the ATACC (anaesthesia, trauma and critical care) course, which after 15 years still remains the most up to date and advanced trauma course available in the UK. A recent Royal College of Surgeons assessor admitted that he was unsure about the benefits of combining firefighters, police officers, para-medical and medical staff together in teams on the course. What would an orthopaedic surgeon get from a tactical scenario or what can a firefighter bring to a complex hospital resuscitation room trauma scenario? However, once he saw how the team develops and builds through human factors, knowledge, technical skills and command and how they become a far more effective ‘trauma team’, he commended the Faculty on this unique approach.
scenario complexity rises until ultimately major poly trauma seems far less daunting when approached in a systematic fashion. Specialist modules The Rescue Trauma & Critical Care (RTACC) is the BTACC course with Specialist modules, eg Haemostatics, traction splints, Entonox, RSI assist, crush and suspension trauma etc. While the ATACC course is entirely trauma based, both BTACC and RTACC include resuscitation and medical emergency modules. firefighters. That same year Cheshire won the UKRO Trauma Challenge and opened a new standard of Fire & Rescue Trauma Care as defined in the CFOA Immediate Emergency Care (IEC) standard. Police standard BTACC also meets the Police NOIA D13/D13E standard for Tactical Firearms and has been adopted by Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside and soon potentially all police firearms teams in the north west. There is no unnecessary anatomy and physiology but a highly effective course, which teaches that the simple things, done well, saves lives!
Considerable benefits Benefits are considerable for everyone. Candidates develop excellent team skills, they can adopt in the operating theatre or pre-hospital environment. They also share knowledge, and their combined years of experience, and by the end of the course they make formidable teams. ATACC is a highly demanding course for those with considerable trauma experience but numerous emergency services and other agencies are now adopting the less advanced but highly focused elements of the three level ATACC Integrated Trauma Course (ITC). Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service was the first to adopt the BTACC (Basic Trauma and Casualty Care course) as a more appropriate and advanced alternative to First Aid at Work for all operational
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“As a team develops and builds through human factors, knowledge, technical skills and command they become a far more effective ‘trauma team’.” Short powerful lectures are alternated with skill stations and simulated scenarios in realistic environments. Casualty simulation with live actors is kept simple yet graphic to maximise the effect and enhance the learning experience. As each element of the course is introduced the next
By the end of a BTACC course, candidates will be able to manage all major traumatic injuries such as a fall from height with head, chest, pelvic and spinal injuries and potential internal bleeding. The course gives them the confidence to approach, assess, manage and then package such patients rapidly, safely and effectively, ready to hand over to paramedics. www.cheshirefire.gov.uk
About ATACC ATACC is a non-profit commercial course, while BTACC and RTACC are delivered by the company Promedsol, or emergency service instructors, who have completed Promedsol instructor training. Interested parties can contact Mark at ATACC atacc.doc@btinternet.com or through Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service: mark.forrest@cheshirefire.gov.uk
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Understanding the risks: Cheshire shows commitment to SSRI training Accurate, relevant and timely risk critical information is widely accepted as a key component in the management of operational incidents. However, gathering, storing and disseminating risk critical information presents significant challenges to UK fire and rescue services, not least in the area of training. Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service has risen to this challenge by making a significant and positive investment in training in the area of Site Specific Risk Information (SSRI) Management. Words: Kevin Fenney, Site Specific Risk Information Training Officer, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service. Chief Fire Officer Paul Hancock fully endorsed and supported the creation of a dedicated role within the service, which holds the responsibility for planning, designing and delivering bespoke SSRI Management training to operational and Community Fire Protection (CFP) staff. This is seen as critical in the ongoing development of SSRI skills and ensuring a high level of quality risk information is available to crews on the incident ground. Cheshire FRS’s SSRI Training Officer moved into post in October 2011, developing a training programme to meet the needs of the organisation in terms of operational risk information provision and the needs of staff for which SSRI is such an important part of their role. All-inclusive approach An all-inclusive approach was a key driver in the development of Cheshire’s SSRI training programme, an approach where all staff have a role to play in gathering, storing and disseminating risk critical information. All staff can contribute to the development of SSRI plans to produce the very best quality plan to assist Incident Commanders in making effective decisions at an operational incident.
“It is vitally important that we train and prepare staff for carrying out risk assessment and information gathering visits.” The SSRI Training Officer devised a phased programme of training, built into an initial two-year training window, with 42 Wholetime and Day Crewing Watches each receiving three phases of training, plus additional themed training and continuous support over the two-year period with an option to continue after that. Back to the beginning Cheshire’s approach was to take everyone back to the beginning to develop their skills together to achieve a high level of consistency to SSRI records across the service. Phase One training was designed to focus heavily
on the safety of firefighters on the incident ground and particularly the value that good quality SSRI plans can add to an Incident Commander’s decision-making. It covered a range of areas, including: SSRI historical context; incident case studies (the SSRI element); hazard and risk perception; risk assessment; initial considerations; and SSRI photographs and adding value. This was delivered to 395 staff, comprising a combination of operational and CFP personnel. This combination was crucial in enhancing the link between operational crews and CFP in relation to SSRI. CFP also supported the SSRI training programme by delivering training modules to operational staff in CFP related areas, including: modern methods of construction; the built environment; timber framed buildings; and fire engineered solutions. Building on the foundation Phase Two set out to build on the strong foundations laid in Phase One by moving SSRI Management to a higher level of understanding. This involved guiding delegates through a more in-depth discussion regarding the service policy and guidance document that had been introduced in 2009. The approach was to discuss each individual section of the policy and guidance document and to build a sound level of understanding for it to be used effectively when working through the process. This was followed by a tabletop exercise based
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around a ‘live’ SSRI site in Cheshire and involved the use of approximately 85 photographs used to identify significant hazards to firefighters in particular, and put in place adequate control measures that either currently existed or had to be developed during the exercise. A strong, enquiring mind was required in order to obtain the most accurate, relevant and timely information from the facilitator. Additional exercise injects also gave staff the opportunity to consider the environment, the community and the economy, allowing them to focus on developing adequate control measures for identified hazards and associated risks.
The exercise was conducted with a sharp focus on the service SSRI policy and involved a complete run through of the SSRI management process from the moment the premises was identified as a risk to go onto the station Risk Footprint, to gathering risk
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ESTTRAINING | 57 critical information and consolidating data in preparation for entering onto FireCore, a bespoke SSRI database designed and developed by Cheshire. Next level Phase Three was designed to really stretch delegates’ SSRI thinking by moving to a much more complex SSRI premises. It involves delegates observing a film of a previously identified risk premises shot through the eyes of an inspecting officer. Delegates are able to interact with the facilitator as they move through each location in order to gain the very best risk critical information available. Delegates are also able to choose from premises photographs to include in an SSRI, designed to add value in relation to an Incident Commander’s decision-making process, and then explain their rationale behind the choice. This phase also includes a confirmation of understanding of Cheshire’s SSRI risk assessment methodology. It involves a discussion around exactly what each level of the Severity and Likelihood ratings actually mean with reference being made to the descriptors for each as detailed in the FRS Operational Guidance – Operational Risk Information document produced by CLG and the Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser. This inclusion was designed to enable staff carrying out an SSRI risk assessment to determine the most accurate score for each hazard identified, supporting a consistent approach to SSRI assessment of risk. Mandatory e-learning module Cheshire runs an E-Learning Platform allowing staff to access learning and development modules, assessments and reading material to enhance skill levels across a broad suite of role-specific disciplines. To confirm the level of understanding from the three phases, a mandatory E-Learning module has been developed for all operational staff. This is assessable and delegates must achieve the minimum pass grade. Important role SSRI is a fundamental operational management resource playing such an important role in contributing towards the safety of firefighters and others involved in operational incidents. SSRI risk assessments are much more than scoring mechanisms to determine whether or not an SSRI plan is required or for establishing the re-inspection frequency of a risk premises. They are an opportunity to clearly identify the significant hazards facing staff at operational incidents and to put in place adequate control measures to contribute to making the working environment at such incidents as safe as it reasonably can be. It is vitally important that we train and prepare staff for carrying out risk assessment and information gathering visits. SSRI Management is a vital component of an Incident Commanders ‘armoury’, demanding the highest level of pre-planning. Cheshire’s approach to SSRI training is a significant step towards ensuring quality and consistency is achieved in providing accurate, relevant and timely information to its staff at an operational incident that will ultimately keep them and others safe. www.cheshirefire.gov.uk
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Rescue harness has designs on firefighter safety
The Phoenix Professional Rescue Harness is now one of the most widely used professional rescue harnesses.
The desire to improve firefighter safety, as well as the introduction of new legislative requirements has always been a driver to implementing better protective measures. Following the introduction of the Confined Spaces Regulations in 1998, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) approached heightec (formerly NARC – The National Access and Rescue Centre) with a request for the design of a new dedicated rescue harness. The design criteria requested the harness needed to be: • A versatile full body rescue harness that has multiple applications • Quick and easy to don, even when wearing gloves and in poor light
conventions; demonstrated that it applied new or existing technology; solved a key problem; and showed clear user benefits. The result was a harness that not only met the criteria of design but also incorporated additional features: • Integral back jacket panel, which maintains the harness structure • Rear attachment point is rated for fall arrest and suspension, positioned high to be compatible with breathing apparatus and is reachable by the user • Semi-circular screwlink permits safe multidirectional loading for casualty attachment • Front attachment point is rated for fall arrest – it can be used for lowering or raising and suspension
• Compatible with existing equipment, eg breathing apparatus • Universally sized and fully adjustable for user comfort
• Adjustable side buckles allow for added comfort and sizing, but lock to prevent accidental release
• Highly durable to withstand the rigours of the working environment. After a feasibility, development and testing phase the Phoenix went into full production. It was the first fall arrest harness designed specifically for the UK fire and rescue service and industrial rescue teams who work in confined space, vertical rescue and fall arrest, and which is suitable for use with back-mounted breathing apparatus.
• Buckles are captive to prevent disassembly and with large tabs for easy adjustment, even wearing gloves • Protected leg sleeves prevent bunching, tangling and twisting of the webbing. Provides additional wear resistance and increased comfort for the user
UK Design Council award The simple yet multi-functional design has made the harness a popular choice in the rescue industry and led to it being awarded the UK Design Council Millennium Product award. This demonstrated that the Phoenix: challenged existing
The Phoenix Professional Rescue Harness is now one of the most widely used professional rescue harnesses, utilitised by over 40 regional fire and rescue services, rescue teams, defence fire and airport fire services in the UK and overseas.
• Accessory D-loop allows attachment of torch, radio, etc.
www.heightec.com
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Nine-strong ambulance service partnership offers first aid courses
LAS develops incident planning and response course
NHS Ambulance Service First Aid Training (NASFAT) is a partnership of nine NHS ambulance services that work together to deliver high quality first aid training locally and throughout the UK. The services are all currently HSE approved suppliers. The LOFSTEDT Report makes reference to giving employers a greater choice when choosing a training provider. NHS ambulance services have rigorous internal and external audits by varying bodies, ie CQC, Monitor Government independent scrutiny board, NHSLA, IGT (NHS connecting for health) etc. Although there will be no legal requirement to deliver training under an awarding organisation, NASFAT will soon be offering OFQUAL qualifications.
Knowledge and experience NASFAT’s training is delivered by experts with knowledge and experience derived from frontline operations and real emergencies; ensuring that its courses are kept current, interesting and relevant. The partnership runs its training in a variety of styles, from scheduled courses to bespoke training packages delivered on site to customers. NASFAT has the capability of delivering on national contracts and is currently doing so successfully. Customers are guaranteed consistent training as best practice is shared across the ambulance services and all programmes are delivered by Resuscitation Council UK under current guidelines. The courses are also supported by a first aid manual, which is validated and approved by a responsible body of medical opinion. Training for other emergency services NASFAT provides training in all areas of First Aid at Work, Basic Life Support (BLS), Automated External Defibrillator (AED), oxygen therapy and safer manual handling as well as bespoke training packages to suit customers’ requirements. The NASFAT members also have experience in delivering training to other emergency services, such as TAC MED training to support the police and extensive work within fire and rescue services. NASFAT has trained thousands of people who have gone on to help save lives. Furthermore, all income is re-invested back into frontline patient care and community education. As industry leaders in emergency care, NASFAT has the right skills and knowledge to deliver the highest quality training. www.firstaidtraining.nhs.uk
Operating in a diverse city of over eight million people, the London Ambulance Service (LAS) has unique experience of dealing with major incidents and running exercises in partnership with other emergency services. Given its expertise, the service has developed a comprehensive incident planning and response training course that is appropriate for a wide range of organisations.
London Ambulance Service’s Head of Resilience and Special Operations Liam Lehane said, “Knowing from experience, only extensive training and planning will help you successfully manage disruptive incidents. It is essential to have tested command and control structures and this will contribute to the effective running of your operation. “The sessions we offer will give an insight into the theory of incident management and you will then be able to apply your knowledge to practical scenarios, guided by our experienced facilitators.” The two-day course in central London covers legislation and guidance for integrated emergency
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management; decision-making and communication; current threats; and equipment, as well as practical workshops. Flexible and dynamic Liam added, “Your plans for responding and how you respond need to be flexible and dynamic, and our course stresses its importance. We will talk you through past incidents, how we’ve managed them and the lessons learnt.” The course deals with the responsibilities of the command team, rather than prescribing a specific organisational response, as has been the case in the past. As such, the course is transferable between organisations, allowing a consistent approach across NHS trusts, local authorities and private organisations, ranging from logistics to industrial companies. The service’s Emergency Planning, Resilience and Response (EPRR) team, who run the course, have extensive knowledge and experience. They plan and deliver 3000 events every year and have coordinated the response for several high-profile major incidents and managed the service’s response to the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Notting Hill Carnival as well as smaller sports and local events.
You can come and talk to the team on Stand Z134 at The Emergency Services Show 2013, which takes place at the NEC in Birmingham from 25-26 September 2013. www.londonambulance.nhs.uk
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Livestock transportation – what’s the risk? The fire and rescue service (FRS) are well versed in tackling road traffic incidents and have adopted tools and practices that allow us to cope with most vehicle entrapment scenarios in a seamless multi-agency response with colleagues from the emergency and recovery services. However, there are some significant challenges when dealing with livestock transportation incidents, which fall outside of routine vehicle entrapments. Words: Jim Green, Animal Rescue Specialist, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service. The Chief Fire Officers’ Association (CFOA) and Road Haulage Association (RHA) are keen to promote awareness of this subject among emergency responders, veterinarians and livestock hauliers. As a starting point a DVD has been developed to provide a general awareness of livestock transportation and key issues facing responders, whatever your role. Livestock Transportation – What’s the Risk? acts as a tool to promote discussion and will prompt further training, for example: • Emergency planners may use it to consider the implications and scale of such an event, prompting them to consider agencies that would need to be involved and taking action to establish roles and responsibilities before the event
those directly required for the rescue and suitably equipped with personal protective equipment will be allowed to operate inside the Inner Cordon. The CFOA Animal Rescue Practioners Forum has provided guidance for livestock handling training, rescue procedures and tactical planning in relation to livestock transportation incidents and therefore trained personnel wherever possible should be utilised to coordinate and carry out rescues.
Vehicle familiarisation It is important for fire crews to familiarise A scene from an incident involving a pig transporter in Burwell, Lincolnshire, attended by themselves with the construction of livestock Lincolnshire FRS. vehicles. These trailers can be configured with up to four decks, each compartmentalised into entrapment to final place of safety. Control measures must be tailored to the individual hazards pens and extremely robust. Complex lifting ramps or decks facilitate loading of animals very involved and it is essential that all responders are • Rescue teams will use information on vehicle effectively, however in a rescue it is unlikely that fully aware of the plan and their part within it. design and hazards to consider their extrication any systems will function and the extrication of strategy and pre determined response to such an trapped animals will be challenging and potentially incident time consuming. Knowledge of design, structure • All other responders will gain an insight into the and systems will expedite the process dramatically. needs of such an incident, their role and how the situation will be managed What’s on the DVD? • Vehicle designers will have a better The DVD has something for all responders. Disc understanding of the complex operations 1 highlights the often unseen risk to both human required to resolve such an incident and this and animal when an incident occurs, introduces the may in turn help to inform future collaborative roles of responders at the scene, offers sources of design, aiding rescuers to release animals quickly, advice and some key operational requirements Avoid making the situation worse safely and efficiently. based on the nature of the animals on board. As emergency personnel approach the scene of Case studies through the eyes of fire and rescue any animal incident their first priority is to avoid Critical safety issues service personnel and a large animal veterinarian making the situation worse. Blue light responders Livestock transportation presents difficulties not bring graphically to life the scale of such incidents, in particular are accustomed to arriving at incidents lessons learnt and ideas to inform future success. often encountered at regular vehicle incidents due with sirens and lights and getting to work often in a to the robust construction of the container, sheer Disc 2 features operational considerations in noisy and assertive way. When humans are numbers of animals involved and the behavioural relation to the vehicles themselves and presents a involved everyone is comforted by this level of characteristics of livestock, which present some range of short films introducing the main activity however animals, in direct contrast, will critical safety issues for those at the scene. Focus manufacturers’ vehicles designs and common have an adverse reaction to this form of must be on carrying out an efficient and wellfeatures that will enable an effective tactical plan to stimulation, particularly the noise and behaviour of planned operation taking many factors into be formulated. responders. consideration, including the welfare of animals but Formal launch and copies of the DVD will be at On approach, loose animals might be frightened, importantly the safety of the public and responders. The Emergency Services Show 2013 (Birmingham Most responders will not have regular exposure to disorientated and injured. This makes them highly NEC 25-26 September) and will help to inform all dangerous to responders and motorists who might large animals and certainly will not have the emergency responders, hauliers and other specialist have left their vehicles. instinctive skills needed when assessing and advisors of each others roles and responsibilities. These incidents are unlikely to be resolved quickly. moving animals. Members of the CFOA Animal Rescue Practioners Some important responders such as veterinarians, We all want to resolve the situation as quickly as Forum from various fire and rescue services will be Trading Standards Animal Health Inspectors, possible, however rushing to evacuate animals on stand Z212 farmers, knacker men and hauliers will need to be without the right control measures in place could Copies of the DVD are also available from escorted to the scene of operations. This could be a lead to disastrous consequences for public and Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, please contact significant challenge with the nature of some responder safety. Melissa Noyce by e-mail: incident congestion involving local roads and lanes. Control can only be achieved if the rescue has learn.dev@hantsfire.gov.uk. Once a tactical plan has been developed, only www.hantsfire.gov.uk been planned right through, from place of
“Livestock transportation presents difficulties not often encountered at regular vehicle incidents.”
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High speed driver training improvements on track
The importance of realism
Words: Stephen Milton, Managing Director, Emergency Response Driver Training Ltd. Section 19 of the UK Road Safety Act 2006, will regulate the use of exemptions from speed limits. In addition, it is also proposed that any emergency response driver that wishes to claim exemption to proceed on a red traffic light or drive on the opposite side of a keep left or right sign/bollard will also have to comply with Section 19 and the High Speed Driver Training (HSDT) Codes of Practice. A public consultation on Section 19 was completed in February 2013. A response from the Department for Transport (DfT) to the consultation has been delayed. However, it is expected that Section 19 will be implemented in October 2013. The High Speed Driver Training (HSDT) Codes of Practice will be implemented when Section 19 becomes legislation, at which time the codes will set the UK National Occupational Standards (NOS). Emergency services must produce a document and evidence that their training will comply with the (HSDT) Codes of Practise and the training body must hold accreditation by the Department for Transport (DfT) to provide High Speed Driver Training (HSDT). Private training providers must produce a document and evidence that their training will comply with the (HSDT) Codes of Practise and the training body must hold accreditation by the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) to provide High Speed Driver Training (HSDT). Organisational requirements Upon the implementation of Section 19 of the Road Safety Act 2006 and the High Speed Driver Training Codes of Practise an organisation with be required to: • Train all new Emergency Response Driving Instructors to a competent standard as per the (HSDT) NOS • Train all new Emergency Response Drivers to a competent standard as per the (HSDT) (NOS) • Re-assess all current Emergency Response Driving Instructors to a competent standard as per the (HSDT) (NOS) prior to the implementation of Section 19, which will produce evidence that the Instructor is competent to deliver (HSDT) training • Re-assess all current Emergency Response Drivers to a competent standard as per the (HSDT) (NOS) within a five-year period. It should be indisputable that the exemptions afforded to the emergency services to drive under emergency response conditions, should be carried out only by drivers that are trained to a high standard and the High Speed Driver Training National Occupational Standards are a drive in the right direction. www.emergencyresponsedrivertraining.co.uk
Firefighters don’t, and shouldn’t, approach a fire or search and rescue operation the same way they did 10 years ago. The introduction of rapidly burning synthetic materials into home furnishings has changed the typical behaviour and escalation of a residential fire emergency. Changes in airbag construction and the introduction of hybrid cars have also forced firefighters to attack vehicle fires and extrications in a different manner.
Fire training programmes As fire fighting best practice evolves over time, so should your department’s training regime. Both new and veteran firefighters benefit from continued training. Training should not only reflect changes in fire fighting tactics, but also the advances that manufacturers of fire training tools have made. Now, continued training can also be more realistic than ever. Advances in digital and clean fire technology allow for training in locations where fire drills weren’t possible in the past, expanding the training capabilities of fire training products for firefighters and fire and rescue services. Tailored solutions The best way to prepare firefighters to face an emergency is to simulate the emergency as realistically as possible. Realistic training exercises best prepare firefighters for a cool-headed and effective performance during a real emergency. Fire personnel as well as industrial emergency response team members must experience first-hand what is required of them in the event of a fire or accident. Today it is possible to safely train first responders using real smoke, heat, and flames. Training tools are as diverse as their manufacturers and end-users. For example, effective firefighter training can occur with propane-based flames and water-filled extinguishers. Fire training props designed to look and act like aircraft wings, helicopters and vehicles are also available to train on specific fire situations. New ‘Clean Class A’ fire technology allows for real carbonaceous burns without the complexity and
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environmental impact of traditional live fire training. Structures and cities For departments looking to offer even more comprehensive training, including command and control training, training structures and even training cities can be designed. Training structures can include containers, mobile training units that can move throughout your community, or fixed facilities and cityscapes for an even more diverse and spacious training environment. For the ideal training complex, it is often best to work with a company that can customize a facility to meet your department or brigade’s unique needs, wants, and training objectives. Facilities can incorporate multiple classes of fire, fire situations, and also provide training opportunities for hazardous chemical spills and urban search and rescue operations.
The key to optimal performance in your fire and rescue service is tailoring your training evolutions to closely match those that your first responders will actually see. Identify your community or company’s most prevalent fire hazards, and search for a training tool that will realistically mimic those conditions. The more realistic your training, the better prepared your firefighters will be. HAAGEN has built some of the largest and most advanced fire training facilities around the world, including the South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service fire training building and the Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Training Centre at Clydesmill Industrial Estate in Cambuslang. www.haagen.com
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Work at height and rescue courses target specific training needs As the UK’s Petzl Technical Institute, Lyon Equipment is the source of definitive training and technical support for Petzl work and rescue equipment and the provision of safe systems for work at height and rescue. Working in close collaboration with emergency service colleagues, the Lyon Training Team has developed a complete suite of courses designed to meet the specific work at height and rescue needs of the emergency services. lts emergency services courses deliver class-leading instruction and certification for all aspects of working at height and rescue, from basic harness and lanyard use to advanced rope access and rope rescue systems. Lyon offers three levels of safe work at height training for Hazardous Area Response Teams, from Operator to Supervisor/Trainer levels. There are two courses for police officers who are required to work at height in the course of their duties plus a three-tier Rope Rescue Training Programme that has proved extremely popular with a number of fire and rescue services, HM Coastguard and mountain rescue teams. Perfect learning environment Lyon’s purpose-built training centre at Tebay provides the perfect learning environment for work at height and rescue training and allows for an
Lyon’s purpose-built training centre at Tebay provides the perfect learning environment for work at height and rescue training.
outstanding range of scenario-based exercises. The company’s all-weather facilities include walkways, hanging platforms, sloping roof, silo, vertical shaft, communications tower, lanyard frame, indoor ‘crag’, two-storey ‘house’ and a host of rope and aidclimbing opportunities. These structures are complemented perfectly by excellent ‘natural’ venues situated just a short distance from the training centre. Multi agency appeal The company also delivers a range of courses that are of interest to the emergency services, including its two-day Emergency Casualty Care for Work at Height and Rescue course that combines the challenges and skills for safe access and egress while dealing with an injured casualty in the ‘at height’ environment. Lyon’s highly popular RoSPA-approved PPE
Inspection Competent Person course is attended by personnel from each of the emergency services. It provides successful candidates with a certificate authorising them to carry out Thorough Examinations and Interim Inspections on a wide range of personal fall protection equipment used for work and rescue at height. The company’s trainers are experts in the application of the full range of Petzl work and rescue equipment; many are also highly experienced members of local cave, mine and mountain rescue teams. Emergency services personnel attending Lyon’s courses find that the blend of class-leading equipment, superb ‘natural’ and ‘built’ training facilities together with expert tuition and support materials provides a training experience that is truly second to none. www.lyon.co.uk
IFTC takes partnership approach Manchester Airport is set to become a training partner with the International Fire Training Centre (IFTC) and host firefighter training courses at the airport. Together, the two businesses will deliver training to airport fire and rescue services and, in doing so, will aim to deliver real benefits to the market. New courses are being launched to enhance the existing curriculum and offer clients access to new skills delivered by experts in an environment that enhances learning. IFTC will send its instructors to the Manchester Airports Group (MAG) operations to ensure the team maintains its knowledge of current airport procedures and reflects that in the delivery of courses. IFTC will run agreed courses at MAG to enable both businesses to train airport fire professionals when they want and where they want.
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University accredited courses IFTC has also announced a partnership with Wolverhampton University to offer a BSc (Hons) Fire and Rescue (Aviation) to the industry. This is the first qualification of its kind in the world and allows airport firefighters the opportunity to gain a degree that meets the needs of their industry. Students who complete relevant IFTC courses and undertake written assignments will be eligible for credits towards qualifications. This groundbreaking initiative offers students the opportunity to reduce the time and cost of studying for a diploma or degree, potentially by up to two thirds. Further collaboration will lead to a closer partnership between IFTC and Wolverhampton that could include the development of new courses,
international bidding and joint events, such as conferences and seminars. www.iftcentre.com www.serco.com
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62 | ESTTRAINING
Reduced Ruth Lee develops visibility, police manikin range enhanced effectiveness
Le Maitre Ltd, a British manufacturer of smoke machines and fluids, has been supplying equipment to the emergency services for many years. Departments across the country have found the products invaluable in their BA training sessions, with many using them on an almost daily basis. The powerful smoke machines – smoke output ranges from 500 to 1100 cubic metres/minute – provide a realistic, reduced visibility environment, producing huge amounts of dense white, non-toxic smoke. The G300 smoke and haze machine is a long standing leader in the industry while more recently Le Maitre has introduced the GForce 1, GForce 2 and GForce3. These models are ideal for the simulation training exercises, being pure smoke generators, engineered with new design and manufacturing enhancements, which make them extremely economical. With their powerful continuous output, mechanical failsafe, compact designs and ease of use, each one is a robust, reliable and essential piece of training equipment.
The handcuff manikin in use.
The name Ruth Lee Ltd is synonymous with training manikins in the fire fighting world but the company has recently developed two new manikins, which are specifically aimed at the police service market. The new handcuff training manikin was developed following an enquiry from the Personal Safety Training Team at Sussex Police. The team found that it was running out of volunteers to have handcuffs repeated placed on them by trainees due to the bruising suffered. Based upon a standard general-purpose manikin, but with a specially created thinner wrist, the handcuff manikin comes complete with a replaceable PVC wrist guard. Anatomically correct, the handcuff manikin comes as a 50kg weight and will not only be ideal for restraint training but also to simulate an unconscious casualty for cell snatch rescue. Body recovery manikin Another new manikin to the range is the body recovery manikin. Aimed at police underwater search and recovery teams the new body recovery manikin was developed with guidance from Nottinghamshire Police Dive Team and extensively
tested by the North West Police Underwater Search and Marine Unit. The manikin is constructed as a variant of the standard water rescue dummy – but instead of floating, it sinks. By balancing the buoyancy against the ballast quantity the manikin weighs 50kg on land but only about 10kg under the water. The manikin is constructed using a reinforced, heavy-duty Nylon mesh for the carcass with nonabsorbent closed cell foam for buoyancy. Plastic strips running from the shoulder area to the knee joint allow flexibility in and out of the water, but do not allow the dummy to bend in half when using stretchers or recovery devices like the Jason’s Cradle. The addition of the facemask and wig gives a realistic look and feel aiding the identification of a human body in poor visibility when the search is by touch only. The body recovery models are visible to sonar devices and were tested using a Cmax CM2 Side Scan and Konsberg Sector Scan Sonar. Both of these models are supplied complete with Wellington boots and protective overalls, which are user-replaceable if damaged. www.ruthlee.co.uk
Where a lighter, portable unit is required, the canister-based Mini Mist is the perfect solution, operating for up to 20 minutes unplugged. All the smoke machines can be used with Le Maitre’s own Industrial Smoke Fluid. This waterbased, non-toxic fluid is perfectly engineered for BA training. A combination of mono/polyglycol, glycerol and de-mineralised water, produces a dense white smoke with consistent particle size and lengthy hang-time, sustainable even at high temperatures. Approximately one hour of smoke output can be achieved with a five-litre bottle of fluid. www.lemaitreltd.com
The body recovery manikin in the water.
Emergency Services Times June 2013
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ESTPROFILE | 63
ARP: the Ambulance Radio Programme The Ambulance Radio Programme (ARP) provides a digital radio communications system for all NHS ambulance trusts in England. The service is supplied to the trusts by Airwave Solutions Limited and is funded by the Department of Health The ARP provides voice and data communications between ambulances and their control rooms via Airwave, a secure digital radio network that is dedicated to the emergency services and agencies that interoperate with them. The major components of the system are an integrated communication and control system, a mobile data solution and fixed, vehicle-mounted and handportable radio terminals for all ambulance resources. Airwave Solutions Ltd delivers the system as a complete managed service. Main objectives The Ambulance Radio Programme established in 2002 in order to deliver mobile communciations to all English ambulance trusts. The main objectives of the programme were: • To modernise the ambulance service through the provision of a new national digital radio network • To replace the existing, unsupportable, ambulance service radio network for all English ambulance trusts • To assist ambulance trusts in achieving the
national response time targets (75 percent of all life threatening calls within eight minutes) • To provide a flexible platform to support future ambulance service policy developments. The Department of Health entered into contract with Airwave Solutions Limited on 19 July 2005 for the supply of the Ambulance Radio Programme. Who are they? The ARP is headed by the National Service Director who reports directly to the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) and the Department of Health. He is supported by a team who work with trusts across the country, which includes specialists in service management, technical assurance, finance and commercial management and has a senior user representative. The majority of the team have worked in the ambulance service over the years either in a technical or operational role, some more recently than others. They manage the day to day running of the current contract, ensuring that upgrades and repairs to the system run smothly, assisting the trusts with their altering communication needs.
The team also acts as the conduit between the trusts and the network suppliers, constantly looking into ways to improve the current service provided.
ESN will take advantage of the latest mobile technologies to provide a national critical voice and broadband data service. What does the future hold? The Airwave contracts with the emergency services start to expire in Q3 2016. The Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme (ESMCP) is a cross government programme hosted by the Home Office. The programme will replace the communication service delivered by Airwave with a new national mobile communication service for all three emergency services and other organisations that use the Airwave service. This will be called the Emergency Services Network (ESN). ESN will take advantage of the latest mobile technologies to provide a national critical voice and broadband data service. The Ambulance Radio Programme is responsible for representing the interests of both English ambulance trusts and the Department of Health within the programme. It will also work with trusts to ensure a safe transition to the new communications systems. The Emergency Services Show 2013 Members of the ARP team will be on the ESMCP stand (Z119) at The Emergency Services Show 2013 (ESS2013), which takes place at the NEC from 25-26 September. They will be on hand to talk about current and future communications requirements of the ambulance service and will also be holding a number of workshops over the two days specifically looking at the future requirements of ambulance personnel. The ARP team is particularly interested to talk to operational colleagues from across the ambulance service to understand your future mobile communications needs. www.homeoffice.gov.uk
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MacNeillie launches EMC test chamber
MacNeillie has invested around £500,000 in a purpose-built semi-anechoic electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) test chamber, located within its secure facility in the West Midlands. The aim of the facility is to eradicate the costs of transportation, enhance project security, reduce the risk of delay and offer customers a true one-stop-shop solution. The facility incorporates the latest test equipment from industry leading suppliers such as Rohde & Schwarz and Amplifier Research. Customers are expected to include original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), police forces, ambulance authorities, fire and rescue services, and other government agencies.
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Assessments of vehicles MacNeillie will be working closely with a number of government departments including the Home Office Centre for Applied Science and Technology (CAST), to provide EMC assessments of vehicles for emergency and security markets. These assessments include: antenna performance; radiated emissions; mutual interference / interoperability between vehicles and installed equipment; electrical supply disturbance and consumption; earth bonding; and radiated field strength measurements. Equipment level testing, in accordance with CISPR and EN61000-4 standards, includes:
• Immunity testing from 80MHz to 1GHz
• Radiated emissions from 30MHz to 3GHz
www.macneillie.co.uk
Professionalism and flexibility MacNeillie’s new EMC chamber was launched at the Blue & Amber Light event at the International Centre, Telford, which ran from 4-5 June. Managing Director Nigel Rowley said the investment demonstrated the company’s commitment to combining professionalism with the flexibility to respond quickly to customer requirements. The company is seeking to gain accredited test house status and to expand the scope of testing into related markets.
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66 | ESTPRODUCTS
The latest must-have kit 1
Emergency II – Breitling www.breitling.com/en/emergency
The Emergency II from Breitling is the first wristwatch with a built-in personal locator beacon (PLB). The watch features numerous microelectronic and microtechnical innovations, including a revolutionary rechargeable battery, a miniaturised dual frequency transmitter and an unprecedented integrated antenna system – three features specifically developed for this model. As the first ever wristworn dual frequency PLB, it establishes itself as a safety and survival instrument in all distress situations on land, at sea and in the air. It comes with a choice of three dials – black, yellow or orange – and fitted with a titanium bracelet or rubber strap. The Emergency II watch will set you back about £12,000, so start saving.
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1
Sled series – Firefish Marine www.firefishmarine.co.uk
Firefish Marine, a company that specialises in water rescue products, is preparing to launch its sled series, which includes the Aquabolt, Phoenix, Wing and Flight. The products have all been developed for use in open water as well as river rescue situations and are set up for immediate use. They can be carried on a boat and released into the water with zero set-up time prior to operation. The sleds can be produced to a wide range of specifications and have been developed and tested by various rescue personnel in industry recognised rescue procedures. Their versatility and manoeuvrability allow for a number of situations and enable the user to reach targets more easily, quickly and safely.
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Communication booklet – British Red Cross www.redcross.org.uk
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A manual, which uses images and symbols to help first aiders communicate with casualties, has been produced by the British Red Cross and designed by Widgit Software. The communication book is a visual aid to help trained volunteers responding to emergencies to communicate with people with learning disabilities, language barriers and those who have problems hearing or speaking. The British Red Cross communication book, which will be standard-issue in the organisation’s ambulances, mirrors the process most responders work through from first contact and diagnosis to initial treatment. It will help the professionals to gather information about symptoms and pain levels, which will help with diagnosis and could save lives.
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TrueCPR™ coaching device – Physio-Control www.physio-control.com
Physio-Control has launched the TrueCPR™ coaching device, which is designed to improve manual cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) performance. TrueCPR is a simple-to-use tool that accurately measures manual chest compressions to optimise manual CPR by providing high-quality feedback, in both real-time and following a resuscitation event. It utilises Physio-Control’s new triaxial field induction (TFI) technology, which has been shown to provide accurate CPR depth measurement and help guide rescuers to perform compressions of at least 5cm depth. TrueCPR is portable and requires no connection to a monitor/defibrillator, making it compatible with a variety of manufacturers’ devices. It utilises off-the-shelf batteries and requires no accessories, making it economical for repeated patient use.
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The Eco-Dam – J & J Carter & Aquobex www.aquobex.com
Aquobex, a leader in the design and provision of flood management solutions, has been appointed as the global distributor for J & J Carter’s Eco-Dam. A temporary, removable, re-usable and recyclable product, the Eco-Dam can be used to protect a group of properties from impending flood risk. The product is manufactured from high tensile PVC coated polyester and incorporates a specially patented design, which prevents rolling. The Eco-Dam is not only suitable for water authorities and councils to store in readiness to deploy in the case of impending floods, but also for civil engineering contractors to use as cofferdams in the re-construction and maintenance of water ways and rivers. The product is easy to use and can be deployed rapidly. When not in use it can be deflated and rolled up for ease of storage and removal and, should damage occur, it can be easily repaired in the field.
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ESTCLASSIFIEDS | 67
VEHICLE MOUNTED BOILING WATER SYSTEM
Cold, wet and dehydration can reduce performance and impair safety. By fitting a ‘TeaMate’ water boiler, crews can make themselves a cup of tea, coffee or other hot beverage to keep warm and hydrated, therefore maximising concentration and keeping fatigue to a minimum.
KNEE & ELBOW Protection
Comprehensive range to suit every application Ergonomic design G Comfortable and secure fit Reliable protection Tough and hard wearing Manufactured to the highest standards from selected quality materials CE marking throughout NATO Stock No: 22c 8415-99-8873869
Gotec Trading Limited Boulton Road Pin Green Stevenage Herts SG1 4QL Telephone 01438 740400 Fax 01438 740005
• Compact commercial grade throughout. • Self contained fully automatic. • 24v and 12v models available. • Makes up to 9 mugs per filling.
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Self-Heating Nutritious Meals In 12 minutes, you can create a delicious hot meal, with Hot Pack Self Heating Meals, anywhere you need it. Everything is in the pack to produce a satisfying hot meal without using any other equipment. Even cutlery and a dish are included! Choose from seven great tasting, ready to eat recipes: Chicken Casserole, Lancashire Hot Pot, Chicken Dopiaza Curry, Sausages and Beans, Spicy Vegetable Rigatoni, Meatballs & Pasta and Vegetable Curry. Make it easy. Enjoy a HOT PACK™ meal – anywhere!
Register for free entry now The Emergency Services Show 2013 provides a unique opportunity to see, touch and discuss the latest technology, ideas and initiatives focused on improving public safety and assisting all of the emergency services. All emergency and blue light workers are invited to visit. Entry for either or both show days is free of charge for all visitors, as is parking.
Register now at www.emergencyuk.com/est
Contact Canland UK Ltd, Wellington House, Lower Icknield Way Longwick, Bucks HP27 9RZ Tel/Fax: 01844 344474 E.mail: info@hotpackmeals.co.uk Web site: www.hotpackmeals.co.uk
Get all the latest news by signing up for the FREE EST E-newsletter www.emergencyservicestimes.com
In the next issue… The August issue of Emergency Services Times will feature a full preview of The Emergency Services Show 2013. To advertise in the special issue, which is sent to the full circulation of the magazine plus all pre-registered attendees to the show, please contact David Brown or Carol Fox on Tel: 01737 824010 or e-mail: davidbrown@brodenmedia.com or carolfox@brodenmedia.com For more information on the show, please visit www.emergencyuk.com. If you’re interested in exhibiting, please contact David or Carol using the contact information above.
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68 | ESTLAST WORDS
A driving force in workforce and duty management How can a police force succeed in meeting targets and expectations in light of cutbacks? David Hughes from workforce and duty management software experts Crown Computing believes part of the answer lies in how efficiently police forces manage their largely field-based workforce. Words: David Hughes, Crown Computing. Recent austerity measures and cutbacks have reduced police officer numbers to their lowest level in 11 years, putting forces under increasing pressure. While the number of crimes in England and Wales actually fell by 8.4 percent in 2012, forces still face the constant challenge of ensuring those numbers keep coming down, at the same time as responding to emergencies efficiently. North Wales Commissioner Winston Roddick is reported as saying recently, “The important thing is to ensure there are enough police officers on the streets, so they are able to cope with the crimes taking place.”
“Delivering a fast and accurate duty management tool to front line officers is increasingly becoming an expectation rather than an option.” So how can forces meet that challenge? One major tactic is to use duty management software to collate and manage all the information about staff. This gives a force the ability to set out duty rosters and schedule activities such as court appearances, training and time off in lieu, as well as monitor attendance and overtime. The ultimate goal is to help schedule officers with the right skills onto the streets in the right numbers and at the right time. At the same time, the system needs to allow forces to manage leave requests, officers’ rest days, identify patterns and so on. The traditional approach Traditionally, duty management systems have often been developed in-house or are based on legacy systems, which have been added to and amended over the course of many years. Although a useful tool, they are often beset by shortcomings. Lack of meaningful reporting and analysis can mean missing the opportunities to highlight peaks and troughs in activity as well as the capability to identify any potential patterns and barriers. Another issue is that older systems are often not intuitive, making it difficult for staff to manage attendance, overtime, holidays and sickness. And, being bespoke in nature, they often don’t work well with other systems, leading to a
complicated paper trail and time-consuming reentry of data, as well as a bespoke management and maintenance approach. Modern duty management systems Taking a fresh approach by implementing a modern duty management system can reap benefits, eliminating the headaches associated with a legacy system. Modern duty management software offers simplicity, ease of use and easily accessible reporting, which all combine to help make the force more effective. At the same time, it can interface with other systems and tools and remove the risks associated with managing and maintaining an unwieldy older system. Mobile application But it’s not enough to focus just on office-based solutions. Analyst firm IDC predicts 1.3 billion people will work remotely using mobile technology by 2015: a significant 37.2 percent of the entire workforce. And this trend brings huge opportunity for modern policing as well as challenges in providing data and management tools to the front line. Delivering a fast and accurate duty management tool to front line officers is increasingly becoming an expectation rather than an option. Integrating duty management into a mobile application means that officers can book onto and off shifts, make and review leave requests, view their planned roster, request overtime and view general messages. Delivering a duty management system for the CNC Crown’s implementation of a system for the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) is a good illustration of how the firm’s Open Options software is helping one force manage a geographically dispersed workforce. Employing 850 officers at 17 sites across England, Scotland and Wales, and with a variety of shifts and specialist skills in areas such as firearms and dog handling, CNC’s existing Pallisade system had significant limitations, being unable to interface with CNC’s SAP HR system. After considering a number of suppliers, the CNC selected Open Options as its force-wide management system. As part of Crown’s implementation in April 2007, it supplied a dedicated member of staff to ensure a smooth roll out was achieved. So Crown tailored the software according to the CNC’s needs with a number of template-based management reports. A browser-based solution with four security levels, My Options is designed for officers to view their
Emergency Services Times June 2013
David Hughes, Crown Computing.
‘working planned’ and ‘worked hours’, absences, courses and leave. They can also request leave absence and swap shifts, clock on and off, and report absence.
“Modern duty management software offers simplicity, ease of use and easily accessible reporting, which all combine to help make the force more effective.” On the management side, duty planners can run reports, schedule shifts and review officers’ skills at a glance, identifying particular skill on shift teams. A great benefit CNC’s Superintendent Walter Walker said, “I’ve got to say that Crown delivered what we expected them to deliver. Every officer’s shift pattern is now on the system, which is a great benefit to us. The fact that Crown has an approved interface to SAP was a significant factor in our decision to go with them.” He added, “Crown is a good listener… what we asked Crown to do, they did. And they kept within the budget.” www.crowncomputing.co.uk
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