EST October 2014

October 2014 www.emergencyservicestimes.com Volume 15 | 5

www.emergencyservicest imes.com Emergency Services Times October 2014

ESTCONTENTS | 1

IN EVERY ISSUE Comment 3News 4Events 13Company Profiles 14 | 37 | 54 | 85 | 114People 16Profiles 21 | 38 Products 116Last Words 120

IN THIS ISSUERESILIENCE 18Chris Felton from the Cabinet Office highlights the challenges ofsevere space weather and how the UK is preparing for andplans to lessen the impact of such events

MASS FATALITIES 23Advice for emergency planners from Dr Lucy Easthope, Senior lecturer in Forensic Science at the University of Lincoln,on the task of preparing a ‘mass fatalities framework’

INTEROPERABILITY 25What next for the Joint Emergency Services InteroperabilityProgramme (JESIP)? How the JESIP approach has beenembraced by Staffordshire’s blue light services and thesuccessful multi-agency work of Yorkshire’s emergencyservices in preparation for and during this year’s Tour de France

WATER RESCUE 43CFOA National Resilience identifies the lessons learned fromthe National Flood Events of 2013/14, a special guide to thecare and maintenance of search and rescue drysuits and howMREW’s national ‘Water Strategy’ hopes to guide water rescuecapability within mountain rescue

ESS2014: ERZ FOCUS 61The Emergency Response Zone (ERZ) at The EmergencyServices Show 2014 features over 80 frontline responseorganisations, government departments and voluntary sectorpartners, exhibiting at the event to network with blue lightcolleagues and better understand each other’s capabilities –find out more from page 61.

ESS2014: EXHIBITOR FOCUS 87Over 400 exhibitors will be displaying products and services at The Emergency Services Show 2014 – discover more aboutthese suppliers, including Primetech, Serco Fire Services,Emergency Planning College, DS Medical, PageOne, PGI Training, Dräger, TenCate, Scott Safety, Bollé Safety and SP Services, to name but a select few.

Registration for The Emergency Services Show 2014, whichtakes place from 24-25 September, will remain open up to andthroughout the show – visit www.emergencyuk.com and clickon ‘Register Now’ to sign up for free admission to the UK’sleading multi-agency emergency services event.

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Company Name Page No Company Name Page No Company Name Page No Company Name Page No

Company Name Page No Company Name Page No Company Name Page No Company Name Page No

Airwave Solutions.........................................................................7

Amputees in Action....................................................................97

APB Mobile Installations Ltd .................................................106

Armadillo Merino.......................................................................39

Arqiva.....................................................................................34, 35

Babcock International ................................................................40

Ballyclare Limited ......................................................................97

EP Barrus Ltd .............................................................................51

Berendsen UK Ltd ...................................................................100

Bluecher UK Ltd......................................................................106

Blue Lamp Afloat .......................................................................45

Blue Star Human Resources ......................................................63

BOC Healthcare ..........................................................................76

Bristol Uniforms Limited..........................................................39

British Red Cross ........................................................................36

Canland (Hotpack) Ltd ..............................................................51

Communicare ..............................................................................88

Churchill Contract Services.....................................................103

Dräger ..........................................................................................12

Dropboxx.....................................................................................36

DS Medical ..................................................................................76

DuPont.........................................................................................71

Emergency Medical Services (UK) Ltd..................................119

The Emergency Planning College.............................................19

Emergency Services Driver Training......................................112

Emergency Services Training College ......................................22

Espar Ltd...................................................................................112

ESPO............................................................................................94

Excelerate Technology Ltd.........................................OFC, 58-60

EVO Distribution .......................................................................45

Ferno UK.....................................................................................66

The Fire Service College ......................................................24, 28

The Fire Training Group ...........................................................92

FlamePro .....................................................................................72

FLOOD-IT ...............................................................................111

Getac UK .....................................................................................80

Goliath Footwear (YDS Boots)..................................................46

HAAGEN Fire Training Products ............................................91

AW Hainsworth & Sons Ltd .....................................................32

HAIX ...........................................................................................49

Honeywell (RAE Systems) ......................................................IFC

Hytrans ........................................................................................42

Interspiro .....................................................................................86

ISC Wales...................................................................................103

ISG Infrasys...................................................................................4

Laerdal Medical ............................................................................9

Ledco Ltd – LED Lenser ..........................................................92

Link 51.......................................................................................109

Lyon Equipment Limited..........................................................69

MedTrade.....................................................................................80

MedTree .......................................................................................82

Mercedes-Benz............................................................................31

Mines Rescue Service ...............................................................104

National Outdoor Centre ...........................................................51

Ordnance Survey ........................................................................52

Outreach Rescue Medical Skills ................................................52

PageOne Communications.......................................................106

Parkland Engineering ................................................................71

Peli Products (UK) Ltd..............................................................52

Physio Control ............................................................................63

Premier Hazard...........................................................................91

Premier Hose Technologies .......................................................84

Primetech UK Ltd......................................................................20

Proflight Bags............................................................................106

ProMove ....................................................................................111

Ricardo AEA .............................................................................104

Rosenbauer UK...........................................................................79

RSG Engineering Limited.......................................................104

Ruth Lee Limited.......................................................................42

Safequip .......................................................................................45

Serco Fire Services......................................................................17

Siöen.............................................................................................94

SP Services (UK) Ltd ............................................................OBC

Strongs Plastic Products Ltd...................................................111

Stryker .......................................................................................109

Supacat.........................................................................................86

Tactical Ventilation Solutions..................................................104

Technical Absorbents ...............................................................109

Terberg DTS UK ........................................................................88

TEXPORT ..................................................................................99

Transport Security Expo..........................................................IBC

VectorCommand .........................................................................75

Vimpex Limited..........................................................................66

Vodafone ......................................................................................27

Volvo Cars....................................................................................57

WH Bence (Coachworks) Ltd....................................................10

Wm Sugdens ...............................................................................39

YPO..............................................................................................71

Zodiac Milpro .............................................................................46

Advertisers

Companies

Alcohol Concern ..................................................................................77Amputees in Action.............................................................................37Armadillo Merino..............................................................................110Association of Air Ambulances ..........................................................13Association of Ambulance Chief Executives.....................................65Association of Chief Police Officers...........................30, 56, 61, 73, 74Babcock International .........................................................................65Ballyclare Limited ...............................................................................93Bob Wade Media Ltd ............................................................................5Bollé Safety.........................................................................................113Brake .....................................................................................................56Bristol Uniforms..........................................................................11, 105Bristow Helicopters Ltd .......................................................................8British Red Cross.................................................................................73British Transport Police ..................................................................6, 26Buckinghamshire and

Milton Keynes Fire and Rescue Service ................................5, 110BW Technologies by Honeywell.......................................................108Cabinet Office ..............................................................18, 21, 26, 70, 73Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service............................................6Care Quality Commission...................................................................63CF Motoring Services Ltd ..................................................................77CFOA National Resilience .....................................................43, 64, 67Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service ......................................................56Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser .....................................................44, 64Chief Fire Officers' Association ...............................26, 44, 53, 56, 105Civil Aviation Authority .....................................................................16Civil Contingencies Secretariat ....................................................18, 21Civil Nuclear Defence Constabulary .............................................6, 26Class Professional Publishing...........................................................102College of Policing.......................................................3, 5, 6, 26, 30, 61CRI Reels ..............................................................................................98Cruse Bereavement Care .....................................................................73DEFRA.................................................................................................48Department for Communities & Local Government.26, 43, 44, 53 64, 70 73Department for Transport...................................................................56Department of Health .............................................................26, 70, 74Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service ..................................................33Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service............................26, 53Disaster Action ....................................................................................23Dorset Fire and Rescue Service..........................................................96Dräger .................................................................................................102DS Medical...........................................................................................93DuPont Protection Technologies ...............................................38, 120e2v .........................................................................................................15East Anglian Air Ambulance..............................................................16

East Midlands Ambulance Service ............................................33, 115East of England Ambulance Service................................................6, 8Emergency Planning College .............................................................90Emergency Planning Society..........................................................5, 78Emergency Services Training Centre.................................................55Environment Agency ..........................................................................78EP Barrus Ltd ....................................................................................105Espar ...................................................................................................116ESPO.......................................................................................................8Essex and Herts Air Ambulance ........................................................16Fire Service College.........................................................3, 5, 13, 26, 44FlamePro (UK) ltd ..............................................................................98Flood Forecasting Centre ...................................................................49Freight Transport Association..............................................................6Glazesafe .............................................................................................118Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service ............................................8Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service .............................11, 54HAIX ..................................................................................................118Hammond Drysuits Ltd .............................................................47, 118Hampshire Constabulary ................................................................5, 61Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service ..............................................5, 11Hertfordshire Constabulary..............................................................116Highways Agency ................................................................................56HM Coastguard....................................................................................26Home Office .........................................................................5, 26, 30, 70Hope Digital.........................................................................................98Independent Ambulance Association................................................63Institute of Vehicle Recovery..............................................................77International Fire Training Centre ....................................................89International Rescue Corps ..................................................................5ISC Wales..............................................................................................95ISG Infrasys........................................................................................101JESIP.............................................................................25, 29, 30, 70, 90Kent Fire and Rescue Service.......................................................16, 53Kiowa Group......................................................................................110Land Rover.........................................................................................115Local Government Association..........................................................73London Ambulance Service ...............................................................77London Fire Brigade...............................................................16, 37, 95London's Air Ambulance................................................................8, 16Lowland Rescue...................................................................................61MC Products UK Ltd .......................................................................107MedTrade Products Ltd....................................................................117Met Office.............................................................................................18Metz ......................................................................................................14

Midlands Air Ambulance .....................................................................8Mountain Rescue England and Wales .........................................48, 61National Academy of Crime Scene Cleaners...................................114National Ambulance Resilience Unit ......................................3, 26, 74National Association of Community First Responders ...................81National Audit Office..........................................................................53National Ballistics Intelligence Service.............................................73National Fire Protection Association ..............................................105National Grid .......................................................................................18NHS England.......................................................................................74Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service........................................................50North East Ambulance Service ..........................................................33North West Ambulance Service .........................................................33North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service .........................................33Northern Ireland Ambulance Service ...............................................77Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service ........................................98Northumbria University .......................................................................5Nottinghamshire Police ......................................................................74Office for Security and Counter Terrorism .......................................30Ordnance Survey .................................................................................21Outreach Rescue ..................................................................................95Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service.................................................85PageOne................................................................................................96Panasonic............................................................................................116Parkland Engineering .......................................................................110PGI Training ......................................................................................101Police National CBRN Centre............................................................30Police National Search Centre............................................................61Police Scotland.......................................................................................6Primetech (UK) Ltd............................................................................87Proflight..............................................................................................107Promove UK Ltd...............................................................................118R3 Safety & Rescue Ltd ....................................................................105Radio Amateurs' Emergency Network ..............................................73RAE Systems Inc ...............................................................................108RAF Fire and Rescue Service .............................................................85RAF Mountain Rescue Service ..........................................................70Rail Industry Fire Association ...........................................................81Rennicks UK........................................................................................16RNLI.....................................................................................................50Road Haulage Association ..................................................................77Road Safety Great Britain ...................................................................56RoadSafe ...............................................................................................56Rosenbauer UK plc .......................................................................14, 15Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service....................................11, 13

Royal Life Saving Society UK............................................................74Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents .................................56Royal Voluntary Service......................................................................73Salvation Army ....................................................................................73School of Resilience and Emergency Response ..................................3Scott Safety.........................................................................................107Scottish Fire and Rescue Service .......................................................65Serco Fire Services...............................................................................89SlideandTilt........................................................................................113Somerset Police ....................................................................................26South Wales Fire and Rescue Service ................................................13South Western Ambulance Service ....................................................26South Worcester Life Saving Club.....................................................50South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue.......................................................33SP Services .........................................................................................113St John Ambulance..............................................................................73Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service ...............................................29Staffordshire Police .............................................................................29Staffordshire's Civil Contingencies Unit...........................................29Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service.........................................................54Surf Life Saving GB ............................................................................50TenCate ...............................................................................................102Training 4 Resilience.............................................................................3Tyresafe .................................................................................................56UK Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre ................................16UNISON...............................................................................................77University of Lincoln..........................................................................23Vauxhall ..............................................................................................116VCS .....................................................................................................115Victim Support.....................................................................................73Voluntary Sector Civil Protection Forum .........................................73Volvo .....................................................................................................54VW ......................................................................................................115West Midlands Ambulance Service .....................................5, 6, 29, 33West Midlands Fire Service............................................................6, 78West Midlands Police ............................................................................6West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service .....................................16, 33West Yorkshire Police..........................................................................33WH Bence ............................................................................................54Wm Sugden & Sons Ltd .......................................................................6World Rescue Challenge .....................................................................13Yorkshire Air Ambulance ...................................................................33Yorkshire Ambulance Service ............................................................33Zodiac Milpro ........................................................................................5ZOLL Medical.......................................................................................5


ESTCOMMENT | 3

Resilience for allWords: Jon Hall, Director of Training, The Fire Service College.

ISSN 1472-1090

Date: October 2014

Editor:David J. Holden MEng(Hons)Twitter: @[email protected]

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Most of us will have noticed that it finally stoppedraining. The floods have receded; there is noimmediate prospect of fuel shortages. Pandemic flustays on the horizon and the Olympics came andwent. It would be nice to think that we could allrelax about our statutory and organisational planningfor resilient operational arrangements and businesscontinuity because, well, things are pretty stable!

However, we’re increasingly becoming aware thatthere is a tangible and real link between businesscontinuity and operational sustainability andeffectiveness, largely hinging on communications andmulti-agency operations – in other words how wellwe work together when crisis hits.

Capability for joint operations among blue lightservices has improved dramatically in recent years,with the introduction of the Joint EmergencyServices Interoperability Programme (JESIP) and thelarge-scale training programme that has supported it.A similarly energised programme of training andexercising for local authorities and statutoryresponders has yet to build impetus. More so, thereis a real need for a programme that pulls allresponders together to exercise on realisticscenarios relevant to local risk on a frequent andongoing basis.

Wide spectrum multi-agency exercising

The School of Resilience and Emergency Responsehas been created to address just this problem and tocreate support for individual organisations to learnand train, leading to wide spectrum multi-agencyexercising. Vertical training within individual agenciesand organisations will improve the overall skills baseand civil contingencies arrangements and, mostimportantly, ensure that you have resilience in depthand a ‘B’ team ready to help. This training is thenconfirmed through an exercise programme, designedto validate plans and procedures and reinforce staffcompetences.

Being launched from the Fire Service College, theschool already has a well-established portfolio ofcourses delivering across blue light services,infrastructure providers and government agencies.Recent training for the Highways, Environment andMilitary agencies, in particular when delivered inpartnership with other established providers such asthe College of Policing and National AmbulanceResilience Unit, is already showing benefits in theefficiency and performance of those organisations.

In partnership with Training 4 Resilience, a well-established deliverer of training and exercising intolocal authorities and local resilience forums, theportfolio has grown substantially over recent timesand now includes outreach and fully-managedtraining opportunities, designed to ensure that bothkey and supportive players are both comfortable andcompetent operating in the modern multi-agencyenvironment. Training 4 Resilience has designed anddelivered over 80 different exercises for Category 1and Category 2 Responders across the UK, plusmany more for the private sector. As a partnership,we now offer a full range of exercise opportunities –from focused sessions for small strategic teams;through desktop events that span both single andmulti-agency operations, delivered across multiplelocations; to live exercises either at your location orat the world leading incident simulation facilities atMoreton in Marsh, where we have access to road,rail, aviation and infrastructure scenarios that can beconfigured for your event.

Partnership across the resilience world

Combining existing capability, well established skillsand partnerships across the resilience world, theSchool of Resilience and Emergency Response nowoffers everything from an introduction to the CivilContingencies Act through an assisted competenceprogramme to build confidence with LRF andstrategic coordinating group operations to anestablished level 7 award in Executive EmergencyManagement. This is supplemented by a fullexercising capability at all levels, including tabletopexercises and live exercises.

Please come and visit the School of Resilience andEmergency Response on Stand P22 at TheEmergency Services Show 2014 to discuss yourneeds and how it might help you improve youremergency response and ongoing business continuity.

www.fireservicecollege.ac.ukwww.training4resilience.co.uk


ESTNEWS | 5

A deal to supply pre-hospitaldefibrillators to West MidlandsAmbulance Service will see theambulance service replace all of itsexisting monitors with the latesttechnology from ZOLL® Medical UKLtd. Weighing less than 6kg, the X Series is half the size and half theweight of most full-featured defibrillators,yet powerful and built to the mostrigorous standards for ruggedness. The X Series has every advanced monitoringand communication capability requiredby a leading ambulance service.www.zoll.com

Bob Wade Media Ltd has won thetender to provide a full media andcommunications service for theEmergency Planning Society (EPS).Bob brings with him a team ofprofessionals who have years ofexperience of resiliencecommunications, all having workedfor the BBC or the former CentralOffice of Information. The team willbe providing media relations, editingResilience magazine, monitoring andengaging with social media, andidentifying marketing opportunities forthe EPS. www.the-eps.org

Northumbria University recentlyhosted a trauma training day for theInternational Rescue Corps, incollaboration with the specialistrescue organisation. The event atNorthumbria’s Clinical Skills Centregave IRC members the opportunity toundergo intensive training with avariety of dramatic scenarios andsimulations. The day was developedby the university to help members ofthe charity to gain an insight into theinjuries they may see and have totreat while in disaster situations.www.intrescue.org

Communications organisations whowere formally invited to tender for thenew Emergency Services Network(ESN) have attended a ‘supplierconference’ hosted by the HomeOffice. Minister of State for Policing,Criminal Justice and Victims, MikePenning, said, “The emergency servicesneed a modernised communicationsnetwork to help them protect thepublic and save lives; we are on track to deliver this critical part of ournational infrastructure by 2017.Interest in providing the new emergencyservices network and its supportingelements is strong; we expect thoseorganisations selected to tender toproduce proposals to create acommunications network that is thebest in the world.”www.homeoffice.gov.uk

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service(HFRS) and Hampshire Constabularyaim to co-locate their strategic head-quarters, a move which is leading theway nationally.

Over the past couple of years thetwo organisations have successfullyco-located police officers and staffinto shared facilities within HFRSbuildings. This latest announcement,which is the first of its kind in thecountry, highlights the organisations’commitment to build on the successfulstrategic police-fire partnership.

The move will see around 100senior police officers and supportstaff based at the new strategic head-quarters at HFRS’s Leigh Road base.

Hampshire Constabulary’s opera-tional headquarters will remain inthe centre of Winchester.

The joint location offers the potentialfor a shared gold command facility,which could be utilised by either, andcritically by both partners during amajor incident. This will massivelystrengthen the already well establishedties between fire and police throughjoint blue light agency working andthrough the Local Resilience Forum,as was well evidenced in the emer-gency response to the unprecedentedflooding that affected Hampshire andthe rest of the country earlier thisyear.

The ambitious plans are part of thePolice and Crime Commissioner forHampshire and the Isle of Wight’scommitment to greater integrationand sharing of facilities with HampshireConstabulary’s key partners and hasbacking from the Hampshire Fire

and Rescue Authority. Police andCrime Commissioner Simon Hayessaid, “Co-locating senior police officersand support staff from HampshireConstabulary with Hampshire Fireand Rescue is key to the successfuldelivery of my policing estate strategy.It is only by investing in joint-workinginitiatives such as this that I will beable to protect people and placeslocally while ensuring that the police’sestate is cost-effective and fit for pur-pose despite significant economicchallenges. I look forward to contin-uing the close working relationshipwith Hampshire Fire and Rescue intothe future.”

Further efficienciesBoth services anticipate further effi-

ciencies in effective command ofmulti-operational strategic incidentsin due course once the new arrange-ments are operational and bedded in.

Timeframes are currently underdiscussion but it is anticipated thatsenior police officers can start movinginto Eastleigh in the autumn of nextyear, although precise timeframesare to be agreed.

www.hantsfire.gov.uk

Hampshire fire and police look toshare strategic headquarters

Specialistcommandcourse is MAGICThe Multi Agency Gold Incident Command (MAGIC) course for emergency services is the only fullyintegrated, strategic level, multi-agencycommand course available. It developsconfidence, understanding and abilityto perform the role of Gold Com-mander, alongside key multi-agencypartners to resolve major incidents orcivil emergencies.

This intensive course is aimed atCategory 1 and Category 2 Respondersfrom the blue light services, localauthorities and key partner agencies.The course includes individuals fromkey government departments as wellas key military personnel who usuallycommand at the strategic level fortheir organisations during a major inci-dent or civil emergency.

Next datesThe next MAGIC courses will be

run at the College of Policing from 27-30 October, 24-27 November and9-12 March. The course will also berun at the Fire Service College from2-5 February.

The cost of the course will be £1499and requires candidates to completea pre-course research document andan e-learning package. This will befollowed by two-and-a-half day class-room session and one day of exercise.

The course will provide continuousprofessional development for trainedGold Commanders or multi-agencyGold training for those developing inthe role as a Gold Commander.

www.college.police.uk

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) andHampshire Constabulary are committed to build onthe successful strategic police-fire partnership.

Boats upgrade for Buckinghamshire and Milton KeynesThe recent delivery of two new highspecification Zodiac Milpro boats hasbrought a significant upgrade to thecapabilities of the Water Rescue Unitsoperated by Buckinghamshire and Mil-ton Keynes Fire and Rescue Service inthe UK.

The new Zodiac Milpro FC 470inflatables are now based at the New-port Pagnell and Beaconsfield Fire Sta-tions from where they and their crewsare available to provide a water rescuecapability across the county.

At 4.7m long and equipped with40hp Mariner outboard engines, thenew Zodiac Milpro boats are morestable and provide more power anddeck space than their predecessors.The new boats use the unique new

Zodiac Futura hull design that featurestwo removable inflatable tubes fixed tothe hull below the water line. Thesemake it more stable in fast turns andincrease its payload by enhancing itsbuoyancy. They also enable the boat toplane more quickly, which adds to itsoverall speed and economy.

The boat crews are made up of fire-fighters from Buckinghamshire and

Milton Keynes Fire and Rescue Servicewho have been additionally trained toa high standard in powerboat operationand water rescue techniques in linewith the latest DEFRA (Departmentfor Environment Food and Rural Affairs)requirements. The boats are mountedon trailers supplied by SBS Ltd andtowed by specialised support vehicles.

Buckinghamshire and Milton KeynesFire and Rescue Service selected itsnew boats from a range of over 60models available from Zodiac Milpro.The company is headquartered in Parisand supplies its UK customers throughZodiac Milpro UK Ltd, which is basedin South Wales.

www.zodiacmilpro.comThe Beaconsfield and Newport Pagnell waterrescue teams with their new boats.


6 | ESTNEWS

The East of England AmbulanceService NHS Trust (EEAST) is one of the first in the country to roll out the latest equipment for moving patients. A new carry chairwill virtually eliminate the need to lift patients after being fitted withtracks to roll up and down stairs. The carry chairs are on all newambulances and will be rolled out across the region as morereplacement vehicles are introduced.Staff, including the latest studentparamedics, are currently receivingtraining on how to use them.www.eastamb.nhs.uk

In addition to holding the current framework contract for thesupply of police uniform poly/cottonshirts, Wm Sugden & Sons Ltd was delighted to be awarded ‘the Framework Contract for the Supply of All Climate Shirts’ to the UK police forces. The new garments are now available to all forces including the British Transport Police, Civil NuclearDefence Constabulary, PoliceScotland and police forces of theMinistry of Defence. Over 100,000garments have already been suppliedand it is anticipated that over400,000 will be provided by theend of 2015.

www.wmsugden.co.uk

West Midlands Ambulance Servicehas become the first emergencyservice in the region to receiveaccreditation to one of the toughest‘excellence’ programmes in thecountry. The Freight TransportAssociation (FTA) has awarded thetrust ‘Van Excellence’, which meansfor patients in the region who needan ambulance, the vehicle they areconveyed in is operated at thehighest level.www.wmas.nhs.uk

Officers from West Midlands Fire Service and West MidlandsPolice services have joined together to create a new team topromote fuel station safety. Operation Bleve will see officersmaking uniformed visits to fillingstations across the West Midlands,conducting safety checks andproviding advice and guidance to assist in the safe and effectivesales and maintenance of fuel and associated equipment. Real-time information andintelligence will be shared with other local and national authoritiesas the need arises.www.wmfs.netwww.west-midlands.police.uk

Police officers across England andWales will now undergo annual fitnesstests with initial figures showing theoverwhelming majority are fit.

Police in all 43 forces who undertakepersonal safety training, which isgiven to officers who make arrests,will complete the test after it becamemandatory on 1 September 2013.The test, based on scientific evidence,involves a 15m shuttle run, to becompleted to an endurance level of5:4. There is no obstacle course orupper strength testing as part of thetest, which lasts just under four min-utes. The standard is the same as thatused when recruiting officers.

As the professional body for police,the College of Policing sets the stan-dards for the service and workedwith the Fitness Testing WorkingGroup to issue guidance on howpolice forces should carry out officerfitness tests.

There are different standards of fit-ness required for officers in morephysically demanding roles, such asfirearms officers. Other roles thatrequire a higher standard of fitness

are police divers, marine police anddog handlers.

The college released snapshot fig-ures in August, which showed that ofthe 42,197 tests carried out betweenSeptember last year and May 2014,a total of 41,038 passed, giving anoverall pass rate of 97 percent.

If an officer is not able to pass thefitness test at the first attempt, thecollege advises forces to providesupport and allow a series of at leasttwo retakes. If all appropriate supportmeasures and alternatives have beendelivered and the officer is still unableto achieve the required standard, thecollege advises forces to use theunsatisfactory performance proce-dures as set out in the Police (Perfor-mance) Regulations 2012 procedure.

The snapshot figures also revealedthat women and older officers had aslightly lower pass rate (94 percent)than men (99 percent).

Rose Bartlett, from the College ofPolicing, said, “The results show thatthe vast majority of officers testedare fit. The fitness level of the testwas developed using academic

research to ensure officers are fit tocarry out their particular role. Workingin any of the blue light services is ademanding job and it is importantthat fitness tests are role related.

“We have a duty of care to officersto ensure they are fit to do their joband protect the public. The newguidance issued to forces has beendesigned to provide supportive mea-sures to help officers to pass.”

Fitness tests have been introducedinto police following a recommenda-tion in the Winsor Review, an inde-pendent review of police officer andstaff remuneration and conditions,published in 2011.


Vast majority pass police fitness tests

Emergency services have teamed upwith construction and infrastructurecompany Morgan Sindall to developa unique training exercise utilising lifesaving skills.

Dozens of firefighters from Cam-bridgeshire Fire and Rescue Servicejoined paramedics from the East ofEngland Ambulance Service Trust’sHazardous Area Response Team(HART) on the evening of 23 July forthe scenario, which simulated a col-lision between two tower cranes.

The event was held at the site inCambridge where Morgan Sindall isbuilding the new Chemical Engineer-ing and Biotechnology Building forthe University of Cambridge. Crewshad to utilise their working at heightprocedures, rescue expertise andcommand and control skills to safelyand effectively rescue the crane oper-ator and other maintenance workerson the tower crane.

HART paramedics treated the sim-ulated casualties for head and neckinjuries wearing all their safety equip-ment, including harnesses, whileseven floors above ground. In an

exercise that lasted around threehours, they then helped fire crews tosafely move them down to the floor.

Cambridge Fire Station’s Red Watchplanned the training drill with theMorgan Sindall project team, to givefirefighters and staff the opportunityto test their emergency proceduresduring an incident.

Watch Commander Paul Oliver,from Cambridge Red Watch, said,“Although there were no real casual-ties, trappings or flames, firefightersstill benefited hugely from being ableto use an unfamiliar site. We reallyappreciate local firms like this allowingus to use their facilities as it adds agreater training challenge for the fire-fighters who continually strive toexpand their knowledge and developtheir skill sets.”

Gary Perkiss, HART Training Manager, said, “We were workingfrom height alongside fire crews to treat and safely move the simulatedcasualties that were included. We try to make these exercises as real as possible; it went really well andthe challenges we faced really madeus think.”

www.cambsfire.gov.uk

Towering exercise for Cambridgeshire’s emergencyservices provides unique joint training opportunity

Cambridge Fire Station’s Red Watch planned theexercise.

(From L to R): Watch Commander Paul Oliver, RedWatch Cambridge; Toby Lucas, Senior SiteManager from Morgan Sindall; Dan Symonds,Emergency Medical Technician with the HazardousArea Response Team; Firefighters Ben Sams andRichard Gethin, from Linton’s on-call crew.


8 | ESTNEWS

A new banking frameworkavailable from public sectorpurchasing organisation ESPO willmake the procurement of bankingservices easier for customers in thepublic sector. Barclays Bank, LloydsTSB and Royal Bank of Scotland havebeen carefully selected by ESPO andwill offer a range of banking solutionsas part of the framework, especiallydesigned to help local authorities,central government, schools, socialhousing providers, police, NHS, andall other public sector organisationswith their banking requirements.www.espo.org

Gloucestershire Fire and RescueService has deployed Peplink routersand access points to integratesatellite and bonded 3G/4G cellularnetworks within a range ofemergency response vehicles, trailersand portable units to ensure reliablenetwork access during incidentresponse.www.peplink.com

A traditional topping out ceremonyhas taken place to mark theconstruction of the new search andrescue helicopter base at Humberside Airport reaching its fullheight. The base will house two SAR helicopters, operated by Bristow Helicopters Ltd, their crews and support team. It is due to become fully operational in April 2015, when Bristow HelicoptersLtd takes over delivery of helicopter Search and Rescueservices throughout the UK onbehalf of the Maritime andCoastguard Agency (MCA). Theprogramme of new build andrefurbishment work across all 10bases under the SAR contract willcontinue until early 2017.www.bristowgroup.com

Much-needed reconstruction work to Midlands Air Ambulance’sflagship RAF Cosford airbase inShropshire is now complete.The new building was funded entirely by a £200,000 grant from theCounty Air Ambulance Trust andincludes a dedicated clinical training room, larger open plankitchen and lounge area, an airoperations office, pilots’ office and utility room. In addition, as theservice is looking into the viability of flying during the hours of darkness,there are overnight rest facilities forthe flight paramedics and doctorsplus a separate bedroom for the on-duty pilot.www.midlandsairambulance.com

App calls on Good Samaritans to deliver basic life supportNeurosurgeon and London’s AirAmbulance Doctor, Mr Mark Wilson,and technical developers, Ali Ghor-bangholi and Ali Haddad, have devel-oped the GoodSAM app, which usesGPRS technology to alert trained firstresponders to emergencies withintheir immediate reach. With over1500 first responders currently signedup as Good Samaritans across theUK (nearly 1000 in London), the cre-ators are now appealing to membersof the public to become ‘alerters’.

Through the GoodSAM app, trainedfirst responders (who may be offduty) including doctors, nurses, firefighters, paramedics, police officersand medical students can register to be alerted to incidents in their surrounding area and could be onscene within minutes. With a built-in Defibrilocator function, appusers can also easily identify publicaccess defibrillators.

Mr Mark Wilson said, “If a patienthas a cardiac arrest or a traumatichead injury, it is the first few minutesafter the incident that determine theoutcome – life, death or long-termbrain injury. But in this time frame,we could never employ enough para-medics to be on scene in seconds –hence we need to alert people withthe skills in the surrounding few hun-dred metres that can be.

“GoodSAM can revolutionise ourability to get to the patient immediatelyand improve outcomes. Harnessingthe community for the benefit of thecommunity. Effectively what the app

does is enable someone to shout forhelp, really loudly – even throughwalls – so the anaesthetist in thebookshop knows that the man in thecoffee shop next door is having a car-diac arrest.

“Opening an airway and adminis-tering basic life support can save livesif done quickly enough and all aroundus are people who have these life-saving skills and could be put to gooduse in an emergency. These GoodSamaritans can provide vital assistanceuntil such time as the emergency ser-vices arrive on scene.”

In a life threatening emergencyanyone who has downloaded theGoodSAM Alerter app can simplyopen it and press ‘Call for Help’. Theapp identifies their geographical loca-tion and as soon as the call isconfirmed as a medical emergencythe app does two things simultane-ously – dials 999 to request theemergency services and sends agroup alert to the nearest GoodSAMResponders. When a GoodSAMResponder receives an alert, usingthe app they can either accept therequest for help or reject it if theyare unavailable. If they reject therequest, the next nearest responderis alerted.

The caller is advised that a group ofresponders has been alerted andnotifies them when a GoodSAMResponder is on their way.

The app guides the GoodSAMResponder to the exact location ofthe caller and identifies where the

nearest defibrillator is located. A builtin messaging service means the callerand the responder can communicateon route if required.

Once on scene a GoodSAM respon-der can reassure the patient andbegin performing basic first aid andlife support as required before handingover the emergency services.

Mark Wilson added, “The Good-SAM App is a free tool to help thepublic get emergency assistance fromthe local community. There is somuch life-saving support, immediatelyavailable, if we can just tap into it.Whether a trained first aider, someonewith a medical condition or just aGood Samaritan that one day mightbe in the right place at the right timeto give the alert it’s well worth havingthe GoodSAM app on your phone.”

All Good Samaritans are verifiedmanually. GoodSAM has a globalreach and has already started rollingout in other countries, including inIreland and Australia.

www.londonsairambulance.co.ukwww.goodsamapp.org

National award for ambulance staff communicationsA first-of-its-kind for ambulance staffcommunications has won a nationalaward just months after it was set up.

Rolling news site ‘Need to Know’went live in the East of England Ambu-lance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) inMarch, following staff feedback aboutusing a more easily accessible and reg-ularly updated form of communication.

Internal Communications ManagerTara Crabtree, Internal Communica-tions Officer Sophie Taylor and DigitalOfficer Gail Huggins worked withexisting website providers Sitekit onthe project from inception to launch,and it was announced on 17 July that ithas won an Institute of Internal Com-munication Award of Excellence for anew channel.

Tara said, “It’s an incredible achieve-ment to win a national award for Needto Know and I’m immensely proud ofthe team. Developing the site took alot of hard work and creativity and it’sreally satisfying to see that come tofruition; now we have a 24/7 rollingnews channel that’s more interactive,engaging and accessible – and mostimportantly it works better for our staff.”

The site works in a similar way tonews websites with daily updates, ascrolling ‘Bitesize’ feature, and even aTwitter feed. Staff can also access it off-site (eg mobile devices) and it’s alsoprintable for those who want it.

Chief Executive Dr Anthony Marshadded, “I am very proud of the teamfor winning this award, and for coming

up with an easy-to-use but dynamicand effective way of communicatingwith staff.”

www.eastamb.nhs.uk

(From L to R): Digital Officer Gail Huggins, InternalCommunications Officer Sophie Taylor and InternalCommunications Manager Tara Crabtree.


ESTNEWS | 11

An innovative layeredapproach to garment design

sees Greater Manches-ter become the firstUK fire and rescueservice to meet allits response dutiesin one garment inwhich the differentlevels and types of

protection for struc-tural, USAR and wild-

land are met throughwearing different com-binations of outer andunder garments. Thecontract for the 3200sets of the XFlex/Res-cueFlex™ layered gar-

ments was confirmed recently.In a major departure from the approach to

firefighter protection developed over the last 10years, Greater Manchester’s new garments, designedby Bristol, will substantially reduce the number ofgarments each firefighter will need to fulfil the Euro-pean standards of protection for use in structuralfire fighting, technical rescue operations and fightingheath and scrub fires.

The novel layered approach marries two jackets,a RescueFlex™ Jacket and an XFlex™ outer jacket,with one XFlex™ overtrouser. The RescueFlex™jacket has a high visibility outershell with a Crosstech®

SR moisture barrier and meets the WildlandStandard EN15614:2007 and Hi-Visibility StandardEN20471:2013. When worn with the XFlex™outer jacket it meets EN469:2005 Level 2. TheXFlex™ outer jacket is manufactured using an outerfabric of Pbi Matrix with a thermal barrier. The

XFlex™ trouser combines a Pbi Matrix outershellwith a Crosstech® Fireblocker moisture barrier anda thermal barrier.

The profile of the garments is based on Bristol’slatest XFlex™ design, providing an enhanced levelof comfort and ergonomic flexibility. Combinedwith its technical performance, these wearer con-siderations, in which there was a clear preferencefor Bristol’s design and visual appeal, were key tosecuring the contract.

Philip Tasker, Bristol’s UK Sales Director, said,“Our XFlex™ design platform has already won usconsiderable new business both in UK and overseasmarkets and has enabled us to successfully deliveron Manchester’s needs for a layered garment byadopting the basic design principles of XFlex™ tocreate an entirely new firefighter garment solution.”

www.bristoluniforms.co.uk

Greater Manchester becomes first UK FRS to adopt new layered multi-purpose fire fighting garments

Six months of success for fleet maintenance partnershipHampshire Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) and RoyalBerkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) enteredinto a unique partnership in January 2014. RBFRShad, for many years, outsourced its vehicle maintenanceto a number of providers in the private sector andwanted to bring service provision back in house.Meanwhile, HFRS had dedicated specialist workshopfacilities with capacity to undertake additionalworkshop based maintenance. An initial scopingproject showed that a mutually beneficial partnershipwould also be financially viable based on a costrecovery model.

From the start of the year, RBFRS vehicles beganarriving at HFRS’s Fleet Maintenance Centre (FMC).HFRS operates the main workshop with RBFRS con-tributing a member of staff to the team. ‘On station’repairs and maintenance are undertaken by mobileworkshops, staffed in the south by HFRS techniciansand by RBFRS technicians in the north of thecombined region.

In terms of the volume of vehicles that can passthrough the FMC in Eastleigh, HFRS has around 330vehicles and approximately 970 pieces of associatedequipment, while RBFRS has around 150 vehicles and230 pieces of associated equipment.

Has it been a success?Data analysis from the fleet management system,

which is shared by HFRS and RBFRS, shows that thefirst six months of the project since the first Berkshirevehicles started arriving in January have met projectedtimescales and the financial benefits for both HFRSand RBFRS are in line with forecasts. CFOA BestPractice Standards are applied to both fleets.

Sam Davis, Project Manager, Hampshire Fire andRescue Service, said, “This is producing benefits forboth fire services. The partnership has produced acombined public sector benefit of around £142,000in the initial six months from a joint investment of just£90,000. The partnership is forecast to recurrentlydeliver an annual public sector benefit of £185,000.

“It’s helping us both meet our financial challenges.As far as I’m aware there’s nothing else like this in theUK fire service where two authorities are sharing therunning costs at one single facility.”

HFRS Fleet Manager Tim Mansbridge said, “Gettingthe IT right from the start is important. Finding a solu-tion which allows easy access for both services maylead to an IT hosting re-provision, such as taking theservice to the cloud. Vehicle movement logistics arelikely to be challenging initially, especially if not ade-quately resourced. You need to make contingencyarrangements and put a robust plan in place, whichwill help mitigate any foreseeable problems.”

Andy Haste, Head of Transport and Engineering atRBFRS, said, “Getting the respective legal teams

together early in the development phase is essentialto establish a robust governance framework in linewith implementation timescales. Sharing projectmanagement resource is an effective way to keepcosts down and ensures a joined up approach fromthe separate services.”

He added, “Fire and rescue services are only aseffective as the vehicles that can get them to incidentsin a timely and reliable manner, and sharing the same high standards of service and maintenance witha fellow FRS, gives us the security in our fleet that we need.”

www.hantsfire.gov.ukwww.rbfrs.co.uk

(From L to R) John Bonney, Chief Officer Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service and Andy Fry, Chief Officer Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service at theFleet Maintenance Centre in Hampshire.


ESTEVENTS | 13

Dates foryour diary22-28 September 2014National Air Ambulance Weekwww.associationofairambulances.co.uk/naaw

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

7-8 October 2014Trauma InnovationOlympia Conference Centre, Londonwww.ame-event.co.uk/ti

9-12 October 2014World Rescue Challenge (WRC) 2014www.wrescue.org

11 November 2014Blue Light Innovation Conference and ExhibitionQEII Conference Centre, Londonhttp://bluelightinnovation.co.uk

12-15 November 2014Medica 2014Dusseldorf, Germanywww.medica-tradefair.com

17 November 2014National Air Ambulance ConferenceMillennium Gloucester Hotel, Londonwww.associationofairambulances.co.uk

25 November 2014Lone Worker Safety 2014London Olympiawww.loneworkersafetyexpo.com

26-27 November 2014CATO Final Conference and ExerciseBrussels, Belgiumwww.cato-project.eu

3 March 2015Professional Clothing Show – Meet the BuyerLondon Marriott Hotel, Regent’s Parkwww.professionalclothingshow.com

4-5 March 2015Critical Infrastructure Protection and Resilience EuropeThe Hague, Netherlandswww.cipre-expo.com

10-12 March 2015Security and Policing 2015FIVE Farnborough, Hampshirewww.securityandpolicing.co.uk

31 March - 1 April 2015British APCO 2015Manchester Centralwww.bapco.co.uk

21-22 April 2015Counter Terror Expo 2015Olympia, Londonwww.counterterrorexpo.com

21-22 April 2015Ambition 2015Olympia, Londonwww.ambitionexpouk.com

The Fire Service Collegeis proud to be hostingthe World RescueChallenge (WRC) 2014,on behalf of the World RescueOrganisation (WRO)from 9-12 October.

The Fire ServiceCollege is one of theworld’s largestoperational fire and

rescue training facilities and is the perfect venue tohost the most prestigious international competitionfor fire and rescue services from across the world.This event will provide an opportunity forinternational firefighter teams to showcase theirrescue skills and techniques, while competingagainst other teams from across the globe.

The aim of the WRO is to provide a platform forrescue and medical personnel to share and advancerescue science and technology, as teams compete inintense, realistic scenarios for the world title andtrophy.

Winners last year included Royal Berkshire Fireand Rescue Service, who won the Technical Awardand Extrication Overall Team Award. South WalesFire and Rescue Service also had a great 2013 andwon Best Incident Command, Best Medic andComplex Pit Awards. London Fire Brigade wonthe Trauma and Limited Pit awards and CatalunyaTerressa, Spain, won the Rapid Pit Award.

The four-day event is expected to attract over 300operational delegates, together with support teamsand guests from up to 20 countries from aroundthe world.

www.wrescue.org

Fire Service College to hostWorld Rescue Challenge

The prestigious line up of expert speakers has beenconfirmed for this year’s National Air AmbulanceConference run by the Association of AirAmbulances, which takes place on 17 November atthe Millennium Gloucester Hotel, London. Theevent, which is a firm fixture for aero medicalexperts, aims to inform, incite debate and providethe platform for the air ambulance sector to cometogether, share ideas and build partnerships.

Air ambulance leaders and operational staff,including clinicians and pilots, attend the event tonetwork with each other and hear from leadingsector speakers on issues pertinent to helicopteremergency medical services.

In June it was announced that clinical expertsProfessor Keith Willett, Dr Gareth Davies andDavid Griffiths of the Care Quality Commission(CQC) will take to the stage. The association hasnow announced some of the operational expertswho will deliver presentations on the day: BrianBaldwin, from the Civil Aviation Authority, hasconfirmed his attendance and will give a EuropeanAviation Safety Agency update; Lt Col Chris Wright(Royal Army Medical Corps) will present ‘Lessonsfrom the Theatre of War for the Future’. Chrisserved 12 tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan andspent years treating injured soldiers and civilians.He believes that lessons learnt in the field can beapplied in a civilian setting; Mike Shanahan, Head of Special Operations for YorkshireAmbulance Service, will provide a review of theservice’s preparation and deployment for the

Tour de France; and John Power, Senor FireOfficer, will deliver a speech on ‘Helipad Heroes’.

The key colleges of clinical, charity and airoperations are all present in an agenda that iscomprehensive and packed with experts withintheir fields. Additionally, group debates and furtherpresentations will be found in many of theworkshops taking place throughout the day.

Last year’s conference saw a total of 22 speakersand 25+ sponsors with over 330 delegatesattending. Clive Dicken, National Director of theAAA, said, “This year’s event has even more forour delegates, from high profile cutting edgespeakers, new ideas, more opportunities to networkand workshops that will challenge and inspire. As amember, delegate rates are exceptional value and asa non-member extremely competitive for the levelof specialist information you will receive. Don’tforget CPD points will be available.”

www.aoaa.org.uk

Operational speakersannounced to completeair ambulance conference


14 | ESTCOMPANY PROFILE

It is no surprise that Rosenbauer is the world’sbiggest supplier and manufacturer of fire andrescue service appliances with arguably the mosttechnologically advanced trucks integrated with themost attractive bodywork on the global market.Added to this, the crew comfort and working spaceis almost unrivalled – incorporating more safety forthe crew than ever before. Rosenbauer’s appliancesalso make impossible stowage tasks possibleensuring every cubic inch of stowage space is usedeffectively, meaning either more equipment can becarried or smaller, more manoeuvrable chassis canbe used for the same job.

UK specific vehicle rangeSince the aforementioned April merge, investing

heavily into their UK operations, Rosenbauer hasdemonstrated its desire and willingness tocompletely concentrate on its UK specificappliance range, albeit stemming from thecompany’s world class ‘standard’ range technologyand styling. “We’re fully aware of the requirementsand pre-requisites for what a British applianceneeds to achieve in terms of manual handling andtruck dimensions,” said Oliver North, ManagingDirector, Rosenbauer UK plc. “But what we willachieve is a more efficient, refined and aestheticallystunning appliance from our current ‘standard’here in the UK. I genuinely think we have the mostprofessional brigades throughout Europe in termsof firefighters and their skill levels but my personalopinion is that many parts of Europe are verymuch ahead of us in terms of quality of front lineappliances and I’m confident we can start tochange that with our UK specific range.”

Rosenbauer fire appliances are no strangers toUK shores, with the already established range ofMetz Aerials both on the run and in build at thepresent time, with forecasts showing continuedgrowth into the near and distant future.Rosenbauer’s ‘marquee’ appliances are also anextremely common sight at the majority of majorUK airports too with the excellent Panther – ofwhich there are over 60 of throughout the UK and Ireland.

Range of equipmentAs most fire and rescue service personnel are

aware, Rosenbauer is almost a standard brand at afire station in one way or another already, with theexcellent range of equipment supplied to fire andrescue services, UK-wide, over many years.

The Rosenbauer HEROS-xtreme fire helmet is amarket leader in Britain and the Rosenbauer OtterLPP has been a ‘firefighter favourite’ for over a

decade. Now the company’s presence in the PPEmarket looks set to grow firmly with the excellentTwister lace-up fire boot winning various trialsalready throughout brigades since its launch. TheRosenbauer Fanergy-Pro turbo fan is also gainingpositive momentum throughout brigades,testament that Rosenbauer really does specialise asa ‘full liner’ for brigade requirements.

“Visitors to ESS2014 willbe able to demonstrate

any of the marketleading ranges on theRosenbauer stand.”

In conjunction with Rosenbauer’s manufacturedproducts, the company incorporates another strongEnglish connection into its portfolio with thesuperb, British-made Argus range of thermalimaging cameras. The highlight of the UK fire andrescue service thermal imaging market over thepast two years has been the excellent Mi-TIC,which is now comfortably a market leader withover 25 brigades using the device operationally. TheARGUS Mi-TIC encompasses the latest thermalimaging technology and provides the firefighterwith what many say is the most ergonomic designon the market, with a weight of only 740g.Simplicity of operation and impeccable robustnessalso add together resulting in the most loved handheld thermal imaging unit in the UK, as well asaround the world.

Rosenbauer UK looks to impresswith maiden ESS appearanceSince Rosenbauer’s merge with Yorkshire based North Fire plc in April of this year, much attention and anticipation hasbeen aimed towards the world’s biggest manufacturer of fire and rescue appliances and exactly how its world class fleetofferings can integrate into the British fire and rescue service fleets.

Twister lace-up fire boot.

The Otter pump from Rosenbauer.


ESTCOMPANY PROFILE | 15

The Emergency Services Show 2014:highlights

Rosenbauer 12-tonne Compact Line pumpingappliance: Rosenbauer’s Compact Line range is the natural choice for UK fire and rescue services due to its compact design; the appliance is designed for maximum manoeuvrability andoperation around ever congested and narrow roadsand streets.

The Compact Line has proven time after timethat due to sophisticated stowage technology it can,on most occasions, carry as much as if not morethan a more standard 18-tonne UK B-typepumping appliance.

While achieving its light weight and smallerdimensions, the Compact Line still offers morecrew cab space and comfort, ensuring workingconditions are improved for the front linefirefighter.

Metz L32A-XS turntable ladder:Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service’s soon-to-be commissioned Metz XS will be the aerialhighlight of The Emergency Services Show 2014,displaying what is arguably the most efficientladder set on the European market today.

The XS boasts a bigger outreach, and just asimportantly, the smallest in-reach over and aboveits nearest rival with an expertly engineered ladderset, while the ‘Metz design’ bodywork providesextremely functional yet an aesthetically stunninglook, providing aerial crews with maximum abilityand confidence to carry out the most demandingaerial challenges (you can watch the Metz XS videoin full at www.rosenbauer.co.uk).

Metz B32 ALP: for many UK fire and rescueservices, the Aerial Ladder Platform (ALP) is theonly choice of aerial appliance due to itsoutstanding water delivery capability.

The Metz B32 ALP is among the best on the planet with its relative speed, superb outreach,low noise and enviable body styling. The B32 has continued to impress brigades throughout theUK in 2014 as more and more brigades look toMetz aerials to increase their aerial efficiency and capability.

Rosenbauer FANERGY-Pro: The newRosenbauer Turbo Fan FANERGY-Pro, makes itsfirst public appearance in the UK with a fulldemonstration available from any of Rosenbauer’stechnical representatives on the Rosenbauer standat The Emergency Services Show.

The FANERGY-Pro raises the bar of quality andair flow with a completely unrivalled, robust, andergonomic design, chosen time and time again byfirefighters throughout the UK during recent trialsas their fan of choice.

ARGUS Mi-TIC and security thermal imagingcameras: The market leading ARGUS Mi-TIC will be available for demonstration at ESS2014 with senior management staff in attendance frome2v’s thermal imaging division – ARGUS.

For years, ARGUS has continued to setbenchmarks and raise the bar of quality forspecialist emergency services thermal imagingrequirements with both fire and rescue services and police forces throughout the UK opting for

the latest technology of British manufactured TICs, distributed and serviced exclusively byRosenbauer UK.

Personal Protective Equipment: Rosenbauer’sexcellent PPE range will be available to try out atthis year’s Emergency Services Show, in particularthe market leading HEROS-xtreme fire helmet andthe magnificent TWISTER fire boot. Make themost of the fitting station on Rosenbauer’s stand tosee for yourself just why Rosenbauer’s PPEcontinues to dominate brigade trials nationwide.

Pumps: the excellent range of Rosenbauerpumps will be shown and demonstrated at theNEC, highlighting the Otter, Beaver and Foxportable pumps with the excellent RosenbauerUHPS also available to view. Rosenbauer will alsoproudly exhibit the excellent NH-series pump viathe Compact Line pumping appliance.

www.rosenbauer.co.uk

The new Rosenbauer Turbo Fan FANERGY-Pro, makes its first public appearancein the UK.

The ARGUS Mi-TIC will be available for demonstration at ESS2014.

The Metz L32A-XS turntable ladder.

The SAFE GRIP 3 protective firefighter glove.

The NAUTILUS is the first submersible pump from Rosenbauer with an electricdrive.

The HEROS-xtreme fire helmet.


16 | ESTPEOPLE

Graham Gash from Kent Fire andRescue Service (KFRS) is hanging uphis boots after more than fourdecades on the job. Graham was theKFRS project lead for the constructionof the HS1 railway, helped developthe water mist fire system in theDartford Tunnel, undertook the reviewfollowing the Channel Tunnel fire in2008 and is currently Head ofChannel Tunnel Operations for KFRS.Throughout his long career, Grahamhas attended a number of large firesin residential, commercial andindustrial premises and in September2011, he received the Kent Medal, arare and prestigious honour, for hisoutstanding service and commitmentto the county and people of Kent.www.kent.fire-uk.org

Former combat paramedic Steve Nixon has been appointedNational Sales Manager for VehicleConspicuity at Rennicks UK, a job inwhich he’ll talk to key contacts withinthe emergency services and Chapter8 sectors on a daily basis. RennicksUK provides a range of Nikkalite®

high-performance conspicuitymarkings for a wide variety ofapplications including HGVs, trailers,police, ambulance, fire and HighwaysAgency vehicles.www.rennicksuk.com

Greenhead Councillor Judith Hughes has been appointed as thefirst ever female leader of WestYorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority,the country’s fourth largestmetropolitan fire and rescueauthority. Cllr Hughes, who succeedsCouncillor Mehboob Khan as Chairwill be joined by fellow CouncillorTracey Austin (Labour, WakefieldNorth) as Vice Chair.www.westyorksfire.gov.uk

The Chief Fire Officer of the London Fire Brigade, Ron Dobson,announced his resignation from theposition of London Fire Commissioneron 2 September after 35 yearsservice with the brigade. In a letter tothe Chairman of the LFEPA, theCommissioner said, “This has beenan incredibly difficult decision for meto reach because it has been anhonour and a privilege to be theleader of what I consider to bewithout doubt the best fire andrescue service in the world. I believenow is the right time for both theLondon Fire Brigade and me to makethis change.” The Commissioner willcontinue to serve as Chief Fire Officerfor the next six months.www.london-fire.gov.uk

A walk with his wife and children onLossiemouth’s East Beach turnedinto a rescue incident for Flight Lieu-tenant Richard ‘Stino’ Stinson on 11July 2014. Richard is no stranger tohandling rescue incidents in his roleas a Search and Rescue Coordinatorand Duty Watch Manager in the UKAeronautical Rescue CoordinationCentre (ARCC) at Kinloss barracks,Moray. This time, he took a leadingrole in the rescue of three peopleafter an 11-year-old girl who wasbeing swept out to sea by a riptideafter swimming in the River Lossie.

Richard swam out to rescue the girland made it back to shore just as RAFLossiemouth’s Sea King helicopterarrived on scene. The RAF SAR heli-copter’s winchman paramedic thenchecked the youngster’s medicalcondition before she was taken to DrGray’s Hospital in Elgin by ambulanceto be treated for shock. Apart fromthis, Richard’s prompt action hadensured that she was otherwise safeand well.

Two other people who had tried toassist the girl also found themselves

caught by the riptide, so Richardwent back into the water and rescuedboth of them in turn. The secondperson he rescued was the womanwho had been looking after the child.She attempted to reach the child butwas caught in the same riptide. Afterrescuing her, Richard re-entered thewater for a third time to rescue aboard-surfer who also got into diffi-culties while trying to reach theyoung girl.

Richard spotted the unfolding dramawhile out for a walk on the beachwith his wife, their five-year-olddaughter and two year old son. Hiscolleagues on duty in the ARCC atKinloss had received a separaterequest of help from the police andcoastguard. They responded bydespatching Rescue 137 from nearbyRAF Lossiemouth, unaware that oneof their own was taking his owndirect action.

“Coordinating rescues is my job,but this was a first for me to beactually involved,” he added.

www.mod.uk

ARCC officer’s hat trick of rescuesAppointmentstrengthenscharity’soperationalperformanceLondon’s Air Ambulance hasannounced the appointment ofCharles Newitt to the newly createdpost of Chief Operating Officer(COO). Colonel Newitt, a formersenior Army officer, will be responsiblefor all aspects of the charity’s aviationfunction, including its Safety Manage-ment System, under the regulatoryframework imposed jointly by theCivil Aviation Authority (CAA) andthe European Aviation Safety Associ-ation Agency (EASA). Charles willalso contribute more broadly to theorganisation’s strategic direction bytaking further responsibility for HRand facilities management.

This senior appointment completesthe restructuring of the charity underChief Executive Officer GrahamHodgkin. It will allow him to embarkon a more externally focused role indiversifying the charity’s funding base,securing sustainable support andpatronage, while continuing to pursuethe charity’s goal of securing a secondhelicopter and extending its daylightflying hours.

www.londonsairambulance.co.uk

East Anglian Air Ambulance has con-firmed that the Duke of Cambridgewill join the charity as a helicopterpilot in spring 2015.

The Duke will join the EAAA’shighly skilled team of pilots and clini-cians who ensure that the higheststandard of pre-hospital emergencymedicine is provided to the scene ofaccidents and medical emergenciesacross the East Anglian region.

Mr Andrew Egerton Smith MBE,Chairman of EAAA, said, “Havingthe Duke of Cambridge as one ofour pilots is marvellous news as hebrings much experience to the charityafter his successful career as a searchand rescue pilot. We have an out-standing track record of attendingpeople in the hour of need, which isrecognised and generously supportedby our local communities.”

Jane Gurney, CEO of Essex andHerts Air Ambulance Trust, said, “Itis a very positive development notonly for the region’s air ambulancecharities and the communities theyserve but also for the UK wide airambulance industry. We wish theDuke of Cambridge every success inhis new appointment.”

www.eaaa.org.uk

Duke of Cambridge to join EAAA as a pilot

Flight Lieutenant Richard ‘Stino’ Stinson photographed at the incident site at Lossiemouth East Beach.Image Courtesy: Press and Journal Newspaper

Colonel Charles Newitt, Chief Operating Officer(COO), London’s Air Ambulance.


18 | ESTRESILIENCE

Occasionally, from the sun, there are massiveeruptions of X-rays and gamma rays (solar flares),proton bursts (proton events/radiation storms)and/or magnetised plasma clouds (coronal massejections). These events are associated with ‘sunspots’,active areas on the sun’s surface. The number ofsunspots varies over an 11 year ‘solar cycle’. Thecurrent solar cycle peaked in 2013. But extremeevents, potentially causing widespread disturbanceto technology, might happen at any time.

The most significant recorded solar storm was the1859 Carrington Event, named after Britishastronomer Richard Carrington. Its impact waslimited to the telegraph network. But as ourreliance on technology has increased, so hasvulnerability to the effects of these storms. A stormin 1989 caused a major power blackout in Quebec.The Halloween Storms of 2003 also had globalimpact.

Global impactSevere space weather can lead to geomagnetic

storms. As well as causing the Aurora (theNorthern and Southern Lights), these storms caninduce an electric field in the Earth’s crust andelectric currents through the ground that candisrupt or damage power grids, pipelines,telecommunications and railways.

It can disrupt satellite signals (eg GlobalNavigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) such as theGlobal Positioning System (GPS)) for days at atime, damage satellites and put them out of service,affect electronic systems in aircraft, and increaseradiation for aircraft passengers and crew. Theimpact from disruption to satellite signals might bewidespread; many sectors, including the emergencyservices, rely on this technology for positioning ortiming.

InfrastructureDisturbances to infrastructure in one country

from severe space weather can impact othercountries. These might be economic impacts,disruption to transport, and delays in deliveringgoods or services. Several countries simultaneouslymight need to replace infrastructure, such as powertransformers, which can take up to one year fromorder to delivery (1)! This would affect eachcountry’s ability to recover and highlights the need for effective engagement between countries on this risk.

The UK has experienced the effects of past events – two transformers were damaged in the 1989 storm. This risk, based upon a‘reasonable worst case scenario’ of the CarringtonEvent, was added to the UK’s National RiskRegister (2) in 2012.

Risk to the UKSince then, there has been work to understand

the risk faced by the UK and its infrastructurefrom solar storms, and increase our ability toforecast and mitigate its impacts. A Royal Academyof Engineers report in 2013 (3) was crucial,allowing the UK, led by the Cabinet Office’s CivilContingencies Secretariat, to take an informed andproportionate approach, fitting with our widerstrategy of using existing capabilities where possibleand building new capability only where necessary.

Although the space weather risk is less familiarthan some other risks, we can make ourselves moreresilient. Critical to doing so is a forecasting centreat the Met Office, which goes 24/7 this year (4),only the second round-the-clock space weathercentre of its type in the world (5).

“The impact from disruption to satellite signals

might be widespread; many sectors, including the emergency services,

rely on this technology forpositioning or timing.”

The ability to respond relies on warnings that areas timely and accurate as possible, deliveredspeedily to stakeholders and tailored to their needs.The work of the Met Office aims to achieve this.

Major challenges in providing alerts remain. Theunderpinning science is still developing. Satellitecapability is in short supply and ageing. And whena large coronal mass ejection is earthbound, wewon’t know whether it will affect infrastructureuntil about 30 minutes before it arrives.

National Grid has increased its ability towithstand solar events through installing moreresilient transformers, increasing stocks oftransformers, and developing operational responseplans (6).

Work is being undertaken with a wide range ofother sectors, some of which were previouslyunaware of their vulnerability to this risk.

Another element of our approach is to make localresponders aware of the risk and their role in aresponse. This focuses on the need to be resilient tothe effects of solar storms (loss of power, loss ofGNSS services, transport disruption) rather thanbeing overly concerned about their cause.

The final element of our approach is to workclosely with international partners, such as Swedenand the US, to develop a consistent approach, whilerecognising that each country’s infrastructure willnot necessarily be affected in the same way.

Increased awarenessAll this demonstrates the need to increase

awareness in advance among vulnerable sectors,responders and central Government, makeinfrastructure more resilient, and improvereadiness to respond. This work should beunderpinned by tried and tested plans forresponding to other emergencies, as well as byeffective collaboration with other countries.

The common view is that space weather is an‘exotic risk’. This must be challenged. Severestorms have happened in the past and could occurat any time. One in July 2012 had the potential tocause a Carrington scale event (7). Fortunately, itwas heading away from Earth.

Severe space weather can damage infrastructureand cause disruption. Many of the mitigations arecommon to other risks. We need to address this riskas an integral part of the broad spectrum of workwe do on risks identification and resiliencebuilding.

www.gov.uk

References:1 http://www.oecd.org/governance/risk/46891645.pdf2 https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/

national-risk-register-of-civil-emergencies3 http://www.raeng.org.uk/news/publications/list/

reports/space_weather_full_report_final.pdf

4 http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/news/releases/archive/2013/space-weather-forecasts

5 The other 24/7 centre is the US’s Space Weather Prediction Centre in Boulder, Colorado.

6 http://www2.nationalgrid.com/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=12151

7 http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/stereo/news/fast-cme.html

Building resilience to extreme space weatherOur sun continually emits radiation and plasma. Space weather describes how these emissions interact with the Earth.

Severe space weather presents challenges, and can affect several countries’ infrastructures at the same time.

Words: Chris Felton, Cabinet Office.

Photo: iStockphoto.com


ESTPROFILE | 21

Emergency Services Times (EST):Why do we need ResilienceDirect?

Luana Avagliano (LA): It’s quite simple – tomake the UK a safer place. ResilienceDirect is the UK’s secure platform for multi-agencypartnerships to share information in bothemergency response and in planning. It is essential that the resilience community havethe best tools and services to support them in

effective decision-making at the tactical andstrategic levels.

“ResilienceDirect is the UK’s secure platform for

multi-agency partnerships to share information in

both emergency responseand in planning.”

EST: Whose specifications did you use tobuild this web service?

LA: The resilience community users.ResilienceDirect was developed using agilemethodology and open-source methods. It is an adaptable hub, capable of hosting newapplications reflecting user demand and futuretrends in emergency planning and response. Our ethos is ‘with you’, ‘for you’ and ‘by you’.

EST: How do you get access toResilienceDirect?

LA: It is a private network based across the UK.Local Resilience Forums, Local ResiliencePartnerships, new organisations and users arenominated and these are submitted to the team.We, the team, then authorise access and create theorganisations on the system and give access toadditional users.

EST: What benefits have you seendelivered to the resilience community

LA: ResilienceDirect provides a free, intuitive,easy to use service, with no digital certificates,which is accessible from any mobile device. Itprovides real-time information sharing acrossorganisational and geographical boundaries. Bysupporting emergency planning and responseorganisations to do more for less by cutting acrossorganisational silos and multiple communicationchannels, enabling greater efficiency and increasedjoint working. By using agile developmenttechniques the service was delivered within 16weeks, which is an absolutely awesomeachievement. Also because we don’t use proprietarysoftware, we have saved money for the publicpurse. A win-win.

EST: Why include OS mapping?LA: User feedback and the response to the

mapping app have been phenomenal. The firstthing that any multi-agency response needs is amap, which is what we were told when we

identified users’ needs. There aremany GIS packages, commandand control systems and existingincident management packagesalready in place within eachorganisation, operated by expertsand this will remain the case.The need has been for alightweight, easy to use mappingapp that provides a secure multi-agency response picture thatcould be shared across allpartners in real time, with theability to draw cordons, sectorisethem for evacuation and shelter,draw polygons, use the commonsymbology as created by the CivilContingencies Secretariat withinthe Cabinet Office.

We have used OS mapping as itis a trusted source of detailed andup to date mapping, which isalready being used to support

systems and operations across the blue light sector.It is important that the mapping is accurate andprovides a clear picture of any affected area.

EST: Why did you have to create a new lot of mapping symbols?

LA: When working collaboratively it is importantthat everyone uses the same terminology and inthis case, for mapping, the common symbology. Alot of hard work has gone into delivery of this bythe Civil Contingencies Secretariat and by usingthis for the ResilienceDirect mapping app it willembed this at the heart of multi-agency responses.

EST: What does the future look like forResilienceDirect?

LA: It is very exciting and we are currentlyscoping our future Technical Roadmap, for newapps to be developed and delivered at pace. Wecontinue to work with our Resilience UserCommunity and there are a number of areas wewill focus on: interoperability, system integration,live data feeds for mapping and continuing toenhance ResilienceDirect.

www.resilience.gov.uk

Real-time information sharing solutiona ‘win-win’ for emergency respondersResilienceDirect™, which is making fantastic strides in the emergency response service arena, has been created

specifically for ‘blue light’ responders and their public and private sector response partners. Luana Avagliano, Head of

the ResilienceDirect team in the Civil Contingencies Secretariat – Cabinet Office, tells us more.

Luana Avagliano, Head of the ResilienceDirect team in the Civil Contingencies Secretariat – Cabinet Office.


ESTMASS FATALITIES | 23

The task of preparing a ‘mass fatalities framework’can be a daunting one and Dr Easthope advisesplanners both in the UK and internationally onhow to tackle this. Dr Easthope says, “A lot ofpeople assume that this will be a negative anddepressing aspect of my work, but actually it can bea rewarding process, bringing out the mostcollaborative side of planners and is an example ofa truly multi-agency plan.”

To produce their plans, response agencies stepoutside their normal work to really consider theneeds of families and communities in extremis,where a number of people have died and specialarrangements are required, such as a transportationdisaster. To plan effectively in this area respondersare required to acknowledge a number of different processes, beyond the normal frameworks,and consider a wide range of logistical andlegislative options.

“It is heartening to see theefforts that are put in towork that hopefully they will never have to use.”

Framework considerationsSome considerations when preparing a

framework include: understanding the needs ofaffected friends and relatives; awareness of relevantlegislation; the role of the HM Coroner; DisasterVictim Identification; and meeting the needs ofresponders.

Understanding the needs of affected friendsand relatives – this should be at the heart of theframework and should inform all aspects of thework. Responders should ensure that they are fullyaware of the guidance available atwww.disasteraction.org.uk, which, as a charity,represents bereaved relatives and survivors fromnumerous UK disasters and UK citizens caught upin overseas disasters.

Awareness of relevant legislation – theframework must comply with a broad set of legal

obligations that goes beyond the CivilContingencies Act, including public healthlegislation, Human Tissue Act in England andWales, health and safety, and, crucially, Coroniallegislation, which changed last year

The role of the HM Coroner – as awarenessgrows about the role of the Coroner as an essentialpart of the framework we see more and more goodpractice about how to integrate Coroners into boththe planning process, exercises and training, andthe final documents. Coroners are now advised onthe particular challenges that a major incidentcould involve by a cadre of specialist advisoryCoroners. It is also important to understand newdevelopments that came into force last year, such asthe role of the Chief Coroner.

Disaster Victim Identification – this is a specificforensic process that applies scientific-means to theremains recovered to establish identity and linksthat back to data gathered from family and friends.The DVI process sits within the Mass FatalitiesFramework and it is crucial that the logistics,staffing etc for this process to take place are fullyconsidered.

Meeting the needs of responders – this shouldnever be an afterthought in the arrangements.There are a number of legal obligations onemployers to ensure that responders are properlytrained and prepared for this work and aresupported both emotionally and practicallythroughout.

Latest challengesRecent case studies are also providing emergency

responders with an insight into the very latestchallenges that these incidents will bring: oneexample would be the large volume of personaleffects that incidents may generate, particularly if amode of transport is involved. Dr Easthopespecialises in the preparation of personal effectsmanagement strategies within the mass fatalitiesplan and has campaigned for many years forresponders to recognise the importance of ensuring

that consideration is given to how to store personaleffects and make arrangements for their return tofamilies. In August 2014 she visited the NationalTransportation Safety Board to explore how thischallenge is being tackled by the Americangovernment and meets new expectations that haveaccompanied technologies such as smartphonesand tablets.

Other 2014 challenges include: the requirementfor briefings and communication strategies thattake into account the interest from all types ofmedia into the specifics of the work, including theDisaster Victim Identification process; andensuring that arrangements meet local authorityprocurement and governance arrangements, aslocal authorities are responsible for resourcing amortuary on behalf of the HM Coroner.

In summaryFor responders embarking on this planning

process there are a range of resources to supporttheir work and opportunities for peer review andmutual aid. “There are innovative, compassionateand finely tuned arrangements being put in placeall round the country,” says Dr Easthope. “It isheartening to see the efforts that are put in to workthat hopefully they will never have to use.”

www.disasteraction.org.uk

Disaster Action has a new publication out thissummer reviewing almost three decades of campaigning for change to support those affectedby disaster. Information is available athttp://www.amazon.co.uk/Collective-Conviction-Story-Disaster-Action/dp/1781381232

Preparing a framework for aneffective mass fatalities responseIn an age of growing uncertainty, planning for worst-case scenarios remains a challenging and often hidden part of anemergency responder’s work. However it is also something with which Dr Lucy Easthope, Senior Lecturer in ForensicScience at the University of Lincoln, feels incredibly privileged and proud to be involved.

Ground Zero. Photo: Dr Lucy Easthope.

Dr Lucy Easthope ([email protected]) is a Senior Lecturer inForensic Science at the University of Lincoln. She is the course lead for‘Planning for Mass Fatalities’ courses, which run at the EmergencyPlanning College several times a year.

The Interpol DVI Form.


ESTINTEROPERABILITY | 25

Commanders from the three blue light emergencyservices will, I am sure, have adhered to theinteroperability principles, used the mnemonicMETHANE and religiously worked togetherthrough the JDM (Joint Decision Model) tomanage the major incident effectively andefficiently.

Over 800 people will have been involved in theexercise, including representatives of other

organisations such as the Armed Forces, the localauthority and British Transport Police.

This issue of Emergency Services Times wouldhave been put to bed by the exercise date – 18 September – but it is firmly anticipated that, watched by various VIPs and ‘real’ media, the exercise will have demonstrated the overarching aim of JESIP – Working Together –Saving Lives.

Exercise Joint Endeavour will represent theculmination of the two-year life of JESIP – theJoint Emergency Services InteroperabilityProgramme. Sponsored by Governmentdepartments and driven forward by the three bluelight emergency services, the most extensive andambitious joint training programme has beendesigned and executed.

Some 10,000 priority emergency servicespersonnel will have attended a JESIP trainingcourse. They will have absorbed information aboutthe JESIP principles and tools; they will havediscussed, debated and discovered how to achievethe main aim – improving interoperability andjoint working in the early stages of a majorincident.

The importance of good, clear, face-to-facecommunication, an understanding of different rolesand responsibilities and the need for effective jointdecision making – and much more – will havebeen reinforced and embraced.

“Although the two-yearprogramme is ending, JESIP

will continue – to coin aphrase, it is just the end of

the beginning.”

Team effort on a national scaleOver 20 live validation exercises designed to test

all aspects of the JESIP learning have been held,with Joint Endeavour being by far the largest.

Creating the ingredients required to make thiswhole programme work has been the responsibilityof a small, dedicated central team, drawn from theemergency services and Government. But ensuringthat momentum is maintained and the training isdelivered has involved many colleagues from the105 emergency services and other organisations.

The skill, professionalism and sheer effort ofJESIP licensed trainers, the delivery leads, strategicleads and others in organising and running 700courses has been magnificent.

It has been a massive team effort on a nationalscale.

Training materialA library of JESIP training products, including

PowerPoint presentations and e-learning materialhas been produced, enabling the crucial messagesaround joint working to be spread to manythousands of other emergency services personnel.

Also, while the initial focus was on theambulance, police and fire and rescue services,Category 1 and 2 Responders, including

JESIP enters new phaseBy the time The Emergency Services Show 2014 opens its doors, Joint Endeavour – the major exercise in responding to

disaster – will have been held on Merseyside. Much noise, simulated crashes, bloodstained ‘victims’ and ‘pretend’ media

will have featured in highlighting and testing elements of the two-year JESIP programme.

Words: David Jervis, JESIP senior communications advisor.

The JESIP principles and tools outlined in the Joint Doctrine, the Aide Memoire (shown here) and on the training courses are now being appliedregularly at many incidents.

HM Coastguard, British Transport Police, CivilNuclear Constabulary, and others from the widerresilience community have been involved – some inthe actual training but many in exposure to JESIPproducts.

Although the two-year programme is ending,JESIP will continue – to coin a phrase, it is just theend of the beginning.

The story so far…Before looking at the new phase in JESIP’s life,

let us reflect on what has gone before, especially forthe benefit of those who may have missed theJESIP story so far.

The need for better joint working was identifiedby the emergency services and JESIP was createdas a two-year programme, sponsored by the HomeOffice and supported by other Governmentdepartments – Cabinet Office, Department forCommunities and Local Government andDepartment of Health.

The outcomes of inquiries following a number ofmajor incidents, including the London bombingsin July 2005, showed clearly that joint workingbetween the emergency services neededimprovement.

A review by Dr Kevin Pollock into the findings ofinquiries following 32 major incidents over the past30 years revealed that lessons were not beinglearned – for example, communication between theemergency services was not good enough; there waspoor joint working practices and planning; andinadequate joint training.

A survey by Skills for Justice of emergency service personnel, which was commissioned in the early stages of JESIP, more than underlined the real need for joint training by the blue light services to improve joint working and understanding.

A consultation process involving many keystakeholders resulted in the ‘Joint Doctrine: TheInteroperability Framework’ which is the bedrockof this huge programme.

The Doctrine, the Pollock Report and the Skillsfor Justice survey are all available on the websitewww.jesip.org.uk.

Designed, trained, deliveredThe training products were produced mostly in

partnership with the College of Policing, NationalAmbulance Resilience Unit (NARU), Chief FireOfficers’ Association (CFOA) and Fire ServiceCollege. Courses were designed, trainers from thethree services were trained together and, inpartnership, they delivered the tri-service courses atvenues across England and Wales.

JESIP has been welcomed across the board andfeedback from those attending training courses hasbeen overwhelmingly positive.

The JESIP principles and tools outlined in theJoint Doctrine, the Aide Memoire and, of course,on the training courses are now being appliedregularly at many incidents and used at set pieceevents like the Glastonbury Festival and the F1Grand Prix at Silverstone.

So JESIP has travelled a long way and willcontinue that journey into a new phase fromOctober.

What is JESIP Phase Two?A transition period managed by a reduced central

JESIP team (from 16 to seven) – still based in theHome Office – will spend six months building onthe considerable work already done in preparationfor the full legacy arrangements to kick in at thebeginning of April 2015.

On the ground much will continue as before – forexample, there are over 2000 control roompersonnel to receive their newly designed JESIPtraining. But in driving JESIP forwards there willbe a change of impetus away from the centre. Thebaton needs to change hands as the emergencyservices and other responder organisations fullyembrace JESIP, embed it in their day-to-daybusiness and take over responsibility for itsmaintenance and development.

Four main work areasFocus will be on four main work areas during the

transition period and into legacy:

1. Joint Organisational Learning (JOL) – thiswill be at the absolute core of JESIP movingforward. The programme was created becauselessons identified in the past were not beingapplied. A resilient process is being developedto ensure that this does not happen in the future

2. Training – this will continue apace as newrecruits arrive and promotions take place.There will always be personnel who willbenefit from joint training

3. Testing and exercising – doing this regularlywill contribute to embedding JESIP andcontribute to JOL

4. Joint Doctrine – this will continue to be thebedrock of interoperability and will be updatedwhen necessary.

More information about the JESIP legacyarrangements will almost certainly feature in futureeditions of this magazine and on the JESIP website.Examples of how the JESIP principles and toolsare being applied throughout the country andbeyond will, I am sure, increase in number.

Long life aheadIt has been said that JESIP’s true long-lasting

success will be seen only when its principles andproducts have touched all operational staff in theemergency services and other responderorganisations. That is a huge number of people soit is clear that JESIP has a long and busy life aheadas it continues to pursue its overarching aim of‘Working Together – Saving Lives.’

www.jesip.org.uk


26 | ESTINTEROPERABILITY

JESIP turned up at the world’s most famous music festival tohelp look after a quarter of a million people. While Elbowwere throwing their curtains wide; Dolly was working Nine toFive and Metallica roared Seek and Destroy, emergencyservice commanders were employing JESIP principles to helpmanage the massive operation that is Glastonbury.

First some facts:• Glastonbury attracts 200,000 visitors and 50,000 staff• It has a larger population than Bath or Exeter• It runs over five days and is based on a Somerset

farm, displacing (temporarily) 400 cows

South Western Ambulance Service Foundation Trust(SWASFT), Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service andSomerset Police cover the festival. Together with FestivalMedical, 3000 patients were treated this year; 60 went tohospital and two sadly died.

Tabletop exercisesPrior to the event, two big tabletop exercises were held toembed JESIP principles into the event and to explore howthey would be used to respond to incidents.All emergency services had agreed to use JESIP principles asan integral part of how the event would be managed and itwas also agreed that, where possible, all commanders at theevent had to be JESIP trained. In 2015 this will becomemandatory through a Memorandum of Understanding.

It was also helpful that many of the commanders at theevent had relationships that began at JESIP courses. In fact,there was even a meeting of delivery leads held on site atone point. During the festival, the three emergency servicescontrol rooms were co-located in Event Control with otherservices, eg security.

Pete Brown, Resilience Officer (special projects) for SWASFT,described the event control area as an incredible facility. “Itis fantastic and a great example to anyone responsible formanaging planned or unplanned events,” he said.

During the event:• The Joint Decision Model (JDM) was the tool used for

all decision making• All crews were trained in the use of METHANE so all

sitreps used that format• Airwave interoperability talkgroups were in use• Commanders met regularly face-to-face

Pete said that working at the festival was a really positiveexperience. He said, “It is a very well managed event, stillless formal than some other events and very good natured.Using JESIP actually allowed us to provide an evidence basefor doing things, which in previous years might not havebeen possible.”

www.jesip.org.uk

JESIP rocks up at Glastonbury

Joint Doctrine: The Interoperability Framework is the bedrock of thishuge programme.



JESIP training involving Staffordshire Fire andRescue Service, Staffordshire Police and WestMidlands Ambulance Service commenced in Aprilthis year. The weekly training sessions, which wereheld at the fire and rescue service headquarters,involved presentations and student participation inthe use of the joint decision making model tosupport the multi-agency response to realisticscenarios. A total of 272 people have received thetraining to date.

In addition to the emergency services, officersfrom Staffordshire’s Civil Contingencies Unit(CCU) have also completed the training. The CCUofficers in Staffordshire provide a 24/7 on-callservice and so it is essential for them to be familiarwith JESIP as it now determines the way in whichincidents, which they help to coordinate, areresponded to. Consequently the JESIP model ofresponse has been incorporated into all emergencyplans and procedures. CCU also organises regularexercises with Category 1 and 2 Responders andJESIP has now dictated the way in which theseexercises run.

Good working relationshipsSergeant John Overend of Staffordshire Police’s

Tactical Planning Unit assisted in delivering theJESIP training. He said, “The training has beenvery well received, with attendees enjoying theinteraction between emergency service colleaguesespecially during the scenarios. Some good workingrelationships have been forged and valuablecontacts made.”

West Midlands Ambulance Service’s AreaSupport Officer, Brain Fanthom, added, “There hasbeen absolute cooperation between all the bluelight services for this training, which is now makingsignificant changes to how we deal with allincidents.

“The shared situational awareness model ofMETHANE for informative messages has been awelcome addition, both on the incident ground andin control rooms, as it is ensuring quickercommunication and therefore a speedier response –improving the safety of our communities and theemergency responders themselves.”

Successful rescueThe JESIP training came to the fore recently at

an incident, which involved an injured runner whohad fallen into a ditch and was unable to move. Herang the ambulance service. However, because hewas in woods, he was unable to provide anylandmarks to specify his exact location. A searchand rescue operation commenced between thethree emergency services and the local voluntarysearch and rescue team. Deteriorating weatherconditions, darkness approaching and the risk ofthe casualty getting hypothermia meant that aspeedy response was essential. Using JESIP theblue light services quickly determined who hadprimacy and then agreed search patterns.Communication was maintained throughoutbetween the ambulance control room, the policehelicopter and the incident ground. The search hadto be conducted on foot, due to the terrain, andduring a thorough search firefighters located thecasualty before alerting the other services to theirexact location. Those involved in the rescue believethat the JESIP training was integral to thesuccessful conclusion of the incident.

“Quite simply JESIP ishelping us to work smarter

and faster together –ultimately saving lives.”

Although the first two phases of JESIP(programme development and delivery andimplementation) have been completed there is still

a need to re-visit phase two with quarterly trainingsessions being scheduled in for new managers whorequire the training. Staffordshire Fire and RescueService is also including a session on JESIP as partof the new firefighter core skills course andembedding the concept into all aspects ofcommand and control training.

Legacy and sustainabilityThe final step is to maintain phase three – legacy

and sustainability. Regular exercises and refreshertraining have been scheduled for this.

The ultimate aim of JESIP is to ensureemergency services save more lives when theyexperience major and complex incidents. InStaffordshire they are confident that they haveachieved this and more. Staffordshire Fire andRescue Service’s Head of Training Ian Housleysaid, “We have been fortunate enough to havealways had excellent working relationships with theother blue light services. However JESIP has givenus the opportunity and the framework to take it tothe next level and further. The training has been sowell received here in Staffordshire that rather thanjust using JESIP at the major and complexincidents it has been designed for, it is filteringthrough to all multi-agency incidents.

“Quite simply JESIP is helping us to worksmarter and faster together – ultimately savinglives. I truly believe JESIP is the future of theemergency services.”

It is safe to say that the JESIP strapline of‘Working Together – Saving Lives’ is certainlyringing true in Staffordshire.

www.staffordshirefire.gov.uk

JESIP training embraced byStaffordshire’s emergency servicesThe structured programme of work for the initial roll out of the Joint Emergency Service Interoperability Programme

(JESIP) ended in September impacting over 100 organisations. The programme has been fully embraced by emergency

services in Staffordshire.

Words: Heather Challinor, Media Manager, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service.


30 | ESTINTEROPERABILITY

Back in 2006 the Home Office highlighted apotential capability gap, which resulted in theimplementation of the Police Operational ResponseProgramme. The centre successfully developeddoctrine and tactics for police service CBRNresponders and commanders, procured CBRNPPE, including a ‘Quick Don’ PPE suit, CBRNscene management barrier systems, communicationtrailers and delivered training to every UK policeforce in a variety of specialisms. Since the end ofthe programme in 2010 the centre has continued tomaintain and enhance the capacity, capability andcoordination of the UK police service in preparingfor, and responding to, the threat or acts of CBRNterrorism.

Joint trainingThe Police National CBRN Centre delivers joint

training to the UK emergency services and isinvolved in numerous national and internationalCBRN projects and exercise programmes, whichincluded planning for the 2012 Olympics. Thecentre is multi-agency in its thinking and approachto all issues, with police, health and fire workingtogether at every level – including having a multi-agency senior management team. The centre worksclosely with the Home Office and the JointEmergency Services Interoperability Programme(JESIP) to enhance the ability of the emergencyservices to work effectively together – a significantrequirement featured in this year’s CONTESTAnnual Report.

Saving lifeOver the last 18 months staff have been working

with the Home Office and JESIP to design an

Initial Operational Response (IOR) to CBRNincidents based on new scientific studies andlessons identified from exercises and real incidents.The IOR starts from the very first call to theemergency services, with the focus being to savelife. This programme is currently being rolled outacross all three blue light agencies so everyfirefighter, paramedic and police officer in the UKwill be trained in the most effective ways of savinglife while keeping themselves safe fromcontamination at a CBRN incident.

“The centre is multi-agency in its

thinking and approach to all issues.”

The centre provides a 24/7 operations centre thatsupports the UK police service and partneragencies in their local response to CBRN incidents.The operations centre provides specialist adviceand immediate access to scientific advice from avariety of specialist sources supporting the responseto around 400 incidents each year, such as chemicalfatalities and white powder incidents.

Testing and exercisingThe centre has recently established a testing and

exercising section, which provides a capability toengage with relevant testing and exercisingprogrammes across various agencies in the UK toidentify and coordinate the learning emerging fromCBRN related incidents and exercises.

The core business of the centre remains thedelivery of training to the UK emergency servicesbut bespoke courses have also been designed and

delivered to organisations such as the UnitedNations Organisation for the Prohibition ofChemical Weapons (OPCW). The centre runs, on average, three courses per month and in 2013over 500 officers passed through its doors to receive training.

Continued Professional Development is deliveredin roadshow format, with centre staff visiting 10different regional locations throughout the UKeach year to refresh and update emergency serviceprofessionals on the latest threats, challenges anddevelopments in the CBRN arena.

The centre is governed through the Association ofChief Police Officers (ACPO) and the HomeOffice, Office for Security and Counter Terrorism(OSCT). The College of Policing hosts the Centreat Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Warwickshire, by providingthe centre’s estate, IT, HR and finance services.


A joined up approach to training for CBRN incidentsThe Police National CBRN Centre was initially born out of the emerging threat from Chemical, Biological, Radiological

and Nuclear (CBRN) terrorism and has undergone many changes since its doors first opened in 2001.

Officers in PPE emerging from the Scene Management Barrier system.

Exercise/training.

Training with the Scene Management Barrier system in thebackground.

The Police National CBRN Centre.



Around 2.5 million people took to the hills anddales of Yorkshire, lining the route of the Tour deFrance over the sunny weekend. Stages 1 and 2covered almost 400km, taking in some of the moststunning scenery in the region.

Facts and figuresLooking at the numbers, almost 1000 police

officers from the region’s forces were deployedalong the roadways, as well as 500 SpecialConstables – all working alongside the Frenchpolice and the Gendarmerie.

More than 1200 medical personnel werepositioned along the route.

Over the course of the weekend 584 people in thecrowd, or located along the race route, were treatedby Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust andhub medical teams.

Meanwhile, Yorkshire Air Ambulance flew 31missions over 5 and 6 July, which is their busiestweekend on record.

“The coordinated effort of the emergency services,

both on a regional and local basis,

was enormously effective.”

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service had 56emergency vehicles on the run and dealt with 41incidents throughout the brigade area over the twostages, while North Yorkshire Fire and RescueService had 49 emergency vehicles available anddealt with 22 incidents.

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service hadalmost 30 engines available and dealt with 13incidents during the stages. Some fire engines werestrategically placed along the route in readiness,and fortunately no major incidents wereencountered.

Positive public responseThe public response to the emergency services

was incredibly positive with cheering crowds givinghigh-fives to the passing police convoy and takingto social media to post ‘selfies’ with personnel.

Pre-event planningEmergency services and other partners had joined

forces months prior to the event as the Safety andSecurity Group to plan for their response.

West Yorkshire FRS acted as the lead for North Yorkshire FRS, South Yorkshire FRS andDerbyshire FRS in the development of a regionalresponse plan. This mirrored the arrangement thatWest Yorkshire Police had with their regionalcolleagues, while Yorkshire Ambulance Service alsoled on behalf of health.

Emergency service personnel collaborated withlocal authorities and other key partners such asWelcome to Yorkshire and the TdFHUB2014, asubsidiary company of UK Sport, which hadresponsibility for delivering the wider eventsurrounding the race.

Provision of the emergency response wascoordinated through centrally located Gold andSilver teams who linked into local Bronze teams.

Wildfire concernsA primary concern for the fire and rescue services

was the potential impact of a moorland blaze giventhe, often remote, areas through which the racepassed and this formed part of a public awarenesscampaign highlighting the importance of notdropping cigarettes and barbecue safety messages.

Prior to the race West Yorkshire FRS also hosteda moorland exercise in the Calderdale district, onWhite Holme Moor above Cragg Vale,Mytholmroyd.

Fortunately these precautions were not called intoaction during the event.

Coordinated effortDave Walton, Assistant Chief Fire Officer for

West Yorkshire FRS, said, “The two days of theevent were a tremendous success for all concernedand showcased the region in a way that no paid-formarketing ever could. We look forward to reapingthe economic and reputational prizes for the regionin the years to some.

“The coordinated effort of the emergency services,both on a regional and local basis, was enormously

effective and stands us in excellent stead for futuresuch events. Fortunately the two stages of the racepassed with no major incidents, but we wereprepared and we were ready.”

Group Manager Stuart Simpson, from NorthYorkshire FRS, added, “Where we did attendincidents we were able to do so without disruptionto the race and without delay.”

South Yorkshire FRS Group Manager Stewart Layhe, said key to their success was the ‘cooperation and enthusiasm of our operational crews’.

Ian Walton, Associate Director of Resilience andSpecial Services at Yorkshire Ambulance ServiceNHS Trust, added, “The event was not just a successfor Yorkshire, but also for Yorkshire AmbulanceService and we are delighted that the many monthsof planning and preparations paid off.

“We couldn’t have achieved this without thededication and support of all of our staff,volunteers, Yorkshire Air Ambulance and ourneighbouring ambulance services colleagues,namely North East Ambulance Service, WestMidlands Ambulance Service, North WestAmbulance Service and East Midlands AmbulanceService. Together we joined forces to form our veryown winning team!”

Assistant Chief Constable of West YorkshirePolice, Mark Milsom, concluded, “The Tour deFrance has been a tremendous success forYorkshire and, after the amazing scenes andatmosphere of the two days, I am certain thatYorkshire has also been a tremendous success forthe Tour de France.

“Everybody involved in planning and deliveringthis incredible event can be very proud. It has beena real privilege to be part of it.

“From a policing perspective, it wasn’t just aboutmaking sure this world-class sporting event wasdelivered safely. We wanted to do it with a smile onour faces and really embrace the feel-good factorassociated with the Tour de France.”

www.westyorksfire.gov.uk

Tour de France success forYorkshire’s emergency servicesThe eyes of the world were on Yorkshire for the Tour de France (TdF) Grand Depart in July and it was a chance for the

region’s emergency services to show how well they could work together during this major event. Now that the dust has

settled there’s the opportunity to reflect on how the cycling spectacle, which saw 162 riders sweep through Yorkshire,

was managed.

Some fire appliances were strategically placed along the route inreadiness.


ESTADVERTORIAL | 35

In the context of the Home Office EmergencyServices Mobile Communications Programme(ESMCP), for which companies including Arqivaare currently bidding, users will need to be exactlythat. Connected. Always.

Operating at the heart of broadcast, satellite andmobile communications markets, we providecommunications solutions to many of the police,ambulance and fire and rescue services across theUK and Ireland, as well as to the RNLI, theMaritime and Coastguard Agency, and the UKBorders Agency.

Deploying the infrastructure needed for anationwide communications network requiresplanning permission, sites and properties to beacquired and managed (often in sensitive areas),and the renewal of existing licences. It’s a task wetake incredibly seriously and, with our many yearsof experience, something we have become prettygood at.

We deliver some of the UK’s largest dispersedcivil engineering network infrastructure projects,designing, building, acquiring and operatingingenious solutions. We’ve built our portfolio ofover 10,000 geographically diverse sites byacquiring land rights and premises, obtainingplanning permissions and renewing existing sitelicences. We also have rights to a further 6000 sitesvia existing third party relationships.

Connecting peopleAs the emergency services communications

system undergoes a major transformation, we’llcontinue to make connectivity happen for frontlineemergency services organisations day in, day out.

In fact we’ve been providing innovative andforward thinking solutions to the emergencyservices community for more than 50 years. Theydepend on our ability to connect people for anenriched and safer life.

All our engineers and service teams understandthe criticality of what we do. Our transmissionnetworks are engineered to deliver service levelsthat are contractually guaranteed to be significantlybetter than standard commercially available products.

But that’s not all. Beyond this resilient, network

capability, our ingenious solutions range from theinstallation and maintenance of radios, mobile dataterminals, automatic vehicle location systems andmany other types of in-vehicle equipment, to fullICT managed services and control room solutions.We even provide the UK’s largest private pagingnetwork, connecting RNLI volunteers at more than235 lifeboat stations, allowing them to quicklyrespond to emergency situations and save livesevery day.

24/7 connectivityWe know how important round-the-clock

connectivity is for our Blue Light customers. That’swhy we’ve invested heavily in our service delivery.At its heart is our 350-strong team of fieldengineers, based at over 30 sites across the UK andIreland. They help our customers achieve seamlesscommunications 24 hours a day, seven days a week,52 weeks of the year.

“As the emergencyservices communications

system undergoes amajor transformation,we’ll continue to makeconnectivity happen for

frontline emergencyservices organisations

day in, day out.”

We help to save lives on a daily basis.Ambulances from hospitals across NorthernIreland depend on the TETRA digital radionetwork that we supply and maintain. 60 percent offire and rescue services across the UK use ourmobilisation solutions, including North West Fireand Rescue Services, covering Greater Manchester,Cumbria, Cheshire and Lancashire.

At the other end of the UK, Devon and CornwallPolice rely on a state-of-the-art IntegratedCommunications Control System (ICCS), providedand maintained by us, to help them police thelargest geographical area in England. Wesuccessfully migrated the force to its new ICCSwhile keeping the existing live system operationalto avoid any downtime or impact to 24/7 mission-critical operation.

Transformational programmesSuccessful installation and commissioning like

that achieved in Devon and Cornwall is afundamental part of any project and is often carriedout in live environments. Our highly skilled andqualified engineers have the capabilities andknowledge to deliver the most complex andtransformational programmes on live networks.They’re also on hand to provide everydaymaintenance into our customers.

This strength in networks and infrastructuretransformation was epitomised when our engineersled the biggest broadcast engineering project in UKhistory with the successful completion of theDigital Switch Over in 2012.

Over the last few months we have announced asite share agreement with CTIL (the Telephonicaand Vodafone UK partnership) to provide networkconsolidation support and deployment of 4G LTE,to cities, towns and more rural locations in the UK,utilising our neutral and shareable infrastructure.Additionally, our recently announced partnershipwith SIGFOX means we are able to build the firstnational Internet of Things network.

Looking to the futureWe know the world of communications will

continue to evolve, and we work on innovative andreliable ways of bringing this to our customers. Ouraim is simple, to keep you connected. Always.

Visit www.arqiva.com to find out more about thework we do with Emergency Services organisations.

www.arqiva.com

Mission critical communications.Connected. Always.Uninterrupted communication is essential for an effective emergency response. Whether in dense urban conurbations or

remote rural areas, connectivity must be maintained. Always.


36 |


ESTCOMPANY PROFILE| 37

One of the most important early developmentsimplemented by Amputees in Action was theintroduction of an accredited training programmefor its actors, ensuring not only that they are able toconduct themselves with the highest standards ofprofessionalism wherever they are working but alsothat they are able to remain in character. This levelof realism is made all the more shocking by theagency’s own team of dedicated make-up, moulageand prosthetics artists who use the very latestproducts and techniques to create a wide range ofultra-realistic, medically accurate injuries of thetype that might be encountered in any real-lifetrauma incident.

This ability to provide emergency servicespersonnel with the opportunity to learn andpractice their ‘drills and skills’ in a highly realistic,adrenalin-fuelled scenario has been proven toprepare them so effectively that survival rates aremeasurably increased in real-life trauma incidents.

“The realism we cansimulate really can help to save lives.”

Expanding marketsThe first agency to provide this kind of support

for casualty simulation exercises, Amputees inAction has continually sought new ways to expandits markets. Recently, the agency took the decisionto expand the service it provides to extreme workingenvironments – from deserts to offshore oil and gasplatforms – in which prolonged pre-hospital carecan quite literally be a matter of life and death.

The agency has also launched its own CassimSkills training course. Designed to equip delegateswith the ability to create highly realistic, indeed

shocking, simulated injuries – from bruising andburns to lacerations and gunshot wounds – thecourse is delivered by PTLLS-qualified instructorsand covers the principles and products of SpecialEffects, Moulage and Casfake with a strongemphasis on health, hygiene and safety. The firstcourse of its kind to be awarded CPD accreditation,making Amputees in Action a market leader in thefield, it was described by the CPD Standards Officeas ‘one of the most inventive and creative that theyhave seen for some time’.

10th anniversaryIn August of this year, Amputees in Action

celebrated its 10th anniversary with an event at thehistoric Shaw House in Newbury, Berkshire.During the course of the celebrations, John Pickup,Amputees in Action’s Managing Director, outlinedsome of the company’s achievements over the last10 years.

John spoke of the growing demand for theagency’s services from film and TV productioncompanies and about how Amputees in Action hadgrown its Defence division with major contractwins for large defence clients in the UK andEurope. He also highlighted the importance ofrecent work undertaken within the emergencyservices sector.

Plane crash exerciseIn May, for example, the agency supported the

London Fire Brigade in the largest and mostcomprehensive exercise in its history – a three-dayexercise based around a plane crash in the capital.Amputees in Action provided actors and specialeffects artists who created simulated burns, cutsand bruises as well as crush and blunt traumainjuries. It was a unique opportunity for the bluelight services to work together effectively topractice, in realistic scenarios, the life-saving skillsthat would be used should a major incident of thiskind ever occur in the capital.

Professional casualty simulationJohn Pickup, who lost his right arm after a

motorbike accident at the age of 17 and was the2009 winner of the Stelios Award for DisabledEntrepreneurs in the UK, said, “Over the last 10years, the agency has developed dramatically. Inaddition to introducing professional trainingprogrammes for our actors and our moulage artists,we have also secured a number of ISOaccreditations to ensure the highest professionalstandards in everything we do. We also moved tonew premises in 2012 to accommodate theexpansion of our business and provide new trainingfacilities. In addition, we’ve developed ever closerrelationships with the emergency services and themilitary, working with them on the development ofa number of new techniques, and proving time andagain that the realism we can simulate really canhelp to save lives. So, we have plenty to celebrate!”

www.amputeesinaction.co.uk

From entertainment to emergencyservices – Amputees in Actioncelebrates its 10th anniversaryThis year marks the 10th anniversary of the launch of Amputees in Action. Over the course of its 10 years, the agency –the largest of its kind in the UK – has developed to serve three primary markets: film and television, the military and theemergency services.

Film and television

At the forefront of the specialist support artisteindustry, Amputees in Action offers castingagents, agencies and directors unique accessto a highly experienced roster of professionalactors with a range of real-life amputations.

Emergency services

Most of Amputees in Action’s actors have lostlimbs as a direct result of a trauma incidentand are uniquely placed to bring theirexperiences and insight to casualty simulationtraining exercises for paramedics and otherfrontline staff in the emergency services.

Military

Amputees in Action supports pre-deploymentand Integrated Management System trainingfor the Army’s medical corps and other troopsboth at home and abroad. These simulationsare often performed by actors from the agencywho have themselves lost limbs while onactive service.


38 | ESTPROFILE

Emergency Services Times (EST):How have the demands placed onfirefighters changed over the lastfew years?

Zoltan Nahoczky (ZN): Firefighters are nowbeing called out to deal with new and increasinglycomplex threats in addition to the traditional firefighting role that they are primarily trained for andprotected against. Although these threats havealways existed, they have become intensified inrecent years by increased and more complexindustrial activity and a changing urban landscape.This means that, aside from having to withstandthe high temperatures of a fire, garments must alsobe designed and developed to protect the wearer inscenarios that include road traffic accidents,industrial clean up operations or flood rescues.

Electric arc is also a growing hazard in theindustrial environment and can create a conductingplasma fireball with temperatures reachingupwards of 20,000°C. Arc flash injuries includeexternal burns to the skin, internal burns frominhaling hot gases and vaporised metal, hearingand eye damage.

Each of these scenarios carries its own set of risksand garments must therefore be adapted to offermulti-function protection to accommodateincreasing demand for turnout gear to work harderand last longer.

EST: How do these new risks affectgarment design and what are the latestdevelopments in fabric technology as aresult?

ZN: Because firefighters risk their lives to saveothers, we work hard to ensure that they areprotected against the hazards that they face as partof their job. While no PPE [Personal ProtectionEquipment] will ever provide complete protectionagainst all fire fighting risks, DuPont is constantlydeveloping ways to improve turnout gear to reflectthe changing roles and demands of the modernfirefighter. We rigorously test each of our garmentsolutions to ensure high standards of safety notonly in the fighting of fires but also when exposedto the rigours of day-to-day wear.

As a result of growing demand for turnout gearthat offers both high levels of protection andcomfort for the wearer, DuPont has developed anew outer shell fabric – DuPont™ Nomex® 3DP.This incorporates new patented Intelligent FluxTechnology, which comprises two layers of fabricwoven together, an inner layer of DuPont™ Kevlar®

with an outer layer of DuPont™ Nomex®.

When subjected to intense heat, the outer layer ofDuPont™ Nomex® thickens instantly and createsan expanded insulation barrier, reducing heattransfer and providing the firefighter with extraseconds of safety. This is supported by an innerlayer of DuPont™ Kevlar®, which offers highmechanical strength. The intelligent weavingstructure of DuPont™ Nomex® 3DP also offers the wearer outstanding electric arc protection, high levels of comfort, flexibility and protectionwhile also optimising durability. Incorporating this new technology within firefighter garmentsmeans that they can be confident they have thetime to respond to an incident safely, whatever the scenario.

“DuPont works closely with firefighters to

develop optimum fibreblends and fabric solutions

to keep them safe.”

EST: Does all this new technology meanhigher prices?

ZN: UK firefighters are equipped with some ofthe best PPE in the world. However, because itincorporates innovative technologies doesn’tnecessarily mean that it’s the most expensive. Thelong-standing partnerships of DuPont with fire andrescue services around the world mean that weunderstand the need to provide turnout gear to thehighest standards of protection as well as achievingfavourable cost versus wear life. The use ofNomex® ensures that garments are long lasting,with lower repair and replacement costs.

EST: How has DuPont™ Nomex® 3DPbeen received by firefighters?

ZN: We recently tested DuPont™ Nomex® 3DPat a facility in Germany and invited fire and rescueservices to witness the results on DuPont™Thermo-Man® using the industry standard eightsecond flame impingement test. This life-sizedmannequin system developed by DuPont is one ofthe most advanced thermal burn injury evaluationdevices in the world.

DuPont™ Nomex® 3DP achieved an impressivezero burn prediction on all sets of turnout geartested. It also qualified for outstanding ATPVresults of 18cal/cm2 against electric arc hazards.

These results,alongside aremarkable absence of garment damage,highlight thequality and highlevel of protectionoffered to wearers.

To ensure thatDuPont™ Nomex®

3DP can withstandthe rigours ofeveryday firefighting, it has alsobeen tested in the field by five brigades acrossGermany, France and Belgium. We received very positive feedback particularlyaround the enhanced comfort resulting fromexceptional ease of movement in the garment, aswell as its high mechanical strength and premiumlevel of heat protection. DuPont™ Nomex® 3DP is also available in a range of piece-dyed colours,making it suitable for use by brigades withdifferent coloured uniforms.

EST: So, with the development of thesenew fabrics and technologies, is heatstress still an issue for firefighters?

ZN: Heat stress remains the number one cause ofinjuries and fatalities among firefighters despitesignificant advances in technology. Essentially, heatstress is caused by the body’s core temperaturerising as a result of being exposed to heat andphysical exertion. While sweat glands work to keepthe body cool, garments with high heat insulatingproperties, such as those worn by firefighters, canprevent sweat from evaporating and drawing heataway from the body. If a firefighter’s core bodytemperature rises too much, this can lead toimpaired judgment and accidents.

We understand that the same garment thatprotects firefighters must also allow for the releaseof heat. DuPont works closely with firefighters todevelop optimum fibre blends and fabric solutionsto keep them safe, such as the new DuPont™Nomex® 3DP, which offers high air permeability.However, the nature of a firefighter’s job ultimatelymeans that issues such as heat stress will alwayspose a risk.

www.dupont.com

www.nomex.co.uk/solutions

DuPont leads the way in firefighterprotection and enhanced comfort levelswith advances in fabric technologyZoltan Nahoczky, Marketing Manager at DuPont Protection Technologies, discusses the increasing demands being

placed on firefighters and their turnout gear as they respond to more complex call-outs, created by a growing population

and urban development.

Zoltan Nahoczky, Marketing Manager at DuPont Protection Technologies.


| 39


42 |


ESTWATER RESCUE & FLOOD RESPONSE | 43

During the winter of 2013-14, Britain faced one ofthe most extreme series of weather events everexperienced. The tidal surge affecting the east coastof England in early December 2013 was the largestin 60 years, and in some cases even higher than inthe tragedy of 1953.

The storms over the Christmas and New Yearperiod were unprecedented, and were subsequentlyfollowed by the wettest January in the south ofEngland since records began.

Rainfall for December 2013 to February 2014 wasmeasured at 500mm, the highest recorded for 100years. Groundwater levels became exceptionallyhigh and as a result compounded the overall effectsof flooding. The groundwater levels remainedparticularly high and posed a prolonged risk offurther flooding for several weeks after the mainflooding events had receded.

At the beginning of February 2014, the highestwaves ever measured in Britain were recorded asimpacting against the south west coast of England.

As a result of all of the above factors, seriouswide-area and coastal flooding occurred in manydifferent parts of the south of England and parts of Wales.

Largest simultaneous operationaldeployment

From a fire and rescue service (FRS) perspective,the unprecedented scale of mobilisation in supportof a number of affected FRSs during the winterperiod is considered to have been the largestsimultaneous operational deployment of emergency personnel and equipment since theSecond World War.

The arrangements outlined within the NationalCoordination and Advisory Framework (NCAF)were implemented in full. The arrangements areconsidered to have worked extremely well inproviding strategic oversight and support across allincident locations.

National Incidents

December 2013: East Coast Tidal Surge4 December:

The Met Office identified a significant area of lowpressure massing in the Atlantic Ocean.

6 December: A combination of high tides, large waves and

gale-force winds led to a significant tidal surgealong the East coast of England. Areas includingNorfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Humberside, Lincolnshire,Kent and North Yorkshire were inundated withcalls throughout this period, and requested

assistance with the provision of national assetsunder mutual aid arrangements:

• NCAF arrangements were established, with the Department for Communities and LocalGovernment (DCLG) Operations Room set up

• 24 High Volume Pumps (HVPs) formed partof the pre-emptive deployment to the affectedFRS areas. The deployment utilised just lessthan 50 percent of the total HVP assetsusually available in England and Wales

• 39 Flood Rescue teams available from theNational Register of Assets within Englandand Wales were mobilised from several FRSsand non-governmental organisations to assistin the affected areas

• Four specialist FRS Enhanced LogisticsSupport (ELS) teams were mobilised andestablished in order to support the effectiveand timely deployment of assisting assets intothe areas affected by or at risk from tidalflooding

• 16 specialist Tactical Advisers (10 x FloodResponse and 6 x HVP) were mobilised insupport of both the HVP and Flood Responsecapabilities in order to provide expert tacticaladvice to incident commanders regarding theutilisation of supporting specialist assets.

The greatest test: lessons learnedfrom the National Flood Events of2013-14Last winter’s severe weather of widespread flooding, huge coastal storms and tidal surge posed a significant risk to the

United Kingdom, and resulted in the largest mobilisation of National Resilience High Volume Pump assets to date.

Here we examine what lessons have been learned from the National Flood Events of 2013-14.

Words: Steve Ray, CFOA National Resilience HVP Capability Lead & Richard Gordon, CFOA National Resilience Flood Response Capability Lead.

The map shows the scale of flood-affected regions at the height of thesevere weather.

Photo: Carl Haslam

A Strategic Holding Area was set up at Taunton Deane Services fromwhere the National Resilience assets were mobilised.Photo: Dave Benson


44 | ESTWATER RESCUE & FLOOD RESPONSE

Following both a reduction in the severity of theweather and tidal conditions, along withcomprehensive risk reviews being conducted withinthe affected areas, the majority of specialist assetswere stood down during the course of the day andreturned to their home locations.

“The unprecedented scaleof mobilisation in

support of a number ofaffected FRSs during the winter period was thelargest simultaneous

operational deploymentof emergency personnel

and equipment since the Second World War.”

January 2014 – Somerset LevelsThe various large-scale deployments to mitigate

flooding in early 2014 commenced with theresponse initiated following a statement given bythe Prime Minister to the House of Commons on29 January regarding the ongoing floodingsituation across the Somerset Levels, whichinvolved approximately 65 square kilometres ofinundated land.

As part of a multi-agency response, HVP, FloodResponse and ELS capabilities were mobilised inresponse. After 29 days, and against the backdropof improving weather and receding flood waterlevels, FRS operations began to scale down towardsthe end of February.

February 2014: Thames ValleyConstant rain throughout February, coupled with

already saturated groundwater levels, led tothousands of properties becoming flooded andurban communities requiring assistance.

National Resilience assets from all nine of theCFOA regions within England, supported by assetsfrom Welsh FRSs in the form of HVPs, FloodRescue Teams and ELS, provided assistance to theaffected communities within the Thames Valleyarea.

• At one point at the height of the emergency response phase within all of the affected regions, all National HVP assets within England and Wales were eitheractively deployed or engaged in strategiccover moves

• The National Resilience Assurance Team(NRAT) enacted its operational role asdefined within NCAF, providing support toall incident locations

• HVP Tactical Advisers were deployedextensively in support of the ongoing FRSoperations across Somerset, Cornwall,Hampshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Londonand Surrey

• Additionally, significant numbers ofnationally declared Flood Rescue Teams andFlood Rescue Tactical Advisers were deployedthroughout the winter period of severeweather.

Lessons learned1. One particular innovation realised at an early

stage during the National Flood Events sawan NRAT Operations Support Cellestablished at the National Resilience Centre,Fire Service College. The cell provided a focalpoint for the central coordination ofinformation and support to the DCLGOperations Cell, the Chief Fire and RescueAdviser (CFRA), the NRAT and the NRATDuty Officer

2. Following the initial basic development of aweb-based National Resilience asset statustool for the December 2013 East Coast TidalSurge, the opportunity was realised to further‘dynamically’ develop the status tool insupport of the emergency response during thenational flooding event. This allowed theeffective sharing and updating of critical assetstatus information between all NCAFlocations and the NR Operations SupportCell in support of the CFRA and NationalStrategic Advisory Team (NSAT) Officers’strategic objectives

3. The deployment of a HVP Tactical Adviser into a multi-agency Gold cell proved to be an innovative solution toensuring timely and effective liaison andcoordination of the operations of several HVP Tactical Advisers working acrossmultiple locations within affected FRS in the Thames Valley area

4. A national flood debrief process led by theChief Fire Officers’ Association (CFOA), was held for multi-agency stakeholders at theFire Service College in April. Subsequently,an operational debrief report was publishedby CFOA in July. The report identifies anumber of opportunities from lessons learned that may enhance the existingeffectiveness of the FRS response to majorwide-area flood events affecting the UnitedKingdom in the future.

The National Flood Events of 2014 have broughtinto sharper focus the work already being

undertaken within the CFOA National ResilienceAssurance Team (NRAT) to explore the identifiedsynergies between the management and use ofHVP assets and Flood Response assets at majorincidents.

This has both informed and further stimulatedthe ongoing work to explore the potential for amodular mobilising concept for HVP and FloodRescue assets in response to major floodingincidents within the UK. This concept would allowan affected FRS the option to request nationalmutual aid on the basis of the desired effect to beachieved in order to successfully resolve theincident, rather than requesting the perceivednumber of flood response assets required.

Furthermore, the concept will be underpinned bycapability-specific advice delivered by TacticalAdvisers to ensure a suitable and proportionateresponse to any request for that assistance.

“The National Flood Events

have been the greatest test of

National Resiliencearrangements since

their inception.”

Future enhancementsThe National Flood Events of 2013-14 have

prompted the consideration and investigation of arange of potential HVP capability enhancementsfor the future. This may ultimately enable an evenstronger position in HVP capability readiness,flexibility and resilience nationally for when anevent of similar (or even greater magnitude) is onceagain encountered due to the effects of severeweather.

The National Flood Events have been thegreatest test of National Resilience arrangementssince their inception, and FRSs, along with partneragencies, can be rightfully proud of the highlyprofessional operational response, which wasprovided in extremely demanding circumstances.

Members of the National Resilience AssuranceTeam will be on hand to explain their work at TheEmergency Services Show 2014, on Stand Z248.

www.fireresilience.org.uk

Completely surrounded by flooded farmland, the tiny community ofMuchelney on the Somerset Levels was accessible only by boat forsome time. Photo: Devon and Somerset FRS

Homes under water meant misery for many. Photo: Carl Haslam


| 45


46 |


ESTWATER RESCUE & FLOOD RESPONSE | 47

Emergency services teams are being called upon towork in ever more challenging environments –having a reliable drysuit enables you to go intothose situations with greater confidence.

ZipsFor our specialist search and rescue suits, we

generally replace zips with metal 8bdm (eightteeth/in) as these are far safer than the plastic zipsused for recreational drysuits. They do nonethelessrequire a little more care and attention to avoidpotentially hazardous wear and tear.

To protect your metal zips, begin by lubricatingyour zip by striking paraffin wax (candle) or bees’wax along the inside and outside of the zip teeth.This will get it running smoothly by coating anyabrasive build-up or oxidisation that has occurredduring storage or as a result of salt water.

You can also buy special zip-lube products;however, avoid using things like WD40 at all costsbecause it corrodes your zip as well as some suitfabrics. Also avoid the use of silicone on zips as thiseasily transfers around the suit, making any repairson these areas impossible, as the glue will not bindto the silicone.

When out on the sand or silt, or in other dustyenvironments, always try to keep your zipclear of grit and dirt. Never try to force thezip as this may break the teeth.

Latex sealsIf your suit has latex seals, they

should be talced before you usethe suit, then cleaned with freshwater and re-talced after use.Talcing latex seals prolongstheir longevity because it actsas a lubricant between the skinand the latex, reducing stress onthe material during regular use.The talc also helps prevent thelatex from sticking to itself duringstorage. Also try to minimiseexposure of latex seals to directsunlight when you’re not wearing the suit.

Another important thing to consider isthat latex socks should always be wornwith footwear but do not walk on themdirectly as this might puncture thematerial. As an alternative, suits can besupplied with high quality safety bootswith steel toe and mid-sole, fitted inplace of socks.

Neoprene sealsNeoprene seals are a good alternative to latex

seals for many reasons – including comfort,allergies and fit – and are a popular choice forrepairs or replacements.

Unlike latex seals, they don’t need talcing;however, neoprene seals may be lubricated withbaby lotion on the smooth skin side. Wipe thelotion on and then leave it to absorb for 24 hours.Neoprene seals should always be cleaned with freshwater after use.

You can also have your standard suit fitted withspecial elasticated gaiters, which cover the wristsand ankles and protect the seals against beingripped, thus breaking the watertight seal.

“Regular washing is highlyrecommended, making sureyou allow the suit plenty oftime to dry – inside and out

– before storing it.”

Drysuit fabric and cutAt Hammond Drysuits, our Search and

Rescue SR140 is made from tri-laminate non-breathable nylon materials, which are

specifically designed for hard wearinguse and abuse; non-breathable

materials are also more robust thanbreathable materials so require lessmaintenance and, unlikebreathable suits, are not affected bythe build up of salt crystals afteruse in salt water.

If you are using a suit with abreathable fabric pay moreattention to the fact that, after usein salt water, the fabric must be

cleaned in fresh water. The saltcrystals can develop and damage the

breathable membrane, potentiallysplitting the suit’s material.(Hammond Drysuits produces aSearch and Rescue suit in a four-plybreathable fabric, but this is onlyrecommended in a search

environment, such as apatrolman.)

Regular washing is, in any

case, highly recommended, making sure you allowthe suit plenty of time to dry – inside and out –before storing it.

Our customers have the choice of materials andcolour ways; wherever possible, it’s recommendedthat you incorporate high vis panels to enable easydetection when working in limited visibilityconditions.

Look out for curved panel construction to ensureyour movement isn’t restricted and allow greaterflexibility and comfort while working in extremeconditions. If you are expected to spend prolongedamounts of time wearing your suit, consider havingone made to measure so that it’s tailor made toyour exact size.

Storing your drysuitThe best place to keep your drysuit is in a clean,

dark, cold environment that is ideally between 10 and 20 degrees Celsius. Latex seals will try toreturn to their original liquid state if stored at hightemperatures; these areas then go exceptionallysticky and will stick to anything it touches! Alwaysensure the suit is protected from direct sunlightand fluorescent lights as this may cause perishing.

Try to leave the zip open after use, allowing freshair to circulate and help to protect the zip. Whenpacking your suit away again, try to minimiseexcessive folding of the zip, especially when leavingit open as this may cause the teeth to break.

When you’re transporting your drysuit, try not tocompress it. Always have the zip fastened as thiscan be cracked very easily during transportationwhen left open, and ultimately any cracks will leadto a leak.

www.hammond-drysuits.co.uk

Search and rescue drysuits:essential maintenance and care!With over 30 years’ expertise in the manufacturing and repairing of search and rescue drysuits, I’m well aware of the

kind of punishment they take when in service. So it’s worthwhile knowing what features to look out for and how to

keep your search and rescue suit in the best condition so that, with a bit of care and attention, you can keep it protected

– ensuring that you won’t get caught out, exposing yourself to the risky environments in which you work.

Words: Chris Hammond, MD of Hammond Drysuits Ltd.

The Search and Rescue SR140 from Hammond Drysuits is made fromtri-laminate non-breathable nylon materials.



Since the 2007 floods, water safety has been highon our agenda. Sector experts from mountainrescue and other lead organisations were broughttogether to input and review the DEFRA Conceptof Operations document.

The MR and DEFRA modules, shown below andproduced with our involvement, identify thestandards required for all rescuers working near orin water.

During the initial production of the MREWwater standards, the availability of qualifiedinstructors, training venues, equipment andassociated costs, as well as the training timeinvolved for already highly committed volunteerswas a huge factor. Five years have passed since thefirst draft and we now feel it is time to completethis piece of work and release standards for allrelevant levels.

This comparison of MR and DEFRA standardshas been simplified to help represent thecorrelation of standards. Currently, while mostteams complete full module training with externalagencies, some variations exist within writtenstandards. We are keen to develop an option forregional approaches to their training and responsecapability, be this through LRF or as declaredteams on the DEFRA asset register.

Over the past five years the Water group hasdeveloped a draft training syllabus for Module 2Bank Team Training, also known as Margin Search.This year will see a review of these standards toensure the DEFRA Module 2 is fully met andremove any uncertainties that exist.

Training in water awarenessMREW is committed to ensuring all members

receive training in water awareness and toproviding an option for Module 2 training (MRBank/DEFRA First Responder). Various optionshave been reviewed and we now have a proposalfor a trainer development programme to develop aself-sustaining capability.

Some teams, knowing their own risk profile forthe area they serve, will have identified the need tohave members trained to Module 3 (MR WaterTeam or DEFRA Swiftwater Technician). Anumber of teams are keen to interact regardingwater incidents with their local LRF or join the listof teams who currently sit on the national DEFRAAsset Register. The organisational priorities arebeing met and, while Module 3 training is notcurrently provided, we recognise the advantage ofhaving members trained to this level.

Online resourcesLooking forward, once we’ve achieved the

delivery of sustainable Module 2 training, we willmove onto developing online training resources tosupport the maintenance of competence and help

ease the limited training time available to teams.Along with this will be clear online guidance foreach level with a simple overview, a set of standardsand finally options for delivery and maintenance tohelp guide teams and their members.

Careful financial planning is fundamental but thedevelopment of internal water trainers is set to savesignificant amounts of money at team level as wellas provide local contacts and training at timeswhich best suit the membership.

“The need to provide advice and guidance on water equipment

suitable for both training and operational

deployment for a range of

uses is key.”

EquipmentThe need to provide advice and guidance on

water equipment suitable for both training andoperational deployment for a range of uses is key.As part of the strategy, we hope to providenationally available resources along with theintention to increase national assets for training andlarge incident deployment at regional and national level.

We acknowledge that team equipment is not anational asset but, through the use of a water assetregister and existing systems, it is envisaged an up-to-date picture can be maintained of MREWavailability of water equipment assets.

National water strategy formountain rescueA national ‘Water Strategy’, published in May 2014, sets out how the Water group from Mountain Rescue England and

Wales (MREW) hopes to guide water rescue capability within mountain rescue (MR). The group’s aim is to reduce risk

to the members and ensure members at all levels have access to all the necessary standards and guidance material and

a means of sharing information.

Words: Andy Lee, MREW Water Officer.

Both the MR and DEFRA modules, which identify the standardsrequired for all rescuers working near or in water.

Swiftwater training.

Photo: Swaledale MRT


ESTFEATURE | 49| 49

Incident managementAndy Lee, Al Read and Martin Bills delivered the

first Mountain Rescue Water Incident Managercourse, in November 2012. In order to deliverrelevant training to all who request it, we will offeran intermediate course with limited prerequisitesand a qualification, which is simpler to maintain.

It’s also important to ensure a cohort ofinstructors exists to deliver this and that the rightpeople are attending the course. MREW willsupport a regional approach to the availability ofwater incident managers.

The Adviser role identified in 2011 will bereviewed, though this is a lower priority.

CommunicationWe recognise the need to increase the availability

of information, expertise and communication tomembers, and that this is a two-way process.Besides the creation of a water resource centre onthe MR website, we plan to provide a ‘Water Who’sWho’ and also use the six-monthly meetings, thewater conference, the Mountain Rescue magazineand, where information is safety-critical, theMREW National Bulletin to inform members. A feedback form has also been created, to becompleted by the regional reps for theMay/November meetings, to help inform decision making.

Research and developmentThere are many external organisations and

experts we can engage with and we are currentlyleading a piece of work to provide official access toinformation for our teams with the FloodForecasting Centre (FFC), looking at options tooffer various methods of alerts and training so thatthis information is utilised to maximum effect.Work is also being undertaken in conjunction withthe ICT team to provide information to teams from other organisations that provide river andwater data.

Many research and development projects areongoing, with some clearly of a higher priority. This area is often seen as the first area to cutduring times of financial challenge and theseprojects will very much be dependent onorganisational priorities, the need to manageorganisational risk, and the availability of funding and the volunteers necessary to supportthe work. We hope to maintain momentum and continue to make progress for the future MR response.

www.mountain.rescue.org.uk

Bankside searching during the April Jones search. Photo: Kinder MRT



Surf Life Saving GB (SLSGB) is a national SARasset declaring charity and Life Saving Sport’sNational Governing Body (NGB) dedicated tolifesaving for aquatic activities by helping to makeour beaches safer. The charity is led by educationand training, and the qualified volunteer lifeguardto save lives.

SLSGB lifesavers begin as ‘Nippers’ aged eightand by age 16 may have taken a range of awardsleading to the SLSGB Surf Lifeguard Award, theinternationally recognised gold standard andoccupational lifeguard qualification for RNLIBeach Lifeguards. SLSGB awards andqualifications are for people of all ages and abilities,helping them to become trained lifesavers forcommunities, whether inland or beach: Basic safetyawards; Emergency First Aid; Beach LifeguardSupport; Professional Beach Lifeguard; InshoreRescue Boat crew and driver; and commercialawards, such as Surf Coach and Coasteering.

As skills evolve, so these qualifications evolve into‘Lifesaving and Drowning Prevention’, through: lifesaving educational programmes; sport life saving;water event safety; and flood working and searchand rescue.

Inland water safetySLSGB works for all on: inland water safety in

flood response; moving water rescue tactics;medical considerations; and strategic management.

A voluntary organisation having professionalstandards, SLSGB methodology together withawards/qualifications, training courses andoccupational learning will be applied to thedemands of flood and water rescue. A successfulproof of concept is complete and fully operationalwith the South Worcester Life Saving Club, anaudited, declared, fully trained Team Type B on thenational register to the Concept of Operationsstandards.

Assessments of likely resource requirementsindicate that a full blown ‘tidal surge’ may needmore than 500 boat rescue teams – the national

flood rescue asset register currently has about 130.In the December 2013 East Coast tidal surge, anincident well short of worst case, available teamsran out.

In the February inland floods, DCFO Roy Haroldof Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service indicated atSAR 2014 that, except for a small minority,available trained assets were not used and other,less well trained and poorly equipped resourceswere pressed into service.

Since February, many local volunteer groups have‘sprung up’ and need a management structurearound them for their own and others safety. Withtheir culture, structure and the accredited training,SLSGB volunteers could provide a range of servicesfrom the less demanding but still vital roles, eg‘hearts and minds support for elderly and infirm’,wading rescue, evacuation and logistics to thetechnical Type B rescue team.

Some of these embryonic community responseflood volunteer teams have approached SLSGB insignificant numbers asking for structured trainingoptions. This includes requests from many regionscovering a swathe of flood prone areas, like WessexFlood Rescue Unit, to train people and provideflood responders. Some have assets that includehighly trained volunteers and powered craft. Those‘signed up’ are being developed through supportand training, to work under the legislative processto the operational direction of the respectiveauthorities as a declared assets under the ‘ConOps’and the new National Operating Guidance.

Funding issuesAs with any other voluntary first responder

organisations, funding is a key issue, just when theflooding problem is getting worse and threateningmore lives; costs for the teams have to be found asbest they can, in the same manner as for anyvoluntary sector teams.

Community mandateSLSGB recognises that volunteers should be

registered as properly accredited and constitutedFlood First Responder Teams, able to be safelytasked to any flood incident both locally for theirown communities, and desirably anywhere in thecountry where needed.

Within SLSGB, the Head of the charity’sdedicated specialist Flood and Water RescueAcademy, which is now open at Poole, will directthe initiative. The project will enable trainedCommunity Flood Responders, within the variouslevels set by the Concept of Operations document,to provide support within local communities and toprovide a much needed national asset.

Tim Coventry, CEO of SLSGB, said, “TheAcademy will enable and support trained volunteerteams to be declared flood rescue assets and underthe legislative process work to the operationaldirection of the respective authorities under theConcept of Operations – a significant developmentwhich we whole heartedly support.”

We will welcome visitors to our stand at TheEmergency Services Show to discuss and explainour initiative to provide volunteer lifesavers withthe gold standard in ‘Flood fighting awards’.

www.slsgb.org.uk

www.flood-fighters.com

All photos courtesy of David Lane and SouthWorcester Life Saving Club.

Lifesavers take up flood fighting!Surf Life Saving GB (SLSGB) Lifesavers are to increase ‘flood fighting’ activity after the charity’s successful ‘SAR to

Resuscitation Conference, 2014’ (www.flood-fighters.com/14Index.html). Chair of Conference, Deputy Chief Jeff Dulin

(Charlotte FD, North Carolina, USA) was quite clear, saying, “There is a need to have a facility to develop and train

skills in flood response to the highest professional levels.” Supported by many of its 6000 members and 70 clubs,

SLSGB is now commencing a programme for those wishing to further serve their communities to become trained

volunteer flood responders.

Words: David Lane MIFireE, Director of the Flood and Water Rescue Academy, Poole.

South Worcester Life Saving Club crew under instruction forunpowered IRB use in North Wales.

David Lane, Emergency Manager, Trainer and Film Producer, formerly aUK Senior Fire Officer, is the Director of the Flood and Water RescueAcademy, Poole.

South Worcester Life Saving Club rescue boat crew during this year’sfloods on the River Avon during training.


| 51


52 |


ESTPROCUREMENT | 53

There have been some notable examples of goodcollaborative procurement practice in this period,eg the South East and North West PPEframeworks, which are used by 19 authorities witha combined spend of £1.394m pa. However, it istrue to say that wider collaboration is not the normand the fire and rescue sector generates enormousdegrees of bespoke requirements that result insuppliers spending a lot of time responding totenders for more or less the same thing but withany number of minor variations in requirements.

“Perhaps the landscape maystart to become a little clearer,

more joined up and lessconfused – let’s hope so.”

Spend analysisAgainst this backdrop of bespoke requirements

and disaggregated spend, the Chief Fire Officers’Association (CFOA) worked with DCLG on aspend analysis research project during 2013.Fourteen fire authorities took part in the researchand the resulting report (Fire and rescueprocurement aggregation and collaboration) waspublished by DCLG in March this year.Key findings in the report were:

• Collective spend data is largely unavailableand what there is lacks common definitionsand systems and this continues to stagnateefforts to identify collaborative opportunities

• Aggregating demand could save £18m pa• Significant variations were found in prices

paid for the same products – some authoritiespaid over 200 percent as much for theirproducts as others

• Bespoke specifications are costing more andare a barrier to aggregation

• Best prices given where volumes areknown/guaranteed

• Contracts where a number of fire and rescueauthorities work together deliver better valuefor money (by providing known/guaranteedvolumes and avoiding the duplication ofprocurement activity).

This latest report provides a lot of evidence tosupport what best practice practitioners have been

articulating for years. Indeed, the frameworks putin place by Firebuy were not without shortcomings.The National Audit Office (NAO) published areport in 2010 (Reducing the cost of procuring fireand rescue service vehicles and specialistequipment) which found that, ‘Firebuy’s approachhas allowed expensive bespoke procurement tocontinue’ and that, ‘fire and rescue services can useFirebuy contracts simply as ‘a way to market’ toprocure whatever bespoke equipment they like’.

In support of this, the latest research projectfound that, ‘where fire and rescue authoritiessimply bought from a framework agreement thecost was higher. This is because the frameworklimits the number of suppliers and therefore thecompetitive pressure applied to the transaction.Fire and rescue authorities possibly do this becausethey do not have capacity to run multiple competitions’.

Vision for the futureOne of the difficulties in articulating a vision for

the fire sector is that, as sure as there will always bedeath and taxes, there will be alternatives to anyvision put forward.

The recommendations from the recent researchproject are as good a place as any to start:

• Use of a common spend management toolacross the fire sector

• Improvement of spend management in thesector, creating a pipeline of savingsopportunities

• Development of a national plan that showsthe renewal of contracts and equipment

• Coordination of a series of collaborativeprojects that deliver savings

• Signposting fire and rescue authorities toareas where non-fire collaboration may bringgreater efficiencies

• Spreading best practice in procurement andfostering a competitive market in the fire sector

Where do we go from here?CFOA has written to all Chief Fire Officers with

an initial strategic response to the spend analysisresearch project report. The response makes acompelling argument for the need for fireauthorities to change their approach toprocurement and embrace genuine and meaningfulcollaboration. This means being prepared tocontribute to the development of commonspecifications as the norm, not the exception, andto use those specifications to participate in

collaborative procurements that encourage andfacilitate the aggregation of demand, allowingcompetitions to be run with known/guaranteedvolumes.

To achieve this will involve working differently. A common spend analysis tool is already beingdeployed by up to 23 fire authorities to support thedata analysis and forward planning. Fire authoritiesare being asked for their support for a categorymanagement approach, with fire authorities takinga lead role for particular categories supported by asmall central resource. Quite what this will looklike as a model is still evolving but the emphasis isvery much that it will be sector owned and driven.However, it is anticipated that some of the keyPBOs will continue to play a vital part by workingclosely with relevant CFOA groups andundertaking some major procurements.

National Procurement GroupCFOA’s National Procurement Group (chaired by

Mike Pearson, Devon and Somerset Fire andRescue Service) is coordinating this work togetherwith the strong leadership being given by AnnMillington, Chief Executive of Kent Fire andRescue Service and a member of the CFOA Boardof Directors. Both Ann and Mike have spoken at anumber of fire sector events over the past sixmonths about the need for a new approach.

Being realistic, we won’t get all 46 English fireand rescue authorities on board from the outsetand so the strategy will be based on those that arewilling to contribute, think and work differently.Positive support for the CFOA initial strategicresponse is starting to turn into the formation of asubstantial ‘coalition of the willing’ on which aclear, strong and deliverable strategy can be based.

So the initial signs are encouraging, and perhapsthe landscape may start to become a little clearer,more joined up and less confused – let’s hope so.

www.cfoa.org.uk

The fire and rescue procurementlandscape post FirebuyIt is now more than three years since Firebuy was wound up and the national framework contracts were novated to

The Consortium. Since then, the procurement landscape has become less clear (it never was straightforward) with some

frameworks being renewed by fire authorities, some by various Professional Buying Organisations (PBOs), some being

duplicated by competing approaches and others that have been allowed to lapse. What is clear is that the demise of

Firebuy left the fire and rescue sector with no central resources for coordination of forward plans, no common approach

for spend analysis and no plans for aggregation/consolidation of spend.

Words: Mike Pearson, Director of Corporate Services, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service.

Ann Millington, Chief Executive, Kent Fire and Rescue Service.



WH Bence has been successful in its tenderingopportunities this year. The company has beenawarded a place on Lot 1 of the Derbyshire Fireand Rescue Service Framework Agreement, whichenables it to tender for any pumping appliance andspecial vehicle opportunities with any UK fire andrescue service who utilise this framework.

Contracts and frameworksThe company has also been successful in

obtaining a framework agreement with GreaterManchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) forthe supply and fit of ultra-high pressure coldcutting equipment. Bence has recently completedthe installation of the first system, and is currentlyin the process of fitting the equipment to theremaining 43 GMFRS appliances in the contract. It is also able to supply other emergency servicesorganisations with the cold cutting equipmentthrough the framework agreement, which is anexciting venture for the company.

“Vehicles with specific fire fighting equipment are now being provided to manage a change to

the type of incidents fire brigades are facing.”

WH Bence has also entered into an agencyagreement with DAP/Translink, based in Dentonnear Manchester. Through this agreement, thecompany is able to offer the full range of DAPaerial and water tower equipment to be fitted toemergency services appliances; the agreementsupports the supply of both new vehicles andrefurbishments of existing vehicles both in the UK and overseas.

One of the most prestigious contracts that WH Bence has won this year is the design andmanufacture of six compact fire appliances forSuffolk Fire and Rescue Service. Below is a casestudy for the implementation of these vehicles andhow WH Bence was able to meet the fireauthority’s requirements.

Compact fire appliancesModernisation and stricter financial constraints of

the fire and rescue service has not only had animpact on the brigades but also on the suppliers tothe industry. Altered operational requirements foreach fire authority has led in turn to a change in

the types of vehicles required, with fire authoritieslooking at working with smaller fire crews andmore cost effective vehicle purchases.

There has also been a change in the type of firesthat crews are being asked to attend. With theprevalence of ‘small fires’ and inner city accessrequirement not every station requires two fullType B appliances. Other vehicles with specific firefighting equipment are now being provided tomanage a change to the type of incidents firebrigades are facing. Bence has seen a move towardssmall rapid response vehicles for the ‘small firesituations’ the firefighters are more regularly facing.Naturally this has led to difficult challenges forboth the brigades and suppliers alike.

The choice for the brigade is speed and reducedvehicle size versus limited equipment and payloadcapacity, and for the supplier the challenge isproviding a safe solution while still meeting thebrigades’ requirements.

One of the key factors to be considered is thevehicle GVW with many of the small rapidresponse vehicles based on or below 3500kg. Thefire and rescue services industry has considered thepickup truck solution and, although these vehiclesare categorised as 3500kg, in most cases they allhave a GVW of 2800kg or a maximum of 3200kg.The base vehicle kerb weight, when transportingthree fully equipped firefighters and a suitablewater tank leaves little payload for the equipmentand pump capacity.

There have been several modifications offeredthrough the aftermarket service sector to assist withincreasing the payload to 3500kg. In most casesthese solutions are produced ‘after-market’ andhave not been ratified by the vehicle OEM.Additionally, these changes to the suspensionsystem are designed for vehicles, which are drivenfor commercial use at normal road speed, and notfor high-speed emergency response andmanoeuvring while fully laden.

Although these aftermarket products have beenwell received in the marketplace Bence felt that thefuture for fire appliances was to provide a compactsolution that was both supported and warrantied bythe original vehicle manufacturer.

Future needs consideredLooking to the future needs of the fire and rescue

services and the re-emergence of the compact fireappliance, Bence has worked closely with SuffolkFire and Rescue Service, having been awarded therecent contract. The project for Suffolk FRS was tofind a solution still offering the equipment stowagecapacity required, while offering the service arunning cost saving by using a lighter weightchassis, and a capital cost saving with a compact

body design so reducing the overall purchase price.“WH Bence is at the cutting edge of new fire

engine design, with an in-house design and avariety of manufacturing services,” says SalesDirector Oliver Brown.

The contract from Suffolk FRS for a compactsolution for their new fleet vehicle came throughthe Consortium Fire and Rescue Framework andoffered a big challenge for Bence. The key designproblem was that the customer, in this case SuffolkFRS, did not want to sacrifice any carrying capacityfor their equipment, while providing a smaller fireappliance solution. Finding storage space for thenormal quota of fire fighting equipment offered anew complexity to the design criteria. The Bencedesign department stepped up to the mark andproduced what Bence believes is a great solution forits customer.

In conjunction with Volvo, and using one of itsnarrow track chassis cabs, the new vehicle hasachieved all its operational objectives.

Design developmentsThe main outstanding design developments are

as follows:New slimmer and shorter body to match the

narrow track cab: the new slimmer body offers agreater level of manoeuvrability and allows thefirefighters increased access to difficult rural andurban areas.

Single centre mounted hose reel: the hose reelhas been positioned above the pump in order tomaximise the flexibility of a narrower vehicle.

Low overall height with the total vehicle heightbeing below 3m: this vehicle has the added benefitof being considerably lower than a standard fireappliance. This can make a huge difference whenaccessing inner city areas with listed buildings andreduced height bridges. Specially redesigned laddergantries, unique to Bence, have been fitted to thisvehicle in order to maintain the low height profilerequired for the Suffolk team.

Modern CAN bus vehicle/pump controlsystem: all the latest chassis are fitted with anelectronic CAN bus control system. The Volvo is

Bence rises to the big challenge of compact vehiclesThe last 12 months have been a very exciting time for WH Bence in regards to product development and new opportunities

in the emergency services vehicle sector. The company is looking forward to meeting up with its customers at

The Emergency Services Show this September to showcase its vehicles and introduce a new product range to the market.



one of the most advanced vehicles in the market. Inorder to operate the pump from the rear of thevehicle it is necessary to break into the CAN bussystem. In the pump bay Bence has provided aspecially programmed 10in screen, which providesinformation about pump pressures and controls theengine RPM at the touch of a button. There is alsoa miniature version provided for driver informationfitted within the cab area.

Bence has the ability to programme CAN buscontrol systems in house and are therefore able tooffer Suffolk FRS a control and display system totheir operational requirements.

“Bence felt that the futurefor fire appliances was to

provide a compact solutionthat was both supported and

warrantied by the originalvehicle manufacturer.”

Latest tilt slide light weight shelf units: Bencehas utilised the latest light weight slide and tiltshelf units and has fitted a developed slam lockshelf retaining catch. This system allows thefirefighter easy access to a shelf, which, beforetilting, can be above shoulder height. Repositioningthe shelf after use is straight forward using the veryrobust slam lock system. Equipment stowage iseasily achieved by using the standard Bencebollarding system, and this system has beendesigned to allow easy reconfiguration as and whenthe equipment needs changing. The new slide railsallow for 110 percent extension, and when fullyextended, are rated to a maximum payload of350kg. Sales Director Oliver Brown says, “This is ahuge increase in payload allowance when theshelves are fully extended.”

Redesign cab stowage to accommodate all theequipment for four firefighters, Officer in Chargeand driver: the smaller cab layout has providedquite a challenge for Bence. Having to find roomfor four firefighters fully equipped in a reduced sizecab has posed some interesting ergonomicproblems for the design team. In conjunction withSuffolk FRS, Bence has provided a comfortableand safe seating system in the crew cab area. Thedesign parameters included fitting suitableheadrests to protect the crew and to meet currentVCA standards. As the vehicle has been subjectedto a full VCA test it was essential that all theequipment carried in the cab was correctly stowed

and secured. Items like torches and portable radioscan become dangerous missiles if there is acollision involving the vehicle. This stowage systemhas been designed using Bence’s 3D software andCNC cut and plastic welded for a precision finish.

Innovative designBence is continually looking to innovate and

progress the design and manufacture in the firemarket and is looking forward to the challengesthat lie ahead. The new Suffolk FRS vehicles arenow nearing completion and first impressions fromSuffolk are very favourable.

WH Bence is looking forward to welcomingvisitors onto its stand (J52) at this year’s EmergencyServices Show.

www.whbence.co.uk

Medical focus for multi-agencytraining centreThe Emergency Services Training Centre has beendelivering specialist simulation and training to theemergency services and offshore sectors for 22 yearsand was developed to meet the growing needs ofthese sectors worldwide. The centre has the uniqueability to merge any agencies to test their resilienceunder arduous conditions and, unlike its competitors,has concentrated on the medical aspects of rescueand recovery rather than rescue itself.

All of the facilities at the centre can be hired –organisations can run their own courses at thevenue or students can simply attend a course runby the centre and let its experts do the rest.Alternatively, if a blend of both would suit yourneeds, the choice is yours. The Emergency ServicesTraining Centre can host your scenario as it doesfor government agencies such as JESIP, the fire andrescue service, police, ambulance and the MOD.

Variety of coursesThe Emergency Services Training Centre has a

variety of courses to suit your needs:• MPHTLS – Military Pre Hospital Trauma

Life Support: this is ideally suited to theFirearms Police Officer who may be requiredto provide medical intervention during hostilesituations

• PHTLS – Pre Hospital Trauma LifeSupport: a must for health care professionalswho work in the pre hospital arena on aregular basis

• FPOS – First Person On Scene: a goodintermediate course for non medical personnel

• Rope Access: the centre has 150ft indoortraining rigs that can test the students to thelimits. Ranging from industrial rope access torock face and building setup. The centre aimsto provide the most varied approach totraining delivery

• Confined space rescue: the centre boasts oneof the most complex confined space rescue rigsin Europe. It is complex and very challengingfor the students, which allows for developmentand confidence building

• ALS – Advanced Life Support: this courseprovides the student with all the necessaryskills and knowledge to manage a cardiac

arrest. Both in hospital and out in the prehospital arena the student will becomeconfident and able to manage the teamapproach.

• DMT – Diver Medic Technician Course:mandatory for commercial divers, the courseprepares the diver to work in a pressurisedenvironment while offshore. It covers a widevariety of medical skills and is run over a two-week period.

The Emergency Services Training Centre issituated on a 4.5-acre site in close proximity toJunction 1 of the M53, making the facility readilyaccessible.

www.emergencyservices-training.com


56 | ESTROAD SAFETY

The UK currently has one of the safest records forroads in the world and we have seen a steadydecline and decrease in casualty figures over thelast decade. This is a testament to the multi-agencywork of service providers such as the Departmentfor Transport (DfT), police, road safety and healthprofessionals, highway engineers, charityorganisations and vehicle designers, whilerecognising the responsibility of drivers and UKcitizens to ensure their own safety and adopt a safe approach.

However, CFOA recognises that there is no reason for complacency; this is a positive sign ofwhat can be achieved with the right leadership,policies, actions, attitudes and behaviours, and withagencies working in partnership to coordinate their efforts.

Key priority for CFOARoad accidents cause immense human suffering.

During 2013 this equated to nearly five peoplebeing killed on the roads of the UK each day.

Road safety is one of CFOA’s key priorities. Theassociation believes that much of the harm and costassociated with road traffic collisions (RTCs) isentirely avoidable and is not an inevitableconsequence of road transport. CFOA considersthat further measures can be taken that willprovide high value for money and lead to a safer,healthier and more sustainable society.

The Fire & Rescue Services Act 2004 and the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 provided the firstsignificant changes in the law on the operation ofthe fire and rescue service in over 50 years, andstates that we have a responsibility to prevent RTCsoccurring and this can only be effectively achievedthrough partnership working.

The Acts include a number of different provisionsthat enable fire and rescue authorities to work witheach other, and with other partners, to deliverservices flexibly and more efficiently. One of thecore functions the Act sets out for fire authorities isto ensure they will undertake ‘(a) rescuing peoplein the event of road traffic accidents in its area.’ and‘(b) protecting people from serious harm, to theextent that it considers it reasonable to do so, in theevent of road traffic accidents in its area.’

CFOA’s UK Road Safety Week 2014The Chief Fire Officers’ Association's UK Road

Safety Week took place from 9-15 June 2014.During this national week of activity, fire andrescue services promoted targeted road safety

messages to road users including pedestrians, cardrivers, cyclists and motorbike riders in their localcommunities, with an overarching message of ‘Be Safe Out There’.

A combination of national and local eventsshowcased the work that the fire and rescue servicedoes in the area of road safety, through targetedlocal educational programmes, and its worldleading expertise in casualty care and extricationtechniques after road traffic collisions.

In addition to fire and rescue services (FRSs)across the country, a number of nationalstakeholders took part, including the HighwaysAgency (HA), DfT, Association of Chief PoliceOfficers (ACPO), Brake, Road Safety Great Britain(RSGB), Royal Society for the Prevention ofAccidents (RoSPA), RoadSafe, Tyresafe, LivingStreets, the Royal Automobile Association (RAC),and the Motorcycle Action Group (MAG).

Key messagesOver 40 FRSs took part in CFOA’s fourth

national road safety event, with CFOA HQ staffcoordinating the event, making available leafletsand flyers, a comprehensive toolkit along with ageneric evaluation/questionnaire, which were usedby many partners/stakeholders on or after the event.

CFOA UK Road Safety Week 2014 targeted fourmain groups: cyclists; motorcyclists; pedestrians;and young drivers.

Information relating to the four targetedaudiences was given to individual fire and rescueservices, partners and stakeholders as follows:

• Cyclists – Be safe, be seen: Get yourselfnoticed with hi-vis and a helmet

• Motorcyclists – Be safe, hydrate.Dehydration is a hidden danger. It affectsyour concentration and your reaction time

• Pedestrians – Look out, listen up: Be awarewhen you’re out there

• Young Drivers – Dangerous distractions: Be smart – keep your ‘I’ on the road.

The overall response from services increasedagain this year following on from last year’ssuccess, as CFOA has begun to build betterrelationships strategically, which has allowed better local partnership working with road safety teams.

A Twitter campaign helped us to reach over200,000 members of the public, many of whomwould normally be outside of CFOA’s reachthrough high-profile re-tweets from personalitiesfrom the media.

ConclusionCollaborative work to deliver this fourth, week-

long CFOA led National Road Safety event wasundertaken by over 40 individual fire and rescueservices. A great debt of thanks is owed to all ofthose staff who took part in various ways, eitherthrough planning in the lead up to, or in delivery ofthe aims and objectives on the day: they are to becongratulated on their success.

“CFOA is fully committed to the UK’s road safety agenda.”

Thanks go to our operational crews, support staff,and volunteers including our partners during the week – ACPO, RSGB and the HA to name but a few, as over 42 stakeholders were involved inthe planning and delivery of this event. Between uswe delivered a positive road safety message to the public, enabling people to stay safe on the road – whether as a pedestrian, driver/rider or passenger

Commitment of staffThe success of this event is down to the credible

message delivered by all our staff across the countryduring the week. The weather may have hamperedsome local initiatives but it did not dampen theenthusiasm at any of our planned events. Thisshows the commitment of our staff to still deliveran important message to the public, no matterwhat the weather throws at them.

CFOA and the UK fire and rescue services arevery proud of their exemplary track record incommunity based fire safety education.

www.cfoa.org.uk

NB This CFOA led event is separate from anddoes NOT replace Brake’s long-running RoadSafety Week, which will take place as usualacross the UK from 17-24 November 2014, andin which FRSs are also encouraged to take part.

The new world of road safety forfire and rescue servicesThe Chief Fire Officers’ Association (CFOA) has, throughout 2014, continued to make a significant contribution towards

the Government’s road safety agenda (The Strategic Framework for Road Safety), which in turn has enabled our

partners to move towards their goals within the road safety field. CFOA has developed a road safety strategy to direct

individual fire and rescue services who themselves have unique qualities and exceptional staff who can deliver crucial

road safety messages to a wide range of target groups.

Words: Martin Dowle, Vice Chair of CFOA Road Safety Executive Board & Prevention and Road Safety Manager for Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service.


ESTESS2014: ERZ FOCUS | 61

Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher ordered anurgent review of security measures following theattack, instructing that the police become better atprotecting the Government and ultimately thecountry from terrorism. Sir John Hoddinott, theDeputy Chief Constable of HampshireConstabulary at the time, conducted an urgentreview and made a number of recommendationsfor improvement, one of which was the need forUK police forces to be trained and equipped incounter-terrorism search techniques.

And so the Police National Search Centre(PNSC) came into existence, with authority fromthe Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), tobe the sole providers of counter-terrorism searchtraining to the UK police service.

The centre was originally co-located within amilitary establishment and was resourced bysoldiers from the Royal Engineers and policeofficers from the former Royal Ulster Constabulary.Today, the PNSC is part of the College of Policingand is currently located at Bramshill, Hampshire.The centre has an establishment of 13 staff,comprising UK police officers, Warrant Officersfrom the Royal Engineers and civilian support staff.

Three core coursesThe PNSC remains the only approved provider

of counter terrorism search training to UK policeforces and delivers three core courses:

1. Licensed Search Officer (LSO) course – oneweek in duration and designed to teachproven systematic search procedures andtechniques applicable to all aspects of counterterrorism and crime searches. The courseincludes training in the construction of IEDs,different methods of attack and threat,forensic recovery of evidence and practicalassessments of search abilities

2. Police Search Adviser (PolSA) course – threeweeks in duration. A PolSA is capable ofplanning, managing and controlling bothcounter terrorism and other search activity, egcrime and missing persons. A PolSA is alsorecognised as a national adviser to senior officersfor all matters associated with search operations

3. CT Security Coordinator (CT SecCo) course –two weeks in duration and designed to equipthose responsible for the coordination ofsecurity operations and other large scale events.

Missing personsIn recent times there has been a growing demand

for specialist training in connection with the searchfor missing persons. One week of the PolSA courseis devoted to training in the management ofmissing person searches. On average, the policeservice receives approximately 300,000 reportsannually of persons who are missing. The majorityare found safe and well in a short period of timebut unfortunately a small number result in notbeing found and/or the subject of lengthy searchand criminal operations, eg April Jones andMadeline McCann. The PNSC, alongside itstraining responsibility, is able to provide support to

forces who experience such events. Supportincludes the peer review of ongoing missing personinvestigations and the ability to inject staff into asearch management cell in the early stages of amissing person enquiry.

Voluntary organisations such as Lowland Rescueand Mountain Rescue, with whom the PNSC hasdeveloped excellent working relationships, providea very professional and well equipped response toassist police forces in such searches. Forces acrossthe country rely heavily on such support to providegreater resilience and resources for missing personsearches. Colleagues from these voluntary bodiesalso attend the annual PolSA ContinuedProfessional Development (CPD) events organisedand delivered by the PNSC.

In addition to these core courses the PNSC is alsoable to support other partners and organisationswith the delivery of bespoke search training. In thepast 18 months staff have been deployed toCanada, Australia, Abu Dhabi and Qatar to assistthose countries build their own search capabilities.


Visit College of Policing Ltd on Stand R54.

Counter-terrorism search trainingfor the UK police serviceMany will remember the terrorist attack carried out by the Provisional IRA (PIRA) upon the British Government at the

Grand Hotel, Brighton in 1984. An Improvised Explosive Device (IED), with a long time delay facility, had been secreted

behind a bath panel in a room within the hotel. The device detonated and, as it had been planted on an upper floor of the

building, maximum effect was achieved from the resulting mass collapse of masonry. The explosion resulted in five

deaths and 23 serious injuries. The taunt from PIRA after the attack underlined the threat, ‘You have to be lucky every

time, we only have to be lucky once.’

Words: Superintendent Tony Ismay, Head of the Police National Search Centre.


62 | ESTESS2014: ERZ FOCUS

Commissioners are seeking a new, moreconstructive dialogue with providers to delivergreater innovation and improved patientexperience not only in non-emergency patienttransport but, for the first time, in urgent care aswell. Consequently, providers both public andprivate have to ‘up their ante’ to even be consideredfor a conversation. This is a profound change andone that the IAA welcomes.

In April this year, we published a perspective ofindependent ambulance services in England ‘TheVital Link’, which shows how private providers arelargely misunderstood, therefore often misquotedand misrepresented by critics in Parliament, thepublic healthcare establishment and particularly inthe media.

Encouraging excellenceThe association would instead like to see a more

mature outlook, acknowledgement that the privatesector can offer viable, long term solutions and amore open attitude towards engagement with theIAA to help regulate, manage and encourageexcellence. We are pleased to see more competition;

this is healthy and we would encourage broaderprocurement of services by commissioners.

The fact is that private providers are working inpartnership with the NHS to help trusts achievetheir targets – and in many cases this has beenhappening for many years – they are regulated inthe same way and we now have members whoprovide services nationwide for the very first time.The changing healthcare landscape also does meanthat private providers are and should be seen as awider part of the NHS family – perhaps, to beginwith, as those distant cousins that you’re not toosure about, but ones you can rely upon because thereality is that they’re part of your network.

While embracing this change as part of the futureof healthcare delivery, it’s important to stress on thebenefits of consistent change.

Benefits of consistent changeThe IAA is working in partnership with

regulators such as the Care Quality Commission(CQC) to ensure regulations are standardised andapplied across the board of ambulance services,whether the provider is a regional single site

operator, specialistevent organisation or anational multi-sitefirm. Consistentaccreditations andinspections willpromote faircompetition, behindwhich we at the IAAwill be the drivingvoice.

In addition to theCQC, we will also beworking with bodiessuch as Monitor, tomake certain thatambulance firmsdeliver services true tothe profession.

Consistency is alsonecessary in theambulance service’sapproach to trainingand standards. Overthe next 12 months,the IAA will continueto champion astandardised approachto training and isworking to provide bestpractice guidelines toproviders. We will also

be building relationships with other organisationsfrom both public and private sectors and, whererelevant, will be collaborating efforts in jointlobbying initiatives.

The fact is that the healthcare landscape haschanged and is continuing to change, andhealthcare policymakers will have to consider thebenefits, skills and resources of the independentambulance industry.

“Consistent accreditationsand inspections will promote

fair competition, behindwhich we at the IAA will be

the driving voice.”

There is a lot on offer from the independents inthe field, from innovative solutions, differentiationand redefined systems that are all key componentsof a complete service offering.

The healthcare industry can embrace this change,adapt it and grow with it or continue to shun it.While politicians may choose to make this anactive cause in their campaigns, we as an industryhave to work together to uphold the profession’sreputation that solely stems from the constantobjectives of safe and excellent patient care.

www.iaauk.org

Visit the Independent Ambulance Association onStand Z227.

Another year, another show, andthe changing ambulance landscapeWe’ve all heard the stories and seen the coverage – the ambulance market is changing. As the largest trade association

for regulated independent ambulance services in England, we at the Independent Ambulance Association (IAA) are only

too aware of these changes.

Words: Keerti Baker, Communications Advisor, Independent Ambulance Association.


| 63



The FRS Reporting Tool was originally developedby CFOA National Resilience in support of theLondon 2012 Olympics to provide a means tomonitor significant incidents across Englandduring the games period. It operates on a basictraffic light system, and was monitored from theDepartment for Communities and LocalGovernment (DCLG) operations cell in Londonthroughout the Olympic Torch Relay and theduration of the Olympic Games.

The success of the system was acknowledged and,following the relevant CFOA approvals, theoriginal system is now being further developed bythe CFOA Command and Control capabilityunder the guidance of CFO Simon Pilling.

• The UK map is divided into FRS boundariesfor England and Wales, with somedevelopment work also being undertaken for Scotland

• The system is required to meet the needs of anumber of stakeholders including: The ChiefFire and Rescue Adviser (CFRA); DCLG;and the Resilience and EmergenciesDirectorate (RED)

• The web-based system allows all FRSs toprovide information about incidents directlyinto the FRS Reporting Tool as they occur,consequently turning their status from‘steady’ (green) to ‘affected’ (red) or ‘assisting’(amber) on the national map.

The system allows any affected fire and rescueservice to be easily visually identified. Specificinformation relating to any incident that hasoccurred is available to view by clicking onto therelevant FRS. Individual control rooms may onlyview incident details for their own FRS.

The CFRA (or his duty officer) will be able tomake an assessment on the impacts that anincident may have to national coverage, and then inconsultation with the relevant CFOA CapabilityLead Officer, will be able to agree any requiredadditional moves based on information andintelligence from other agencies.

Database of capabilitiesThe database that is held contains all of the

National Resilience (NR) resources that have beendeclared within the country, both the vehicles (IRU,DIM, USAR, HVP, ELS and Flood Rescue) andpersonnel (Tactical Advisers). This list of nationallydeclared capabilities may increase in the future asother capabilities are developed and agreed throughthe CFOA structure.

These systems have been developed to meet theneeds of all stakeholders, and input will come fromvarious locations should a major incident occur,with the outputs providing up-to-date informationto the National Coordination & AdvisoryFramework (NCAF).

Information on specific incidents is providedthrough the FRS Control Room personnel and issubmitted through the web portal to which theyhave access. This allows all FRSs to have a directlink into a central Monitoring and MobilisingCentre (MMC) from where the CFRA will operateshould there be any major incidents.

“The system is able toprovide the central

management team with bothincident and resource details

across the country.”

The CFRA will contact FRS Chief Fire Officersfor specific information on incidents as requiredand, together with other national information, theCFRA will brief the Minister or COBR asnecessary. In the absence of the CFRA, there is acadre of CFOs who make up the National StrategicAdvisory Team (NSAT) who may stand asrequired.

Resources from each of the nationally declaredcapabilities are held on the central database and areable to show current availability in both list and

Game-changer!With its genesis as a tool devised to monitor any national security incidents surrounding the London Olympics, the

Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) Reporting Tool has developed into an invaluable visual aid to record asset availability and

current deployment status. Used to great effect during the winter floods, it was most recently utilised by the

FRS Support Room at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

Words: John Fairweather, CFOA National Resilience Command and Control Capability Adviser.

2 August 2014: From the London Olympics to the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, we have been mesmerised by the outstanding performances ofJamaican athlete Usain Bolt, here powering home to win the 4 x 100m relay. PHOTO: Robert Perry/REX



map format. This is extremely useful when makingoperation decisions during spate conditions such asthose experienced during the floods last February.

Overcoming hurdlesAt first the outline specification that was required

for the system did not appear too complex, but itsoon became apparent that this was not the case.Once the ‘what if’ scenarios were looked into andthe issues and recommendations that wererecorded from some of the CFOA debriefs werealso taken into consideration, it was clear that thiswas going to be quite a challenge.

Consider this hypothetical example:

• An HVP from Manchester goes to a StrategicHolding Area (SHA) in Royal Berkshirewhere the prime mover vehicle drops off thesled with the HVP and 1km of hose

• The HVP is taken for use within RoyalBerkshire, but the 1km of hose is taken toanother SHA in Surrey on the back of adifferent HVP sled and prime mover vehicle

• The original prime mover is then taken out ofservice for a day for routine safety checks.

Many such examples have been consideredduring the development of the system to enable itto meet the needs of all of the stakeholders for theduration of the incidents. This has also includedthe Prime Contractor (Babcock International) andhow it would support the recovery, decontaminationand repatriation requirements following the incident.

The electronic system in England will provide thefacility to support the Prime Contractor (BabcockInternational) with up-to-date information onvehicle and module locations, which is especiallyuseful when assets are on long-durationdeployments and away from their normal hostlocation, as was experienced during the winterfloods 2013/14.

Developments on trackA significant amount of work has been put into

the scoping of the command and control (C&C)project to enable the system to be developed andcope with the extremely large number of variants.This will provide the flexibility required in therecording of assets by the Enhanced LogisticsSupport teams who manage the assets when a SHAis set up.

The end result is that the system is able toprovide the central management team with bothincident and resource details across the country.

The CFOA C&C capability has been updatedwith progress as the project has developed, withCFO Simon Pilling reporting into the NationalOperation Committee (Chair, CFO Roy Wilsher)and the National Resilience Board (Chair, CFODan Stephens).

Future developments may be directed fromCentral Government, the CFRA, the CFOANational Operations Committee or the CFOANational Resilience Board in order to meet each oftheir needs, with any changes and developments tothe system agreed and managed through the C&Ccapability.

“Support to the Scottish Fireand Rescue Service for theGlasgow Commonwealth

Games was provided throughan adapted version of the

FRS Reporting Tool.”

Within England, as the system has developed toaddress each of the stakeholders’ needs, additionalfunctions have been integrated into the originaldatabases in order that it may be used in support ofother events or issues with a potential nationalimpact, such as staff shortage.

Where specific information is required centrally,bespoke pages may be developed and utilised forthe individual FRS to submit their information.This flexibility will allow the Reporting Tool to bedeveloped as directed by the CFRA, DCLG andCFOA.


Visit CFOA (National Resilience) Ltd on Stands Z248 & OS445.

Passing the baton...

Support to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service forthe Glasgow Commonwealth Games was providedthrough an adapted version of the FRS ReportingTool. Based on a system similar to the Englandversion, but without their individual assetsfeatured, it provided the Games Support Room,based in Johnston, with the ability to monitor alleight of the mobilising areas from one central point,which was being used as the FRS support link intothe multi-agency centre.

The Association of Ambulance Chief Executives(AACE) is playing a key role in the ongoingUrgent and Emergency Care Review by NHSMedical Director Professor Sir Bruce Keogh.

The review – aimed at providing better and moreappropriate health services for the public – isdrawing on the experience of patients and allprofessionals in the NHS and across social care,which is why it is vital that the ambulance service’sviews are represented at the highest level.

Much of the input has revolved aroundexplaining the huge number of initiatives thatambulance services across the country are involvedin to help patients avoid unnecessary trips tohospital and provide faster, better care whichalleviates pressure across the whole NHS.

Constant challengeGone are the days when the ambulance service

was seen as simply a mechanism for conveyingpatients to hospital. Today, with demand forambulance services at its highest ever, and showingno signs of abating, the 10 NHS services acrossEngland are engaged in a constant challenge tofind new and better ways to care for patients while meeting the most stringentresponse targets of any ambulance service in the world.

Martin Flaherty, Managing Director of AACE,says, “AACE is showing what the modernambulance service is doing to help the whole NHShealthcare system. Some people still perceive us asjust a blue light service but we are working hard todemonstrate that we are strategically positioned tohelp alleviate system pressures in both hospitalsand primary care, and to highlight the giantadvances the NHS ambulance service and theparamedic profession have made in the past decadein terms of their abilities and confidence.

“Our underlying message is that we want peopleto understand the absolutely crucial part theambulance service plays in the whole NHS picture,we want to show the excellent results we are gettingwith limited resources and we want to make peoplerealise what could be achieved with more funding.”

www.aace.org.uk

Visit Association of Ambulance Chief Executiveson Stand Z131.

AACE:championingthe modernambulanceservice


66 |



Following the Al-Qaeda-led attack on the World Trade Center in New York in September2001, HM Government assessed both the threatlevel to sovereign territories and the ability of theemergency services in the UK to respond to attacksof a similar nature. The outcome of this assessmentwas the New Dimension Programme, whichdelivered a series of enhanced capabilities withwhich the fire and rescue services across Englandand Wales could respond.

Through the programme, the fire and rescueservice was equipped to respond to major incidentsand catastrophic disasters, primarily those relatedto: CBRN(E); collapsed structures withentrapment; wide-area or complex floodingincidents; and coordination, command and controlof resources mobilised.

Provision of these additional capabilities enablesthe fire and rescue services, in conjunction withother key stakeholders and organisations, tominimise loss of life and injury, and reduce damageto critical infrastructure and the financial effects ofany consequential loss.

Well equipped and trainedCritical to the successful outcome of complex and

major incidents is consistency in procedures andequipment utilised across the piece, preventingdeviation away from national policies andprocedures due to a wide range of local andregional factors.

CFOA National Resilience Ltd (CNR), throughthe National Resilience Assurance Team (NRAT),provides assurance to Central Government and thepublic that the UK fire and rescue service is wellequipped and trained to provide the full range ofspecialist capabilities designed to respond to arange of serious, significant or catastrophicincidents that have national impact.

The desired outcome of the process is to ensurethat fire and rescue services who host NewDimension assets are assessed as being able to meet obligations outlined within the Fire andRescue Services Act 2004, The Fire and RescueServices (Emergencies) (England/Wales) Order(s), and the National Mutual Aid Protocols.

The Assurance Process was developed to identify where national expectations are not beingachieved, with a team of competent specialistofficers providing oversight and, where necessary,support and guidance to fire and rescue services in order to maintain national consistency andinteroperability.

Outline of the Assurance processThe Assurance process encompasses all of the

following elements:

1. Operational ResponseThis area covers policy, procedures, resilience and

response, and ensures that the mechanismsrequired to support and maintain mobilisation arein place.

Delivery➢ Annual Assurance Programme – scheduled

visits to key fire and rescue services (FRS) wereundertaken that originally focused on a singlecapability. From 2014/15 onwards thistransitioned over to a multi-capability focuscovering all FRSs across England and Wales.This primarily focuses on policy andprocedures that enable a response to bemobilised and maintained

➢ Assurance Toolkit (formerly OAT) – anelectronic platform designed to capturestatistical data from incidents, exercises andissues that:• Enables evaluators to be assigned to exercises for oversight of practical operational delivery• Identifies areas of concern and provides an audit trail capturing resolution• Identifies trends for rectification that would otherwise remain hidden• Provides reportable data for individual capabilities and respective CFOA Leads, the NRB and DCLG.

➢ Incident Reports – major incidents or wide-area emergencies produce data andinformation that is collated and reported uponwith associated recommendations allocatedand attached. Work plans are then developedand owners assigned to actions to ensureresolution/completion; recent examples includethe East Coast Tidal Surge (Dec 2013) andWide-area Flooding (Feb 2014).

2. TrainingThis area covers course placements, acquisition of

skills and delivery of training provision.

Delivery➢ Training Needs Analysis (TNA) – a managed

system utilising an electronic platform thatallows individual FRSs to bid for places on theCentral Training Programme (CTP). Prudentmanagement ensures that FRSs are not over-provisioned and that numbers of trainedpersonnel match outlined KPIs, which keepscosts for the CTP as low as reasonablypracticable

➢ Central Training Programme:• Training providers – regular reviews of the overall approach (policy and procedure) are undertaken to ensure that training providers meet outlined expectations; any areas for improvement identified are acted upon thus ensuring that students receive the best possible learning experience

Capabilities for today, assurance for tomorrowTriggered by the 9/11 terrorist attack on the other side of the Atlantic in 2001, the UK Government recognised the need

to enhance the nation’s response to ‘serious’, ‘significant’ or ‘catastrophic’ incidents. With these capabilities now

established, a specialist team of National Resilience officers monitors and manages the Assurance programme required

to ensure that FRS assets continue to meet current expectations.

Words: Dave Benson, CFOA National Resilience Assurance Capability Officer.

11 September 2001: The World Trade Center’s Twin Towers, struck bytwo suicide passenger jetliners, caused the collapse of bothskyscrapers and more than 2000 deaths.Photo: Sipa/Press/REX

This screenshot reveals part of the web-based Assurance Processprogramme designed to monitor FRS asset hosting.



“Critical to the successful outcome of

complex and major incidentsis consistency in procedures

and equipment utilised.”

• Training delivery – individual capabilities periodically assess training delivery to ensure course content is being adhered to and that a suitable system of assessment is in place• Course content – individual capabilities undertake annual reviews to ensure course content meets current needs; amendments are made in line with technical and legislative changes.

➢ Exercising – NRAT evaluators are assigned topre-identified exercises to assess practicalapplication of skills by responders andinteroperability of response.

3. Asset RefreshThis area covers maintenance and servicing and

ensures that operational appliances and equipmentare maintained to the highest standards inpreparation for use.➢ Defect reporting – assessment is undertaken

on a monthly basis to highlight equipmentthat requires replacement under the annualasset refresh programme

➢ Contractual maintenance – individualcapabilities periodically assess the servicingregime undertaken on appliances andequipment to ensure the Prime Contractoradheres to specified servicing/maintenanceschedules.

On the basis of all the information outlinedabove, all aspects of provision for assurance ofnational resilience within the fire and rescue serviceare comprehensively covered, ie: policy andprocedures; acquisition and maintenance of skills;appliance and equipment serviceability; and healthand safety.

Business benefitsIn all, the Assurance Process enables an annual

Statement of Assurance to be given to theDepartment for Communities and LocalGovernment that provides confidence in theresponse capability of the fire and rescue service asa whole, and which also outlines the benefitsachieved by continuation of funding for a criticalGovernment programme. These benefits areoutlined below.

Benefits to Government• Confirmation of a ‘steady state’ response

capability against Government Concepts ofOperations (ConOps) set against national riskassessments and planning assumptions

• Early notification where capabilities may be indoubt with the ability to provide alternativeoptions to address shortfalls

• Reduction in expenditure by adaptation of anexisting response to meet emerging risks

• Identification of areas where capabilities canbe re-aligned to meet the ever-evolvingnational risk picture

• Additional intelligence to support riskreduction by identifying areas/locations whereusage is higher than average

• Reduction in reputational damage toGovernment when incidents occur byensuring an effective and efficient response bythe FRS at the local level

• Confirmation of capabilities to support high-profile events such as the G8 and NATOsummits, the Olympics, Party Conferences,VIP/dignitary visits, etc.

“The New DimensionProgramme has proved to be one of the most

successful ever delivered by Government.”

Benefits to fire and rescue services• Confirmation that response capability meets

outlined standards and legislativerequirements

• Discharge of duties (CCA) in terms ofexercising plans through participation in theNational Exercise programme

• Provision of a ‘driver’ for closerinteroperability through multi-agency trainingand exercising

• Provision of a ‘driver’ for self-assessment,which helps to identify internally wherepolicies, procedures and plans need to bereviewed or updated

• Standardisation of response capability tosupport mutual aid thereby reducing thephysical and financial burden of addressingIRMP assumptions at the local level

• Reduction in cost at the local level throughprovision of centralised acquisition training forresponders

• Reduction in cost through identification ofasset usage for other incident types at the locallevel, eg DIM for HazMats

• Reduction in cost of provision of specialistassets/equipment through identification ofoptions for sharing/pooling resources, egUSAR for non-USAR FRS to respond toheavy rescue

• Dissemination of lessons learned fromtraining and exercising (both positive andnegative) across all FRS to supportimprovements in response at the local level

• Improvements to health and safety ofresponders through central reporting by all FRS of near misses, accidents, etc for effective resolution at the earliest opportunity.

In all, the New Dimension Programme hasproved to be one of the most successful everdelivered by Government. However, this could nothave been achieved without the full support andinnovative approach taken by fire and rescueservices across England and Wales. The AssuranceProcess helps to ensure that this vital aspect ofemergency response is always fit for purpose andready to respond to the needs of the communitieswe serve.


Visit CFOA (National Resilience) Ltd on Stands Z248 & OS445.Last winter’s wide-area flooding brought unprecedented demand for the use of High Volume Pumps, in this instance in Surrey. Photo: Carl Haslam

Training exercises such as this one featuring a simulated plane crash incentral London tested the effective and coordinated response of multi-agency partners. Photo: London Fire Brigade



By March 2015, the National OperationalGuidance Programme will have publishedguidance covering topics such as incidentcommand, fires and fire fighting and performingrescues. The average time taken to produce newguidance has been cut from over three years tounder 18 months, and this autumn sees thepublication of no less than five pieces of new draftguidance for consultation. Online publication willresult in material that can be easily searched,quickly updated and revised when necessary.

This article looks at how national operationalguidance supports the interoperable andintraoperable emergency services across the UK.

Developing new guidanceA crucial part of writing new guidance has been

to establish, as far as possible, the distinctionbetween corporate policy and operational policy.The programme has drawn this distinction bylimiting the scope of operational policy to theactivities and hazards encountered during a fireand rescue service response to an incident – notthe training manuals, technical notes,procurement guides, or other important pieces ofinformation, that support such a response.Guidance defines the hazards that could be facedby firefighters at an incident, and activities thateliminate or reduce their impact. It will be for themore specific operational procedures to providespecific step-by-step guides as to how policies aredelivered in an incident environment.

Adhering to guidance is not statutory and thereis no legal obligation for fire and rescue services tofollow it. Nevertheless, it is part of an agreedprogramme of work that includes the most up-to-date thinking from subject matter experts insideand outside of the fire and rescue service. It hasbeen scrutinised and approved by therepresentatives of the service and the wider firesector, and its status as ‘industry good practice’makes it the benchmark that fire and rescueservices will be held against when challenged or scrutinised.

The story so farTwo pieces of operational guidance covering

Environmental Protection and Water Rescue andFlooding have been published on the programmewebsite (www.ukfrs.com). Due to the nature of itscontent, guidance on Marauding TerroristFirearms Attacks has been published in a securearea on the ResilienceDirect website.

A 10-week consultation period on IncidentCommand guidance ended in mid-September andis due to be published in December. Consultationon guidance for fires and fire fighting, performingrescues, fires in the built environment, operationsand the initial operational response to Chemical,Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (Explosives)will start in October, with all being publishedbetween December 2014 and March 2015. Seewww.ukfrs.com for more information and toparticipate in the consultation.

Next stepsAlthough the National Operational Guidance

Programme has sought to create a distinctionbetween operational policy and procedure, what isclear is that they are interdependent. Apartnership in which a number of fire and rescueservices collaborated to write common operationalprocedures is coming to a close, with a view tointegrate this work with the National OperationalGuidance Programme.

The programme is a key part of the JointEmergency Services Interoperability Programme(JESIP) proposals for the governance of therelationship between emergency services in thefuture, with a specific focus on operationaldoctrine, training, exercising and learning. Thoseproposals have been approved by ministers fromthe Cabinet Office, the Department of Health, theDepartment for Communities and LocalGovernment and the Home Office.

www.ukfrs.com

Visit the National Operations Guidance Programme on Stand Z240.

Delivering National Operational Guidance forthe fire and rescue service

Best known for rescuing people from snow-covered mountains, the RAF Mountain RescueService is established to generate and sustain aworld-class, high-readiness incident responsecapability to carry out search and rescue (SAR)and aircraft post-crash management operations.To achieve this, the RAF has three MountainRescue Teams (MRTs) at strategic locations acrossthe UK. Unsurprisingly, the majority of tasksundertaken by the RAF’s MRTs arise from policerequests to find and rescue people in remoteareas. Each MRT has a small core of permanent

staff with the bulk comprising part-timevolunteers. The latter give up three out of fourweekends and several weeks leave each year totrain to the required level for MR operations.

RAF MRTs arrive with a comprehensivecommunications suite to augmentcommunications in remote or disaster-hit areas.They are self-sufficient and capable of sustainedoperations for protracted periods. While they aremost often seen operating on the mountains withtheir civilian counterparts, they can also provide

specialist area search capabilities for regionswhere access is difficult or dangerous.‘Whensoever’ is their motto – please drop intoStand SAR7 to see the equipment and peoplewho make up the RAF’s only true all-weathersearch and rescue capability.

www.raf.mod.uk/rafvalley/aboutus/mrs.cfm

Visit RAF Mountain Rescue on Stand SAR7.

RAF Mountain Rescue Service: true all-weather search and rescue capability


| 71



The Voluntary Sector Civil Protection Forum(VSCPF) continues to thrive and to demonstrate, ata UK level, the voluntary sector’s commitment tostrengthening the UK’s civil protection arrangementsand the way in which the voluntary sector can workin a truly cohesive and coordinated way.

The working group is made up of representativesfrom the voluntary sector, central and localgovernment, and statutory authorities. Membershipincludes: Cabinet Office (Civil ContingenciesSecretariat); Department for Communities andLocal Government (Resilience and EmergenciesDivision; Local Government Association;Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO);British Red Cross; St John Ambulance; SalvationArmy; Royal Voluntary Service; Victim Support;Cruse Bereavement Care; and Raynet (RadioAmateurs’ Emergency Network).

Amazing resourceThe voluntary sector has an amazing resource of

trained, skilled, competent people, vehicles, otherequipment and premises. In the emergencyresponse sector, we have formed solid practicedrelationships with our statutory partners. It is theserelationships that allow us to provide support topeople in an emergency situation. With the healthymix of national, regional and local organisations,

we can, through mutual aid structures, providerobust support across the UK.

The voluntary sector is often best placed toprovide support to what is often referred to as thehuman aspects of an emergency – that practicaland emotional support that people are extremelylikely to need following a sudden emergency.

In addition to response, we, as a sector, are alsovery much involved in emergency preparednessand the recovery stages of an emergency. Fromexperience, I see that the recovery stage is oftenplanned and resourced to a lesser extent whencompared to the response. It is during recovery thatthe media spotlight fades; however, it is often the timewhen people affected are most likely to need thepractical and emotional support I mentioned above.

More can be doneThe voluntary sector already provides support in

an emergency, however, I always feel that there ismore that we can do. One way in which we can domore, is to grow our relationships with individualstatutory agencies as well as through LocalResilience Forum and equivalent groups inScotland and Northern Ireland. Only by doing this,will we reach more people in need. This is a twoway street though, and I would absolutelyencourage all statutory agencies to seek out local

and national voluntarysector organisationswho can add value tothe service they provide.

During the extremeweather events in thesouth of England earlierthis year, the voluntarysector provided supportto people in neednumbering well intofive figures. I can almost guarantee that there is somuch more the voluntary sector can provide, butwe do need to be involved. This involvement needsto occur before the incident.

If you have any questions or comments – or ifyou would just like to discuss how the voluntarysector might be able to assist you in an emergencyplease do not hesitate to contact me([email protected]) and I will endeavourto put you in touch with the most appropriatevoluntary sector partner.

www.gov.uk/government/groups/voluntary-sector-civil-protection-forum

Visit British Red Cross Society on Stands OS29 & Z204.

Voluntary sector strengthens UK’s civil protection arrangementsThe Civil Contingencies Secretariat in the Cabinet Office, in 2003, asked the British Red Cross to coordinate a working

group in order to provide a framework for engagement between the government, emergency services, local authorities

and voluntary organisations. Out of this the Voluntary Sector Civil Protection Forum (VSCPF) was formed.

Words: Simon Lewis, Chair, Voluntary Sector Civil Protection Forum & Head of Emergency Planning and Response, British Red Cross.

NABIS, the National Ballistics IntelligenceService, which works with police forces aroundthe UK, was formed in 2008 following a spike inlevels of gun crime.

The team, headed by Detective ChiefSuperintendent Iain O’Brien (below), is split intothree main priorities – Forensic Services,Knowledge and Communications and the

Intelligence Cell.The Forensic

Services teamanalyses ballisticmaterialsubmitted bypolice forcesacross the UKand utilises thelatest technologyto connectincidentsnationwide.

NABIS experts, located at hubs in Birmingham,London, Manchester and Scotland providedetailed reports to police officers to help themcrack cases and build up a national picture of thecriminal use of firearms.

The Intelligence Cell compiles informationabout people, objects, locations and eventsassociated with gun crime in the UK. Thisinformation takes the form of intelligencepackages, which are available to police forces andprovide a detailed account of the current pictureof firearms offences.

Members of the Knowledge andCommunications team manage the NABISdatabase and carry out training for police officersand police staff. They also work with forces andother partner agencies to spread the word aboutNABIS and tackling gun crime.

The team also works closely with Deputy ChiefConstable Dave Thompson, ACPO lead for theCriminal Use of Firearms portfolio.

Large eventClive Robinson, Head of Knowledge and

Communications, said, “We are looking forwardto taking part in September’s show at the NEC. Itis useful for NABIS to be part of such a largeevent with colleagues from around the blue lightservices and other important areas of business.

“We hope lots of visitors will come and see us on24 and 25 September and find out much moreabout NABIS. Levels of gun crime have fallenconsistently over the last few years and we areworking hard to keep it that way.”

Staff from the NABIS team will be on hand atThe Emergency Services Show to answerquestions and explain more about the work theydo to tackle firearms offences.

www.nabis.police.uk

Visit National Ballistics Intelligence Service onStand Z249.

Working to keep gun crime levels falling



Last summer saw more than 30 people drownacross the UK and, during the first few months ofthis year, vast areas were flooded putting manypeople at risk. These examples highlight justsome of the situations faced by the emergencyservices on a daily basis. What’s more, with floodemergency response being extremely challengingin its own right, situations can becomesignificantly more challenging where officers andcrews are working in partnership with untrainedancillary staff.

Two new modulesIn response to this issue, the Royal Life Saving

Society UK (RLSS UK) is set to launch two new

modules as part of its existing and recognisedNational Water Safety Management Programme(NWSMP) at this year’s Emergency Services Showin September – NWSMP Flood and Aquatic PPE.

Cliff Nelson, RLSS UK’s Head of Water SafetyManagement, said, “We know that blue lightservices often find themselves working alongsidelocal government staff, utility workers and wellmeaning volunteers. We also know that if thesepersonnel have not received appropriate trainingthen they can add to the problem rather than bepart of the solution.

“This is why we are adding these two newmodules to our suite of water safety training withthe aim of equipping people with the right

training to enable them to supportprofessionals in emergency situations,safely and effectively.”

RLSS UK research shows thatfoundation-level training in water hazard,risk and basic response options willsignificantly improve performance andminimise the likelihood of tragedy.

Cliff added, “Most of the risks presented to those first on scene at water-relatedemergencies can be significantly controlledby simple, straightforward and effectivewater-hazard awareness – which is whatNWSMP delivers – but the flood module isthat extra level of training, to be taken aspart of the NWSMP or as a stand-alone

qualification, specifically tailored for a floodingsituation. We are excited to launch this at thisyear’s ESS.”

Occupation-based trainingRLSS UK also offers the National Water Safety

Management Programme (Emergency Services), aflexible training award, which enables emergencyservices authorities to provide officers/paramedicswith a sensible and proportionate level ofoccupation-based training – focused around thefirst few minutes on scene and before specialistback-up arrives.

President of the RLSS UK and former Assistant Chief Constable of NottinghamshirePolice, Peter Moyes, has been a lifesaver for morethan 25 years and was a member of theAssociation of Chief Police Officers’ (ACPO)lifesaving committee. He said, “It is essential forall personnel working in, on or near water to fullyunderstand the risks and make effective decisionsabout what to do in the management of safeactivity around water. The NWSMP enablesvaluable insight to be gained and used in practisesituations and the new modules mean even morehigh standard, tailored training is available.”

www.rlss.org.uk

Visit Royal Life Saving Society UK on Stand Z116.

RLSS launches two new water safety courses

NWSMP training.

The National Ambulance Resilience Unit(NARU) is playing an increasingly important rolein local and national resilience at a time when theUK emergency preparedness agenda remainsundiminished.

The threat of UK-based terrorist attacks byinternational groups remains substantial, whileunusual natural events such as freak weathercausing flooding and damage, or the incidence ofhighly infectious diseases such as Ebola, arefrequently in the news.

To help protect the public and save lives whenextremely challenging incidents occur, NARU is in place to support NHS England by providing, on behalf of the national NHSambulance service, a strategic and operationalcontribution to all Emergency Preparedness,Resilience and Response (EPRR) issues related to the NHS.

World leaderNARU is increasingly recognised as a world

leader in what it does and the NARU EducationCentre, for example, has just been awarded thecoveted Skills for Health Quality Mark.

Keith Prior, NARU Director, says, “The key isthat NARU is part of the NHS, run by the NHSfor the NHS. The NHS needs to be ready at alltimes to protect the public when major incidentsoccur and that’s where NARU comes in. Weprovide the right education, training andequipment – as well as the highest qualityguidance on operational response to specificthreats – to enable the NHS to deal with thesechallenges at the sharp end.”

Four strands of workThe four key strands of NARU work are as

follows:1. To provide NHS ambulance services with

the right clinical advice, training andequipment to enable them to respondefficiently and effectively to major, masscasualty incidents or those that involvepatient care in significantly challenging orhazardous environments

2. To assist NHS England, the Department ofHealth and other key stakeholders with thedevelopment of high level strategicambulance policy that is designed to helpthe NHS manage specific threats to thehealth and wellbeing of UK citizens

3. To support NHS ambulance servicecommissioners by ensuring the regulatoryand professional compliance requirements ofhigh risk ambulance operations are correctand in place, while also providing qualityassurance when commissioning thesecapabilities nationally

4. On behalf of all NHS ambulance services, toprovide and maintain a crucialcommunications link with a range ofnational and international stakeholders onall matters related to pre-hospital care in thecontext of Emergency Preparedness,Resilience and Response (EPRR).

www.naru.org.uk

Visit National Ambulance Resilience Unit onStand Z242.

NARU: Preparing for the future, protecting lives today


76 |



It could be Cardiff, Carlisle, or Colchester, a busySaturday night in town is guaranteed to keepparamedics, police, the local A&E busy. Or maybeit’s a call out to a domestic disturbance, road trafficaccident, or a simple trip or fall. In many of thesecases, the common factor is alcohol, and it is all toocommon for the emergency services staff whoattend these incidents to be the subject of aphysical or verbal assault. Conflict resolutiontraining can help to reduce the risk of physicalinjuries, but often these situations change soquickly that staff find themselves being attackedwithout provocation or warning.

“There is no sane reason, but what we found is that

alcohol and drug abuse is acommon factor. People justdon’t realise that they are

attacking those people whoare there to help them.”

John McPoland, Northern Ireland Ambulance Service

Assaults have a lasting impact on staff and theirfamilies. A violent incident can lead to seriousinjuries, both physical and psychological, and canlead to extended periods of absence from work. Intheory, everyone agrees that staff should be able todo their jobs in safety and not be subjected toverbal or physical abuse, but as these incidentsbecome more common so does the acceptance bystaff that it is ‘just part of the job’.

Action needs to be takenFront line emergency resources are already

overstretched, and every front lineambulance, police or fire crew that isengaged in a preventable alcohol related callis one that is not available to deal with acrime, medical emergency, serious fire or aroad traffic incident. It is just not sustainableto keep dealing with the increase in alcoholrelated incidents, and action needs to betaken.

It has been estimated that alcohol-related healthproblems – ranging from twisted ankles to terminalillnesses – cost the NHS in England £3.5bn eachyear. Elsewhere in the UK the picture is same. InMay this year, the Scottish Government reportedthat almost 700 people per week are admitted tohospitals in Scotland due to alcohol. Frontline staffknow well enough what this means in terms oftime spent managing situations that often couldhave been avoided, and intoxicated clients who canrange from helpless, through unhelpful to outrightaggressive.

The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service hasrecently reported an average of five attacks on theircrews each week, leaving it short staffed wheninjured crews have to come off their shifts.

For the London Ambulance Service, alcohol-related incidents make up six percent of their totalworkload. In 2013-14 they handled 71,868emergency incidents that occurred becausesomebody had too much to drink.

Practical solutionsAlcohol Concern is the leading national charity

working on alcohol issues, and aims to reduce theharm caused in our society by excessive alcohol use.

We are working with UNISON and other publicservice unions this year to highlight the pressurealcohol misuse puts on public services, and to seekpractical solutions.

At this year’s Emergency Services Show inBirmingham on 25 September, we will be holding aseminar to examine the impact of the UK’sdrinking habits on staff and services they provide.We would like to invite you to join us and give usyour views on what works well, the problems thatyou encounter as an employer or employee, andshare good practice to reduce the impact on staff.

We’ll also be running a survey of the views ofparamedics, nurses, police officers, firefighters andany other frontline workers who deal day to daywith the results of others overdoing it. Maybe you’dlike to see more training for staff, better procedures,or more action to tackle some of the root causes ofthe problem. This will be your chance to let usknow. The short survey should take just fiveminutes to complete, and will help us make thecase for safer workplaces and better use ofresources. We’ll be sending out the survey viaemergency service unions, or you can contactAndrew Misell directly at Alcohol Concern for acopy on [email protected].

www.alcoholconcern.org.ukwww.unison.org.uk

Visit Unison on Stand Z253.

One too manyEvery year, alcohol misuse takes up thousands of hours of the emergency services’ time. The real cost to the NHS,

police and fire and rescue services is more than financial, as alcohol is linked to hundreds of assaults on staff.

Alcohol Concern is working with trade unions and employers to look for some solutions.

Words: Andrew Misell, Cyfarwyddwr / Director, Alcohol Concern Cymru & Alan Lofthouse, National Officer, Ambulance Lead, UNISON Health Group.

The Road Haulage Association recovery membersare laying on a vehicle recovery demonstrationwith a difference this year.

Last year’s demo focused on casualty extractionfrom the vehicle and how the recovery crew canassist the emergency services. This year theemphasis is on rapid route clearance techniques.

For the demonstration this year Billy Calvert, MD at CF Motoring Services Ltd, Newcastle, haskindly agreed to include the Goldwing RetrieverMotor Bike. Because of its construction the bikedoes have limited use and needs to be specially

licensed and used only under very limitedconditions. Nevertheless, its versatility in assistingwith road clearance can get traffic moving thatmuch quicker.

The bike is used to access an area that a normal recovery vehicle would find difficult.Designed to create a clear route for the otherrecovery vehicles it can wind its way through the stricken vehicles and start work that muchquicker. Not only does the rider have to be top class they definitely need an advanced sense of balance!

RHA Recovery and IVR (Institute of VehicleRecovery) work closely together promoting therecovery industry skills and professionalism with aview to assisting the emergency services inproviding a more enhanced service to the public.Anyone wishing to learn more of Billy’s bike cancontact him on 0191 491 2550.

www.rha.uk.net

Visit Road Haulage Association on Stand Z200.

Vehicle recovery demo with a difference



Smartphone users could soon be streaming liveimages to a fire and rescue service’s control room,helping to ensure the right resources are sent toemergencies. West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS)is developing the web-based 999 Eye system,believed to be a world first for the blue light sector.

The 999 Eye idea came from a WMFS officerwho needed to call the NHS Direct telephoneadvice line when his young daughter was ill. WatchCommander Matt Wroughton, of the brigade’sTechnical and Operational Support Directorate,said, “It was challenging to describe her physicalsymptoms and accurately answer questions. Ourperceptions can differ, and finding the right wordswas difficult. We then had to take a follow-up callbefore she eventually went to hospital.

“Only hours before I’d been video calling arelative in New Zealand, and the two experiences

got me thinking abouthow we could beputting advances intechnology to muchbetter use in how weinitially resourceemergency incidents.

“We often get toscenes where membersof the public are usingsmartphones to uploadpictures and footage tosocial media, oftenwhile the initialemergency response is

still taking shape. I think we can capitalise on thisand use live streaming and mapping to make a realdifference to the quality of information available toour colleagues in fire control and responding crewsand specialists.”

Interesting conceptMatt submitted his idea to the brigade’s Research

and Development programme, Bluelighthinking,which encourages staff to forward suggestions forimprovements and advancements in servicedelivery. The concept is now attracting interestfrom around the world.

“We know that two thirds of the 999 calls we getare made from mobile phones, and that themajority of these are smartphones,” added W/CdrWroughton. “We’ve been working closely with BTand providers to understand the capabilities of the999 system, smartphones and networks. We’re nowlooking forward to running a pilot scheme.

“During the pilot, an emergency response will bedeployed to incidents as usual. Our control roomwill send a link to callers who agree to use it tostream footage back to them. This will then berelayed to first responders en route and appropriatepartner agencies.”

Research carried out at the same time byCoventry University will be fed into the overallevaluation.

“West Midlands Fire Service is committed to afive-minute response standard for incidents whenlife or property is in danger,” said W/Cdr Wroughton.“We believe that this system could have huge

potential in helping us maintain this standard, andpotentially revolutionise emergency call-handlingand response.

“The pilot is an exciting opportunity for UKemergency services to be involved and set a pathfor other countries to follow. Our aim will be tooffer the final system free or at very low cost toother UK blue light services.”

The team will be at The Emergency ServicesShow on the WMFS stand, and will be presentingin the 11:15-12:00 slot at the Innovation Theatre, in association with Vodafone, on Thursday 25 September.

www.wmfs.net

Visit West Midlands Fire Service on Stand R55.

Live incident streaming looks to revolutioniseemergency call-handling and response

West Midlands Fire Service is developing the web-based 999 Eye system.

Two thirds of the 999 calls toWMFS are made from mobilephones, with the majority of thesefrom smartphones.

This year’sEmergencyPlanning Society(EPS) conference –being heldalongside TheEmergencyServices Show –has an array of top-line speakersmaking valuablecontributions to the

resilience sector, from the current Ebola crisis tothe 2013/14 national flooding events.

Nuclear incidentsOne of the key sessions will be on how the

aftermath of two of the world’s worst nuclearincidents, Fukushima and Chernobyl, were dealtwith and the EPS will be welcoming two keyspeakers.

Ito Jiro, Manager of the international division ofthe Japanese Consumer’s Co-operative Union,will outline how his organisation is reassuring thelocal population on which foodstuffs are safe, and

helping to check levels of contamination. AfterFukushima, there were fears throughout Japan ofradioactive contamination leaking into the foodsystem, which caused consumers to rejectproducts. The Japanese Co-operative movementhas played a critical role in combating this,teaming up with partners such as FukushimaUniversity to rebuild confidence in local produce.

Meanwhile, Sergiy Vygivsky, Director of theSocial Psychological Rehabilitation Centre in theUkraine, will describe their work in rebuildingpublic confidence in the wake of Chernobyl.Sergiy will explain the projects the centreundertakes, such as the education of children incontaminated areas. Generally, the centre plays apivotal role in rebuilding public confidence,combatting feelings of helplessness, and revivingthe social abilities of the community.

There are also plans to discuss the impact of thecurrent Ebola outbreak, while the Chief Executiveof the Environment Agency, Paul Leinster, willoutline some of the lessons identified from thisyear’s winter floods.

Operating since 1952, the Emergency PlanningSociety offers all those in the resilience and

emergency services sector an opportunity toenhance their professional status, throughlearning, training, networking, webinars and arecognised ‘Continual Professional Development’system that will evidence your competency to helpyour career path. It also gives members access toonline resources, best practice case studies and aninternational network of professionals in this field.

Resilience relaunchedThe society’s quarterly magazine, Resilience, is

also being re-launched in a new format at theconference, and will prove to be an importantread for all those in the emergency responsesector.

The EPS conference takes place on 25 September, the second day of The EmergencyServices Show. Non-EPS members are welcome,and tickets are available for £150. To book go towww.the-eps.org or Tel: 0845 6009587.

www.the-eps.org

Visit Emergency Planning Society on Stand R50.

Top speakers lined up for EPS Conference


80 | ADVERTORIAL

Rugged at every levelWords: Peter Molyneux, President of Getac UK.

While it is possible to purchase consumer-grade equipment and place it in aruggedised case, do you really want to rely on a compromised solution whenlife and death could be in the balance?

Emergency service operations often take place in harsh environments whereequipment failure is not an option. In such situations, relying on the samehardware that a home user would use for e-mails, photos and web browsingcould put the success of a callout at risk.

Getac has total ownership of the design and manufacture of its rugged mobilecomputing solutions, its products use the latest technology, materials andmanufacturing processes, ensuring every component is fully ruggedised.

Reliable performanceGetac’s hardware is designed to perform in critical working environments

reliably at the highest performance. Placing consumer hardware in a ruggedcase may be a seemingly cost-effective alternative, but by definition, that case isdesigned to be opened – which means it comes with an inherent vulnerability,creating a high risk of failure. Getac rugged computers are designed withseparate GPS and 3G/4G modems with separate antennas to ensureindependent performance in applications requiring both functionssimultaneously. Most consumer technology offers a single modem for bothfunctions, resulting in reduced performance under the same conditions.

It is also important to have access to a range of form factors to meet everychallenge – be that a fully rugged server for a critical large threat scenario, or asecure tablet for processing and sharing data from a vehicle or while on patrol.

For a balance of portability and power, the Getac V110 convertible notebooktablet offers an 11.6in high-definition screen, the latest Intel® 4th generationHaswell processing technology and LTE compatibility. Additional market-leading features include Getac’s new 3D aerial technology (enabling fastdownload/upload speeds), dedicated SiRFstarIV™ GPS (offering fasterpositioning and improved accuracy) and dual hot-swap battery (providing 8-10hours’ operating time). It is one of the world’s thinnest and lightest devices ofits type in the world, yet is also MIL-STD-810G and IP65 rated, meaning itincorporates military-grade ruggedisation without compromise on performance.

Without compromiseFor more demanding applications where server capability is required, the

X500-G2 Rugged Mobile Server offers users the ability to deploy a mobilerugged server to the field giving instant server capability at the start ofoperations. MIL-STD-810G certified and IP65 rated, the X500-G2 offers asstandard a large 15.6in QuadraClear® display (800nits), which providesenhanced screen readability under sunlight and graphic capability in outdoorenvironments. Powered by the Intel® Core™ i7 vPro™ processor with 32GBRAM and 500GB storage, multiple applications can be run simultaneouslywithout compromising on performance. RAID expansion is possible, holdingup to five shock-protected disk drives, offering up to five terabytes of storage.

For those applications where portability is crucial, the Getac T800 offers allthe power, performance and usability of a high-quality consumer device,without compromising on the tablet’s full ruggedisation.

With its 8.1in screen, the optimal screen size forWindows 8, a thickness of 24mm and weighing just0.88kg, the innovative T800 is small enough to fit in apocket or your hand, but still offers all the power andperformance an emergency services professional needs.

www.getac.co.uk

If you would like to discuss any aspect of your rugged computing requirements, call 01952 207 221, e-mail: [email protected] or visit www.getac.co.uk

Peter Molyneux is thePresident of Getac UK



A new organisation will be launched at TheEmergency Services Show 2014, an organisationthat has been thought about, discussed andrecommended for a number of years.

Ever since the provision of such a body wasrecommended in a CQC report, several medicalprofessionals got together to pool ideas. Theyinvolved a like-minded group of people, boththose who supported and those heavily involvedin delivering the service itself. Over the last fewyears voices have been listened to at events suchas The Emergency Services Show, whencolleagues and friends met in passing, and theircomments have been heard at numerousconferences and seminars.

This large group of volunteers can be foundacross the UK in cities, towns and villages, inurban and rural environments serving theircommunities and showing high standards ofpatient care and professionalism. They are, ofcourse, the approximately 10,000 CommunityFirst Responders (CFRs) that provide a service toboth their local ambulance NHS trust and theirlocal communities.

Valued membersThis new organisation wants to look at topics

such as uniform, kit and support, training andgovernance, and ask for and receive commentsfrom CFRs, ambulance trusts, governing andmonitoring bodies, shake them about a bit, andseek positive answers. To enable CFR volunteersto maximise their individual attributes and skillsto provide high standards of patient care to localcommunities and to work in partnershipalongside ambulance services as valued members,The Emergency Services Show 2104 will see thelaunch of the National Association of CommunityFirst Responders (NACFR).

This new charity’s team of trustees comprises:• Prof Douglas Chamberlain, highly respected

in his field and recognised as the man whobrought the first paramedics to the UK andEurope

• Duncan Parsonage, a paramedic, who wasinvolved in some of the first CFR groups inthe UK and, before he took a career change,was looking after 37 CFR teams, who were

trained to FPOS Enhanced and drove onblue lights

• Shaun Ingram, a Director with CardiacScience, who has years of working in a pre-hospital environment

• Stuart Ballinger, who has been involved atDirector level with advertising company JC Decoux

• Mike Taylor, a Staffordshire CFR for manyyears who is also involved in training

• John Davies, a Warwickshire CFR andtrainer for many years (also currently anAppointed Governor, sitting on the WMAS Council of Governors)

• Carol Oldroyd, a qualified nurse, who was aCFR in Warwickshire and is currently part of the department training paramedics at amidlands university.

Visit the NACFR on Stand Z210 and let theassociation know what you would like to see forCFRs both now and in the future.

Visit the National Association of CommunityFirst Responders on Stand Z210.

A new voice for Community First Responders

With the privatisation of the UK Railways in1995, it was recognised by all concerned, thatthere would no longer be one management bodywith the overall responsibility for fire safety acrossthe rail industry. RIFA, the Rail Industry FireAssociation, was therefore established by those rail

industry organisations supporting the launch, asthe appropriate body for continuing this function,and to act as the industry voice for the benefit ofits members and to maintain fire safety standardsthroughout the industry.

RIFA is a global association established with theobjective to share information, experience andbest practice in the management of fire safetythroughout the railway industry. The association’smembership comes from railway operating andinfrastructure companies, suppliers of equipmentand services to the rail industry and from the firefighting services.

Fire safety informationFire prevention and protection for life safety and

assets within railways involves specialconsideration that requires understanding of theoperational railway and its users. Whether it’s aheavy haul goods operation, high speed rail, metroor light rail there are impacts from fire that haveto be considered; RIFA is an independent andauthoritative source of fire safety information forrail industry best practice.

The association has a global membership, which enables information on practices andsolutions from around the world to be available to all its members, which includes thosefrom across Europe, North America and theMiddle East.

RIFA has been actively involved in a number ofindustrial development and improvement plans.Working groups have been set up within RIFA toprovide technical and professional support andadvices to these plans. Works being carried outrecently included reviewing current andcontributing to the new BS and EN standards,maintaining high level of rolling stock fire safetyand re-introducing a fire apprentice scheme forthe industry.

Come and talk to RIFA representatives onStand Z233 to discover what the association canbring to your business.

www.rifa-rail.co.uk

Visit Rail Industry Fire Association on Stand Z233.

Rail Industry Fire Association makes ESS debut

See you next year!www.emergencyuk.com



With a current establishment of 78 personnel, Brize Norton is the largest manned RAF FireStation. The management team is made up of oneCommanding Officer, one Warrant Officer and oneFlight Sergeant. The duty crews are made up ofseven Sergeants (Watch Manager), 27 Corporals(Crew Manager) and 41 Aircraftman (Firefighter).Although the establishment generally remains thesame, personnel rotate positions to alternate RAFbases every two to five years.

Fire fighting capabilityThe primary role of the RAF Fire and Rescue

Service is to provide both an aerodrome andstructural fire fighting capability responding toaircraft and domestic emergencies. In aircraftemergencies, the fire crew has 120 seconds fromtime of call to deploying at the incident (anywherewithin the aerodrome); once on scene they have afurther 60 seconds to create survivable conditions.The sheer size and continually expandinginfrastructure of RAF Brize Norton Station ensuresthat no domestic incident is the same. It is the aimof the fire crew to save life and minimise damage tomission critical equipment.

All fire personnel must maintain competencies inareas outside of the fire trade. All individualsmaintain high levels of fitness while keepingcurrent in common core skills. Essentially, thismeans remaining in date with weapons handlingand firing skills enabling Brize Norton Firefightersto support the Royal Air Force OverseasOperational commitment, providing up to 20firefighters at one time to Ops in Afghanistan, The Falkland Islands and bases in The MiddleEast, while simultaneously deploying manpower toshort notice exercises both in the UK and aroundthe world as an Expeditionary Air Wing.

Training facilitiesA purpose built aircraft simulator and a recently

acquired breathing apparatus training facilityensures that personnel have all the training aidsrequired to enhance development. All Firefighters

carry out monthly continuation training, with theaddition of a phase two development package,which is aimed at personnel newly posted in fromthe Defence Fire Training and DevelopmentCentre Manston, where they undertake basicFirefighter training. Newly qualified Firefightersarrive at Brize Norton working towards an NVQlevel 2 in Aviation Operations On The Ground; asFirefighters continue to progress and with furtherpromotion training they can gain accreditation toboth the Institution of Fire Engineers and theInstitute of Leadership and Management.

As Brize Norton is one of only two Tier OneMajor Accident Control Regulation Sites in theUK, due to the high volume of fuel stored, it is vitalthat RAF Fire Crews carry out training withOxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service. Regulartraining incidents take place, ensuring that there isa good level of interoperability and enhancingpowers of communication.

“It is the aim of the firecrew to save life andminimise damage to

mission criticalequipment.”

Notwithstanding its fire fighting responsibilities,the RAF Fire and Rescue Service Fire SafetyDepartment provides mandatory fire training forthe 5000+ personnel who serve on the base. Therecent change of airframes operating from RAFBrize Norton has seen an increase in bothupgraded and new infrastructure throughout theunit. The appointed RAF Fire and Rescue ServiceProject Fire Officer will ensure these buildings areupgraded and built to comply with current firelegislation, as well as maintaining Fire RiskAssessments and the other 600+ buildings withintheir area of responsibility.

www.mod.uk

For any further information about RAF BrizeNorton Fire and Rescue Service please contactFlying Officer Phil Haines – Tel: 01993 897220.

Brize Norton: the largest mannedRAF Fire StationRoyal Air Force Brize Norton, also known as ‘The Gateway to Defence Operations’, is one of the MOD’s largest andmost operational airfields, committed to enabling air power 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It also acts as a MilitaryEmergency Diversionary Aerodrome (MEDA). Ensuring that operations continue by providing Crash Cat 5A (ICAO 8) is left in the capable hands of the Royal Air Force Fire and Rescue Service.


86 |


ESTESS2014: EXHIBITOR FOCUS | 87

Given the remoteness of many of the roads alongwhich the Tour de France was due to travel, andthe lack of comprehensive 3G and 4G mobilephone coverage in these areas, it was decided thatonly mobile satellite broadband systems couldprovide the kind of comprehensivecommunications coverage required.

The solution was provided by Primetech (UK)Ltd, a leading UK developer and provider ofmobile satellite broadband and other high techcommunications solutions to fire and rescueservices, police forces, government departments andbusinesses for many years.

Temporary mobile satellite networkTo support local authority event management and

public safety for the Tour de France, Primetech,with its long established expertise in this field, waschosen to install a temporary network along therace route, utilising the high bandwidth capabilitiesof the new Ka satellite system. Using a chain of Kasatellite receivers positioned at key points along theroute, some mounted on mobile cranes, Primetechwas able to deliver integrated high bandwidthmobile broadband and voice over internet (VoIP)communications for personnel managing thepublic safety aspects of the race.

Primetech’s technical team, under the supervisionof Senior Design Engineer Simon Land andTechnical Director Henry Walker, set up, on veryshort notice, a comprehensive mobile satellite

broadband and wireless communications networkalong the entire race route, comprising up to 15individual base stations.

On both days the race route was divided intosectors. Each sector was covered by one or moreVHF and UHF repeaters providing four channelsfor management of the 2500 event support staffwith radios, medical staff, and traffic managementstaff and marshals, ensuring that the race andspectators were safe.

“This temporary networkguaranteed that local

authority and emergencyservices had reliable,interoperable, high

bandwidth communicationsto support multi-agency

public safety operations.”

The satellite broadband facilities provided byPrimetech were used for the 15 sectors where noother means of getting broadband communicationswas available. Communications needed to berelayed back to the multi-agency command centreso that the inter-agency response and sectorhandover could be coordinated. This entire supportnetwork was put in place in only five days,including planning, training of unskilled staff andnetwork management.

Incident command and networkmanagement

Primetech’s Trojan-based Cobra Rapid ResponseStrike Vehicle, with its high speed access to thesatellite network, was used as an incidentcommand and network management platform, sothat the sector equipment could be monitored andchanges in the bandwidth usage indicating faultsproactively reported to the radio network managers.

Simon Land, the Primetech Senior DesignEngineer responsible for the project, said, “Thechallenge was to provide systems and training at

very short notice. The Primetech team’sbackground in rapidly deployable communicationssystems for military, police and other emergencyservices, together with an excellent set of newlydeveloped equipment and management tools,enabled us to set up and deliver the service in avery short period of time. Using industry-standardinterfaces enabled equipment interoperability andallowed us to provide sector links back to the maincommand hub. Near-instant bandwidthmanagement and monitoring allowed us to managethe links so that the customer was regularlyupdated.

“This temporary network guaranteed that localauthority and emergency services had reliable,interoperable, high bandwidth communications tosupport multi-agency public safety operations.Given the large numbers of people, cars and highspeed cyclists that were going to be in the area, itwas essential that the local authority control centrecould communicate with its personnel at commandcentres along every section of the route, and thatmeant rock solid communications were required.”

The network set up by Primetech workedsmoothly throughout the duration of the Tour, andno major incidents were reported.

www.primetech.co.uk

Visit Primetech UK Ltd on Stand G70.

Primetech supports Tour de Francesuccess with major satellite andvoice communications networkThe recent high profile Tour de France cycle race through Yorkshire presented a number of public safety challenges for

emergency services and local authorities. Millions of people would be turning out to watch the race along its route, but

much of the route, because of its isolated rural nature, would have very poor communications, certainly not of the level

required to guarantee public safety in the event of a major emergency. A new approach would be required, to ensure

that all multi-agency emergency communications could provide sufficient bandwidth to cope with all eventualities, and

that systems resilience could be guaranteed.

The Tour de France attracted large crowds and created major publicsafety communications challenges for multi agencies, which weresupported by Primetech’s Ka-band satellite network comprising up to15 mobile satellite broadband stations.

Primetech’s Cobra Rapid Response Strike Vehicle with Ka bandsatellite communications played a key role in monitoring networkresilience.


88 |



Across its operations, Serco employs 400 firefightersand provides fire and rescue services at civilian andmilitary airfields around the UK andinternationally. Serco Fire Services’ clients includethe Ministry of Defence, NATO, CERN, theGerman Air Force and the Atomic WeaponsEstablishment. The company expects to add to itsportfolio of clients and capabilities in the next 12months – it is currently bidding for a number ofnew contracts here in the UK, the Middle East andacross Europe as clients respond positively to anoffer of tailored services blending proven expertise.

Serco Fire Services leader, Ronnie Coutts, said,“The fire market is changing. Pressures on costs,the application of new technologies and ongoingdevelopments in the regulatory environment meanoperators in the public and private sector arelooking at options. They need to protect people andassets while adapting to new and evolving realities.Serco’s capability in this field goes back many yearsand the evolution of different contracts and serviceshas resulted in a broad and deep expertise. Thisexpertise is now being coordinated in a way thatwill make it easier for clients to get the advice andinnovation they’re looking for.”

Significant asset baseSerco Fire Services operates a significant asset

base of vehicles, training rigs and equipment.Ronnie Coutts is keen to point out, however, that itis the people who make the difference. He says,“How can we keep our customer promise unlessour teams are expertly trained, fully equipped andtotally engaged? We’re asking our teams to be readyto put themselves in the way of danger so part ofour settlement with the teams is that Serco FireServices will be the employer of choice in this field.We do this in a planned way with meaningfuldevelopment, a structured career path and theopportunity to move into other Serco operations,fire and non-fire, around the world. This alloy ofsupport and opportunity appeals and this is seen inour staff retention levels and by the number ofcases where our firefighters have moved on and up.

“Developing Serco Fire Services benefits theclient, yes, but it also means the fire professionalswe have in the business are part of a realcommunity. This develops knowledge, fosters anesprit de corps and creates opportunities.”

“The IFTC is an important part of the

Serco Fire Services offer as it combines

equipment and expertise to deliver a

genuinely unique customer experience.”

International Fire Training CentreOne of the better known parts of Serco Fire

Services is the International Fire Training Centre(IFTC), a world leader in equipping aviation andindustrial firefighters with the skills needed to faceany fire emergency effectively and confidently. TheIFTC was acquired from the UK Civil AviationAuthority in 1996 and, with investment from Serco,now offers customers access to the best fire groundof its kind anywhere in the world. This is

demonstrated by the growth in export sales that IFTC has achieved over recent years.Investment in new rigs, major foam tenders, a virtual reality suite and the businessinfrastructure is attracting clients from around new markets and increasing penetration of existing ones. For example, the IFTC is the onlytraining provider outside France that has securedaccreditation with the DGAC, the French aviation authority, to deliver accredited courses to aerodrome firefighters.

Equipment and expertise“The IFTC is an important part of the Serco Fire

Services offer as it combines equipment andexpertise to deliver a genuinely unique customerexperience. It’s not me saying that but the 10,000delegates we train each year who feed this back tous. It’s recognised by the aviation industry as a realasset in the UK’s resilience capability and we willcontinue to invest in the business to ensure whatthe customer is getting today will be even bettertomorrow,” Ronnie added.

Serco Fire Services is part of the Serco Defencebusiness unit, which works effectively andseamlessly with all three forces and is headed up byformer Air Vice Marshal, Matt Wiles.

www.serco.comwww.iftcentre.com

Visit Serco Fire Services on Stand P61.

Serco Fire Services look to driveinnovation and deliver real valueGlobal services operator Serco has launched a fresh offer to the emergency services market with the introduction of

Serco Fire Services. Serco already has impeccable credentials in the UK and overseas through managing fire and rescue

services and providing a range of ancillary services such as talent management and emergency planning. Serco Fire

Services will draw this expertise together to drive innovation and deliver real value to its clients.


90 | ESTESS2014: EXHIBITOR FOCUS

It is an obvious fact that the landscape has changedin regards to incident and event management as aresult of the loss of key, experienced professionalsacross all agencies involved in civil protectionduties. Leading up to the Olympic and ParalympicGames of 2012 in London, the United Kingdom(UK) had an enviable wealth of experienced leadersat strategic level of command, however asorganisations change and cost improvementprogrammes begin to bite, some of those leaderswill no longer be ‘in charge’ when the crisissituation occurs in the future.

However, by developing the next generation ofleaders across multi-agency responders there isalways opportunity to ensure that the public isprotected. It is critical that collectively we ensurethe identification, selection and education of newtalented individuals who are ready to step up to themark and take on strategic roles and responsibilities.

New faces pushing their ownboundaries to take on new knowledge

Earlier this year, I had the privileged opportunityto be involved in a Strategic Emergency CrisisManagement Course (SECM) delivered by theEmergency Planning College (EPC). The coursecohort included individuals who were allprofessionals and competent within their ownorganisation but who were now identified as theleaders of the future within their own organisation’sresponse and recover arrangements to incidentsand events. These new strategic managers (orcommanders) had a common bond between them.They all knew their own organisation’s role andresponsibility in providing quality civil protectionto the public and they took on board their ownobligations to learn, develop and practice new skillsto ensure the right plans, were delivered in theright place and at the right time.

What was the difference?It is inevitable that we all pick up knowledge and

experience from our peers and the strategic leaderswho have taken on those roles previously. Howeverin developing the next generation of strategic

emergency crisis managers, it is essential we enablethe content of appropriate courses to be innovative,challenging, realistic and educational to allow theindividuals to develop their own competence andconfidence in the right environments, if they are todeliver quality command and control in a realworld situation.

The SECM course clearly provided theopportunity and exposure for multi-agency,partnership working that is unique because of thevast educational resources available to support theindividual and collective learning experience. The SECM is up to date, supporting the JointEmergency Services Interoperability Programme(JESIP), and looks at lessons identified from bothUK incidents and global learning.

“Knowing that there are individuals who

will take on thatresponsibility to make

a difference is both refreshing

and encouraging.”

Public expectation – the requirementto develop the best quality to savelives

Today’s technology of 24 hour television andsocial media inevitably means that incidents anddisasters are broadcast live and as they areunfolding. The use of modern media from acrossthe world publicises disasters more frequently,which contributes towards the belief that they arehappening more regular than they did. Scrutinyand public expectation therefore is focused rightaway on what the responding agencies are doing to

“By developing the nextgeneration of leadersacross multi-agencyresponders there isalways opportunity to ensure that the

public is protected.”

help save lives and protect the communities andindustries. Using innovation to enable bettercapabilities will help save more lives in the future.

Putting people first – taking on theresponsibility

My observations as an experienced strategiccommander myself was that the cohort asindividuals always considered the needs of thepeople involved in the emergency situation firstand foremost. This included those caught up in thesituations, (either through case studies or scenariotesting) or the individuals responding to helpothers. The cohort demonstrated that not only didthey have the ability to understand and interpretlegislation, policy and procedures, but also they werehumanistic at the same time – a true quality ingoing forward as a new strategic leader for the future.

Disasters involve people and they are naturallycomplex situations but knowing that there areindividuals who will take on that responsibility tomake a difference is both refreshing and encouraging,especially when we should all acknowledge that weare members of the public too.

www.epcollege.com

Visit Emergency Planning College on Stand P16.

Seeking out the next generation ofstrategic emergency crisis managersTalented professionals push themselves out of their own comfort zones as they develop and enhance new skills to

manage incidents and events on the Emergency Planning College Strategic Emergency Crisis Management Course.

Words: Paul Kudray MSc MEPS, Associate – Strategic Resilience, Emergency Planning College.


| 91


92 |



The days of a firefighter approaching everyoperational situation wearing a wool jacket andPVC leggings are long gone. Today they areprotected by specialist personal protectiveequipment (PPE) and clothing that is speciallydeveloped for the task at hand.

With a heritage that stretches back over decades,Ballyclare has been at the forefront of thedevelopment of high performance bespokegarments that are designed specifically for everyoperational environment, including structuralfires, USAR, water rescue and wildland firefighting. The company has developed anunrivalled range of specialist protective clothingsolutions that is backed up by a national servicenetwork that provides first class care and maintenance.

Working in partnershipBallyclare’s structural fire suits combine

innovative design with the most technicallyadvanced fabrics available today. The companyworks in partnership with fire and rescue servicesto continuously evaluate performance and ensurethat garments are designed to meet the specificneeds of each customer; this results in structuralfire fighting suits that provide the highest levels ofprotection and comfort and will stand up to theday-to-day rigours of fire fighting.

The record levels of flooding in the UK this yearillustrate the need for specialist waterproofclothing. Ballyclare’s range of waterproof suits isdesigned to protect firefighters in foul weatherand incorporates high performance waterproof,breathable fabrics to ensure comfort and performance.

USAR operations require high protection anddurability and the company’s two-piece USARsuit delivers this, along with additional protectionfrom blood pathogens and common chemicals.

When it comes to the unique operational needsof wildland fire fighting, Ballyclare’s one piecesingle layer coverall combines lightweight flameprotection with comfort and high visibility,allowing the firefighter to work safely for longerand reducing the risk of heat stress.

Committed to customer supportThis extensive range of product solutions is

backed by a commitment to support customerswith the highest standards of service. Ballyclareoperates a national network of facilities inLivingston, Stockport, Barnsley and Uxbridge,providing customer support, care and maintenance.

There are significant statutory obligationsrelated to the management of PPE. Any fire andrescue service that is not able to clearlydemonstrate robust tracking and tracing systemsfor the issue, use, maintenance, repair andreplacement of PPE issued to their employees isat risk of prosecution by the HSE in the event ofan injury to a firefighter.

Ballyclare’s unique tracking and tracing systemuses the latest barcode technology to ensure thatevery single item of PPE is closely monitored –from top to toe. This means that full garmenthistory is accurately maintained and readilyavailable. The provision of detailed analysis ofPPE maintenance allows customers to accuratelyforecast their needs and budget accordingly.

Customers have total confidence and peace ofmind that firefighters are properly protected, thattheir kit is professionally maintained and ‘fit forpurpose’ and that the fire and rescue services arefully compliant with PPE regulatoryrequirements.

The company’s high standards of care canextend the operational lifespan of garments,increasing the return on investment anddelivering efficiency savings for fire and rescueservices.

Carlton Greener, Managing Director, BallyclareLimited, said, “We have developed an extensiveportfolio of specialist high performance garmentsthat protect firefighters across the wide rangeoperational challenges that they face. Our teamhas decades of experience and understanding offire fighting and we continue to work in closepartnership with brigades to research andinnovate new PPE solutions that will protecttomorrow’s firefighter.”

www.ballyclarelimited.com

Visit Ballyclare Limited on Stand J11.

Ballyclare meets all the needsof modern fire fighting

Saving yourlife is a wayof their livesThe Saviour Medical Rescue Stretcher from DS Medical is the latest versatile rescue stretcherto be available to the emergency, resilience andrescue services as a single product solution.Ideally suited for work in confined spaces, rescue,hazardous and water based environments, thestretcher is an innovative design encompassingsome of the very best elements of other rescuestretchers and enhancing those capabilities todeliver an incredibly versatile and effective lifesaving device.

Infection control compliantThis lightweight device (5kg) with its

polyethylene skin and removable straps isinfection control compliant. The stretcher isneutrally buoyant, making water based rescuepossible and the sandproof and waterproof designof the fixings further supports such use. Thestretcher, fixings and strap system are load ratedto 200kg (31 stone) making it suitable for mostpatients. The integral headblock and double skinin the spinal area assists in the management ofpatients with potential spinal injuries.

The stretcher is supplied as a rolled device in arobust carry bag, making it compact and aidingaccess to confined spaces as well as requiringlittle storage space. The device is also X-Raytranslucent and CT friendly. The simplistic,colour coordinated strap system ensures there islittle additional training requirement. Thestretcher is CE marked and manufactured in the UK.

The Saviour Medical Rescue Stretcher hasalready been rigorously tested across the UK by arenowned water based rescue organisation. Thetactical variant of the stretcher is also in use bythe military.

www.dsmedical.co.uk

Visit DS Medical on Stand M30.


94 |



D4 is an evolutionary development in the worldof rescue descenders. Two years of comprehensivetrialling and evaluation with rope rescue and ropeaccess users around the world has resulted in theD4 being the highest spec rescue descenderavailable and is compliant with CE, ANSI, NFPAand the stringent BCCTR test with 240kg,making it perhaps the most durable, highperformance work/rescue descender on theplanet! It offers a 240kg (500lb) Working LoadLimit, which means it is suitable for two-manrescue on ropes of 10.5mm-11.5mm (7/16in) andit features a unique and innovative progressivecam action, which offers precise control at slow orfast speeds.

Development processOutreach Rescue in North Wales was involved

in the development process because of theorganisation’s specific knowledge of theemergency services/rescue industry. The D4easily meets the demands of Outreach Rescue’suser group as a work/rescue descender, a belaydevice and even as a progress capture device forhigh lines. The 240kg WLL is especially usefulfor both rescue and bariatrics, where no otherdevice on the market can match the rating on theD4.

Current users of the D4 include, among others,the Tech Rescue Group from London Fire

Brigade; Singapore Civil Defence; Beijing/North

China Mountain Rescue; Melbourne FireBrigade; Western Australia State EmergencyServices, SAR Chile, City of Cape Town FireRescue Service, Turkish Fire/Rescue trainingcollege and Berufsfeuerwehr Zwickau (westernGermany).

“D2 is quickly gainingground as the escape kit

of choice for the windturbine industry. “

D2 was originally designed as a bail-out deviceas a result of lack of choice for that user group ofdevices with anti-panic brakes. Due to the heightsfrom which it can be used (120m) and theavailability of (fire resistant) Technora rope,however, the D2 is quickly gaining ground as theescape kit of choice for the wind turbine industry.The fact that it uses 8mm diameter rope(polyester or Technora) means that it can bepacked into a small kit, which is much handierthan the big bulky kits that are the norm with11mm devices or even controlled rate descenders.

Further developments in the D range areupcoming, including a D5 device to work on0.5in ropes, primarily for the US market, and aD3 for use as a single-person load belay device.

R-ALF rescue kits can be used for rescue,hauling and confined space. The R-ALF kit offersfeatures such as an auto-locking overspeed brake,flexibility of rigging (from 2:1 up to 5:1), a 35m

maximum height of lift and an incredible WLLof 250kg standard unit or 350kg for a newbariatric unit under development, again inpartnership with Outreach Rescue. More than 20of these kits have recently been delivered into theSingapore Civil Defence to replace their oldRollgliss devices.

www.iscwales.com

Visit ISC on Stand B26.

New rescue gear puts ISC in controlISC’s new ‘D’ range of work/rescue and escape descenders includes the company’s highly innovative

D4 work/rescue descender and D2 emergency escape descender.

D4 descender on rope. R-ALF rescue kits can be used for rescue, hauling and confined space.

D4 on descent from national lift tower.



Paging still remains at the forefront of criticalcommunications technology. Hence why themajority of UK hospitals and a large proportion offire and rescue services continue to rely on pagingto communicate with frontline employees. Thisspecialisation towards critical applications has alsoseen further advances in this technology, gearedtowards speeding up an emergency response.

For example, Dorset FRS (DFRS) has recentlyinvested in PageOne’s Trio lone worker device toensure the safety and security of field-basedHydrant Officers. These employees carry out theinspection, test and repair of 14,500 defective

hydrants, which tend to be positioned in remote orhazardous locations. Accurately monitoring theirwellbeing is integral to DFRS while meeting theirduty of care and also adhering to health and safetyregulations.

Cloud based messaging solutionThe Trio device integrates seamlessly with

Connect, PageOne’s cloud-based messagingsolution, allowing control room staff to easily viewthe last known location of each employee via asecure web dashboard. The device also incorporatesa manual SOS alarm and periodic welfare checkthat prompts employees to check-in at pre-definedintervals so location information is always accurateand up to date. The recent location information isthen tagged on every alert, minimising thepotential for delay should help be required. Withtilt and motion sensors that can detect impacts,falls or periods of inactivity, which thenautomatically triggers an alert in the control room,the Trio device provides a sophisticated solution toaddress health and safety concerns and providespeace of mind to lone working staff.

“We have a duty of careto safeguard all

vulnerable individuals,particularly those who

spend significantamounts of time workingalone or in more remote

or hazardousenvironments.”

Operational messaging and alertingOutside of lone worker management the device

also functions as a two-way pager,offering real-time acknowledgedmessaging and the opportunity forthe user to send back a cannedmessage response. It can thereforebe incorporated into normal day-to-day operational messaging andalerting, providing added resilienceto communications while alsoacting hi-tech lone workermonitoring device.

Ian Crabb, Water and FoamOfficer at DFRS, explained how ithas been incorporated into the service’s

incident response processes. He said, “SOS alertsare auto-forwarded to a pre-defined list of contactsso the right people are notified and kept in theloop. When an alert message is received, there is alink to Google Maps which shows the last knownlocation, along with a date and time stampmeaning we can quickly and easily find and assiststaff in distress.”

In the course of their day-to-day roles theemergency services frequently put themselves insituations of potential risk. And when somethingunfortunate occurs the ability of the control roomto quickly establish an accurate location, potentialhazards and the nearest vehicle access points canmake all the difference. We have a duty of care tosafeguard all vulnerable individuals, particularlythose who spend significant amounts of timeworking alone or in more remote or hazardousenvironments.

www.pageone.co.uk

Visit PageOne Communications Ltd on Stand E3.

Location, location, locationNew paging and location technology is helping to safeguard emergency services personnel who work alone in potentially

hazardous environments.

Words: Nigel Gray, Director at PageOne.

Connect is PageOne’s cloud-based messaging solution.

Nigel Gray, Director at PageOne.


| 97



CRI hoping to reel in visitorsCRI will be introducing visitors to its all-new 1600Series range of hand crank and motorised hosereels at the show. This resourceful and adaptablerange offers an extensive array of capabilitiesthrough a multitude of component configurationsas well as a wide range of sizes.

The 1600 Series offers a generous variety of drumand disc diameters for a number of hose sizes andhose lengths and is currently available in 1in and1.5in versions with either BSP or NPT threads and

with steel orstainless steel fluidpaths. The rangehas been designedto be extremelydurable yet light in

weight and can handle the most demandingrequirements the industry has to offer and can fitinto virtually any allocated space in mostequipment.

Add-ons include a universal bracket kit that canaccommodate the bevel gear manual rewindsystem, idlers to reduce speed and increase torqueon motorised versions. The company is also pleasedto offer, for the first time, a three-way brakeincorporating solid lock, drag friction and free-spinning functions utilising a high performancecomposite brake pad material.

www.crireels.com

Visit CRI Reels on Stand OS435.

Specialist PPE for firefightersFlamePro will be exhibiting newstructural firefighter’s suits at The Emergency Services Show inSeptember, together with a rangeof specialist garments specificallydesigned for fire and rescueservices (FRSs).

The new suits use advancedmaterials from Tencate: GeminiXTL™ is the best-performingPBI® based outer shell

incorporating a patented high strength grid, whichcombines extreme durability and outstandingresistance to abrasion with lightweight comfort andexcellent thermal protection; Advance Light™,available in a range of colours, is a high-performingplain weave ripstop outer shell combining a highpercentage of para-aramid with meta-aramid andantistatic yarns to ensure outstanding resistance tocuts and punctures, excellent durability andexceptional strength retention.

Outer shell fabricsFlamePro continues to offer the ever popular

Kermel® HTA Ripstop and Kermel® A90 outershell fabrics for structural firefighters turnout gear,with the A90 available in a range of colours andcertified to the Marine Equipment Directive(MED, Wheelmark). PBO™ Millenia Light™ 450system structural firefighter’s suits provideremarkable levels of comfort by enabling greaterlevels of work output while reducing heart ratewhen firefighters are subjected to heavy workloadsor in hot and humid conditions.

The modern firefighter in a FRS has toundertake a much wider range of operationalactivities than just fighting fires. Structural kit isnot suitable for many of these activities and sincehigh levels of thermal protection are not required itmakes sense to use garments actually designed formore specific rescue operations.

Specialist clothingFlamePro has a great range of specialist clothing,

using fabrics that provide high levels of durability

and comfort while actively giving the levels ofprotection required.

One area in which the company excels is that ofoffering bespoke garments for individualfirefighter’s requirements, whether that is for aperfect fit or for additional features such asspecialised protection, pocket styles or types offabrics. FlamePro has many years’ experience ingarment design, specialist textiles and waterproof,breathable membrane systems and it enjoys usingthis knowledge to guide firefighters towards thebest solutions for their requirements.

FlamePro finds that a major problem with theFRSs is the lack of a proper understanding ofmodern textile systems and the company pridesitself on being able to educate and adviseprocurement managers in this area.

As a footnote to this point, the delegate list at arecent European Standards clothing committeeincluded Notified Bodies (test houses), garmentmanufacturers, yarn suppliers, weavers, membranesuppliers and scientists; all these people no doubthaving the best interests of the fire and rescueservices at heart, but there was not a single activefirefighter, the end users of the garments beingdiscussed, in attendance to represent the FRSs.

www.flame-pro.com

Visit FlamePro (UK) Ltd on Stand J14.

The new FlamePro® Level 1, flame retardant, waterproof breathablejacket is currently being used by the Magnox Emergency ResponseTeam at Oldbury Nuclear Power Station in Gloucestershire.

CustomisedwaterproofmapsSpecialist map company Hope Digital will beshowcasing its Aqua3™ customised mapproduction service, which has been specificallydeveloped to provide mapping of high risk areas for fire and rescue services.

The service uses detailed information fromOrdnance Survey Mastermap® data to producehighly legible, waterproof maps that cover preciselocations. Hope Digital’s map specialist works withindividual fire and rescue services to produce thecustomised maps, which are then printed using apatented process to create waterproof maps thatcan also be written on.

Flood rescueNorthumberland Fire and Rescue Service

(NFRS) recently commissioned a set of maps to be used in flood rescue situations. NFRS is apartner on the Northumberland County Councilstrategic flood improvement delivery group andalso held an internal fire and rescue service debrief,which identified a number of action areas forNFRS. One priority was the development andprovision of waterproof high quality maps of high-risk areas to be used for incident commandand control and to aid evacuation and search and rescue.

The NFRS’s map systems use Ordnance Surveydata that is held by the county council under aPSMA license. Hope Digital is able to access that data to prepare detailed mapping of specificflood risk areas and produce them in a waterproof format. Ian Long, Group Manager, AreaTeam South, Emergency Response, said, “We knewwhat information we needed on the maps butdidn’t know the technicalities of how to access andmanipulate the data. Mike Thompson, HopeDigital’s mapping specialist, worked closely with usto figure out how to produce maps that showedexactly the operational level of detail we needed for specific high risk areas.”

Complements existing mappingHope Digital produced 12 x 1:1250 scale

maps to cover Morpeth and other high-risk riverflood areas. These maps complement existingmapping systems used by NFRS to enable preciseidentification of house numbers and street names, all of which were pulled from OS Mastermap® data. The maps cover whole high-risk urban flood areas, rather than the rivercourse and flood inundation areas having to besplit between different maps.

The maps have also been designed to show the flow and topographical detail of the riverbanks, to enable a more efficient search andresponse plan to be implemented.

www.aqua3.com/rescue-emergency-services.asp

Visit Hope Digital on Stand P30.


ESTADVERTORIAL | 99

By equipping 100 percent of the professionalAustrian fire brigades, almost half of Germany’sprofessional fire brigades and various numbers ofvolunteer firefighters, TEXPORT has quicklyestablished itself as a high quality PPEmanufacturer all over Europe. In recent years, thetrend has continued, with significant contractsbeing awarded in various brigades spanning theglobe. For the last 20 years TEXPORT has driventhe PPE market with its highly innovative andcustomised solutions, culminating in the newfabrics IB-TEX® and PBI® NEO® and the newproduct lines ‘Fire Phoenix’ and ‘Fire Explorer’,which all premiered at last year’s A+A trade showin Dusseldorf. Also launched at the show, wasTEXPORT’s new contemporary rebranded look, aswell as the official launch of the new user friendlywebsite.

Experience driven patents andinnovations

The company’s headquarters are situated inSalzburg and run three separate and wholly ownedproduction sites. Internally developing new modelsallows TEXPORT to create products, which aredefined by functional solutions and the highprotection levels as well as perfect fit and comfort.

Last year saw the introduction of new additionsto TEXPORT’s long list of market drivinginnovations.

With the premium IB-TEX® fabric, TEXPORTset a new milestone for aramid-based fabrics.Extremely high mechanical values in combinationwith best protection and optimal aesthetics makesIB-TEX® the strongest and best aramid basedfabric currently available.

With PBI® NEO®, TEXPORT presented a newlydeveloped PBI®-based fabric that raised the bar interms of mechanical values as well as aesthetics.The fabrics were officially showcased at A+A 2013in Düsseldorf within the two new model linesbeing the ‘Fire Explorer model’ (with IB-TEX®

outershell) and the ‘Fire Phoenix model’ (withPBI® NEO® outershell).

In combination with other well known patents –like TEXPORT’s own material structures ‘X-TREME®’ and ‘X-TREME® light’ as well as theinnovative textile reflective stripe ‘TRIPLEFABRIC®’ – these new models surpass theimagination of users and herald a new era in PPE.

“TEXPORT continues totake the global fire

market to the next level.”

No sub-contracting!Unique in the PPE sector, TEXPORT is able to

produce its high quality garments within theirwholly owned production sites. The risks associatedwith subcontracting to third party producers aretherefore totally eliminated. The ISO-certified sitesare controlled out of Salzburg and consist of fullytrained tailors and machinists who make and checkevery product produced. For these reasonsTEXPORT is able to boast its constant levels ofquality and guarantee some of the shortest leadtimes within the sector.

Recent successA combination of all the aforementioned factors

have persuaded established brigades like Madrid,Rio de Janerio, Berlin and Vienna to chooseTEXPORT as the preferred company and productfor their firefighters. TEXPORT has also achievedrecent success by securing more reputable brigadeslike Rotterdam, Brasilia and Utrecht.

A major win in Dublin Fire Brigade and LisbonAirport have further increased Texport’s marketshare.

With a wealth of technical knowledge, expertise,innovative patented solutions and a growing globalmarket share, combined with the history,experience, reputation and IT infrastructure,TEXPORT continues to take the global fire marketto the next level.

TEXPORT will be showcasing its latest productrange and the company’s innovations with Hunter Apparel at The Emergency Services Show2014 on Stand L19.

www.texport.at

Direct contact for the Irish and UK PPE market:Chirag Chudasama, Export Sales Manager ([email protected]).

TEXPORT strengthens its marketposition in EuropeLast year saw the 20th anniversary of TEXPORT, a milestone that was celebrated with exciting new developments and a

fresh brand image and website. Now the Austrian PPE manufacturer is ready to expand its successful function as a high

quality supplier and continue its unparalleled success for the decades ahead!

Fire Phoenix model (with PBI® NEO® outershell).

Fire Explorer model (with IB-TEX® outershell).



ISG prioritises firefighter safetyOver the last two decades, thermal imaging in thefire industry has moved on dramatically from whenISG pioneered the first thermal imaging camera(TIC) for fire fighting in the early 1990s. Whatstarted as technology designed to aid a firefighter inextreme environments has moved into a range ofproducts intent on impressing the user with certainfeatures and gadgets that in truth have little to dowith the primary function of a TIC.

No gimmicksISG Infrasys has moved away from this approach,

instead opting to provide the very best in imagingtechnology, coupled with image enhancements,rather than added features. Each enhancementfurther optimises the usability of the TIC,providing more information from the scene toenable the user to make better decisions. Thismeans there are no gimmicks with ISG products,and rather only tools that offer the user a genuineperformance advantage in a variety of scenarios.Whether its improving visibility or providingadded scene details for better decision making, with ISG Infrasys you’re guaranteed enhancedperformance without the jargon of added features.

Additionally, ISG’s advancement in thermalimaging engine technology has enabled hugeprogress in perfecting the more basic functions ofan infrared camera, defined as how the cameraproduces an image and how the user can interpretwhat they see on the display.

Colourisation provides the user with the means ofrecognising different temperature ranges depictedin a scene. Objects in the scene are identifiablebased on their temperature, with cold objectsappearing as black, scaling through grey, white,yellow, orange and red as the temperatures getwarmer. Using the human mind’s assumption thatblack relates to cool, yellow relates to warm and redrelates to hot, ISG’s colourisation enables you toimmediately identify key scene details of yoursurrounding environment so you can quickly assessyour situation and highlight any high-risk areas.

The Thermal Layer Reference Guide providesyou with the ability to quickly identify keytemperature ranges in the scene being imaged. Thisfunction further enhances the colourisation featureby allowing you to relate the colours in the scene tokey temperatures. This essential tool means thatyou can generate a course of action to attack thoseareas, which are of the highest risk, helping to keepyou and your team safer.

In order to provide the best possible imagequality, the thermal imager constantly makes quickscene adjustments to its settings. With AutomaticMode Switching, you’re always provided with thebest scene information, no matter what thesurrounding environment, helping improve yourdecision making capability.

After sales careAs well as world leading thermal imaging

cameras from ISG, you’ll also have access to thecompany’s exceptional after sales care packageswhere you can take advantage of 48-hourturnaround time on warranty repairs, not tomention its exclusive and unique Batteries for Lifepackage.

ISG has invested huge resource in streamliningits internal processes so that any camera returnedto the company for repair or service is submitted toits internal Repair Centre within 30 minutes ofarrival at the factory. ISG’s expert engineers canthen assess the returned camera and provide adiagnosis and proposed solution within a matter ofhours so that it can respond quickly, and get yourcamera returned to you within 48 hours.

If you’re after complete peace-of-mind then ISGrecommends you take advantage of its Batteries forLife programme, the world’s first and only lifetimewarranty on batteries meaning that for a one-offsubscription fee, you’ll receive replacementbatteries anytime you have a breakdown during thelife of your product.

One thing is guaranteed with every ISG Infrasysproduct purchased: you’ll be getting the mosttechnologically advanced thermal imaging solution,designed specifically for your application in themost extreme environments, and you’ll get totalpeace of mind and absolute support with ISG’scomplete after-sale service throughout the life ofyour product.

www.isgfire.com

Visit ISG Thermal Imaging on Stand H60.

UK based training provider PGI Training is set tolaunch the UK’s first Pre-Hospital EmergencyServices Skills course this November. The uniquetwo-day course will extend trained pre-hospitalpractitioners with advanced life saving skills.

The two-day Pre-hospital Emergency SurgicalSkills Course is open to doctors, nurses andparamedics and Class 1 military medics. Thecourse Medical Director is Dr Bob Winter,Consultant Anaesthetist and intensivist from theQueens Medical Centre Nottingham. Bob is also a pre-hospital care doctor and Medical Director for PGI.

The course is run in partnership withNottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and istaught from the Clinical Skills and CompetencyCentre NUH Trust, City Campus.

Those on the course will learn and train oncadaveric models as this gives the best opportunityfor anatomical landmarks for surgical procedures.Animal models are also utilised.

Taking bookingsPGI Training will be exhibiting at

The Emergency Services Show 2014 (Stand Q16)and will be available to give information and takebookings for this course and all other courses overthe two-day event. Dr Bob Winter said, “Thiscourse is innovative and beneficial for any pre-hospital clinician working in a remoteenvironment.”

PGI Training specialises in medical solutions andis the training arm of Protection GroupInternational, a risk mitigation company, whichworks with public and private organisations in boththe UK and internationally. The company offersaccredited medical courses mainly in the pre-hospital environment, which range from First Aidat Work to Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support.

With the team’s experience it has the ability totailor its courses while keeping its core values.Along with the company’s ability to tailor courses,PGI Training has the understanding andknowledge to design specialised packages to meetclients’ specific needs.

PGI Training has training facilities across the UK and capability to satellite products onrequest. The faculty consists of a diverse range of backgrounds, which include pre-hospital doctors, critical care practitioners and UK special forces paramedics.

www.pgitraining.com

Visit PGI Training on Stand Q16.

UK’s first Pre-HospitalEmergencyServices Skillscourse



Class ProfessionalPublishing will beconducting anhourly prize drawfrom its stand at theshow to win a copyof the publicationAnatomy &Physiology for thePrehospital Provider(worth £44.99).

With eight books available to win on Wednesday 24 September and seven booksavailable on Thursday 25 September, visitorsshould visit Stand C14 to register for the draw.

Winners will be contacted by phone but ClassProfessional Publishing will also be Tweeting everywinner so make sure you follow #ESS2014 duringthe event. The company will also be offering ashow discount of 20 percent so anyone who missesout on the prize will at least have the opportunityto purchase the book at the discounted rate.

www.classprofessional.co.uk

Visit Class Professional Publishing on Stand C14.

Fifteen chancesto win a book!

Discover more about DrägerIn this, its 125th anniversary year, manufacturer ofsafety and medical solutions, Dräger, is invitingEmergency Services Show visitors to discover moreabout the innovative products and services, whichhave helped establish it as one of the leadinginternational holistic solutions providers for theemergency services.

A trusted and loyal partner to fire and rescueservices around the globe, Dräger will showcase itsexperience and expertise, with specialists on handto discuss product features, service, training andmaintenance options.

Both breathing apparatus and communicationssystems are vital pieces of equipment for the fireand rescue service and Dräger’s versatile, integratedand comfortable solutions, mean that firefightersworking on the frontline can carry out their jobs ina safer and more effective manner. Hands-ondemonstrations will showcase these applications tovisitors stopping by the stand during the wholetwo-day event.

Dion Griffith, Fire & Rescue Account Manager(Northern UK) from Dräger, said, “We are thrilledto be attending The Emergency Services Show thisyear and look forward to showcasing our range ofinnovative products for the emergency services.

“On our stand, demonstrations will include aglimpse of the advanced Merlin Telemetry Boardplus our award-winning helmet – the HPS 7000 –which is an innovation in comfort and safety forevery individual firefighter.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming peoplefrom across the emergency services to Stand R43,during the show."

FutureproofThe Dräger stand will also showcase its full

product and training portfolio, showing why it isone of the market leaders in these areas.

Dräger is inviting visitors to the stand to celebrateits 125-year anniversary and discover more aboutthe company, its years of experience in the safetyand medical industries and the products, whichwill continue to support our vital services in thefuture.

www.draeger.com

Visit Dräger on Stand R43.

The field of protective clothing for firefighters iscontinually changing, as new fibres, fabrics andtechnologies become available. What are the latestdevelopments and trends? At this year’sEmergency Services Show, TenCate is organisinga free study session on this subject.

The Study Session will be given twice: SeminarDay 1: Wednesday 24 September, 1.30pm-4.30pm;Seminar Day 2: Thursday 25 September, 9.00am-12.00noon. Three experts in the field of PPE forfire and rescue services will talk about topics thatinclude international standards, humanphysiology and ergonomics and a best practicecase of a PPE approach to protective clothing.

Don’t miss this excellent opportunity to get upto speed on what’s happening today in the field offirefighters’ protective clothing. Admission is free,but pre-registration is required, as seats arelimited.

Topics and speakersThe line up of speakers includes:

Russell Shephard, Manager Standards for theAustralasian Fire and Emergency ServiceAuthorities Council (AFAC), who will providedelegates with a European and Internationalperspective on the relationship between standards,manufacturers and the end users, including ofdifficulties on a PPE procurement process; and

Ronald Heus, Senior scientist protective clothingand equipment, who will discuss research intophysiology and ergonomics as the basis forimproving firefighter clothing.

The speakers will be joined for discussions byDavid Matthews, a leading EU and world experton PPE.

TenCate looks forward to welcoming visitors tothe show at one of the company’s Study Sessions,

either on Wednesday afternoon or on Thursday morning. Everyone will have anopportunity to ask questions, share their expertise and swap experiences so don’t forget to register!

http://eepurl.com/YmRvD

Visit TenCate Protective Fabrics on Stand H8.

Sign up for PPE study sessions with TenCate

Ronald Heus, Senior scientist protective clothing and equipment.Russell Shephard, Manager Standards for the Australasian Fire andEmergency Service Authorities Council (AFAC).


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The Bristol Uniforms stand will be particularlybusy this year with a number of new products onshow along with a dedicated area looking at thecurrent ICP Technology Refresh programme.

The ICP Technology Refresh programme iscurrently underway with completion due in 2015.A series of exhibits will focus on the ICP’s successover the last seven years, the extensive programmeof garment and wearer trials now underway, andlooks ahead to next spring when the newICP/CPCC (Central PPE and Clothing Contract)range will be unveiled. It will provide an idealopportunity for non-ICP user fire and rescueservices to appraise its operational and financialadvantages. New users joining from 2015 couldreap the benefits over the coming seven years.

Fire gloves firstIn a further extension of its own-manufacture

product strategy, Bristol has designed a range ofthree structural fire fighting gloves to meetEN659:2008 and which have focused on providingclass leading protection and manual dexterity.

The new gloves, which have been designed byBristol’s in-house design team as part of Bristol’sNew Product Development Programme(BNPDP), have been fully tested by UKfirefighters before going into production and willbe available in three different fabric combinations.

The first product will be available from theautumn of 2014, which is an all-black, soft,flexible leather design incorporating a GoreCROSSTECH® membrane with a Kevlar lining.Special features include silicone finger and palmgrips and a knitted Nomex® cuff.

Two other gloves in the range, which will beavailable in 2015, will incorporate HainsworthTITAN® fabrics – the former using TITAN® PBI1260 and the latter a TITAN® 1220 in red. Incommon with the leather glove, these bothinclude a Gore CROSSTECH® membrane with aKevlar lining. Identifying features include siliconepalms, reflective piping, knuckle protectors andknitted NOMEX® cuffs.

All three gloves in the range will be available ina wide range of sizes from 6-12 and XXS-XXL.

Commenting on the planned autumn launch,Roger Startin, Bristol’s Joint Managing Director,said, “This new fire glove range is furtherevidence of our long term plan to use our in-house design experience and capability to bringmore own-manufactured firefighter PPE products

to market beyond our traditional ranges ofspecialist coats and trousers. Previously theBNPDP has seen the introduction of fire hoodsand a firefighter motorcycle suit in 2012 followedby our new EN469:2005 Level 1 firefightermotorcycle suit earlier this year. We’re lookingforward to showing our new gloves at TheEmergency Services Show in September.”

Bristol’s latest USAR kit, RescueFlex™, HARTtechnical rescue garments for the ambulanceservice and protective rescue garments for airambulance aircrews will also be on show.

www.bristoluniforms.com

Visit Bristol Uniforms Ltd on Stand J3.

Autumn launch for Bristol’s new glove range

Bristol’s all-black, soft, flexible leather glove incorporates a GoreCROSSTECH® membrane with a Kevlar lining.

Bristol glove using TITAN® 1220 fabric in red.

EP Barrus Ltd is working in partnership with R3 Safety and Rescue Ltd, which is set to becomeone of the UK’s leading water and technicalrescue training providers.

R3 courses carry international certification fromRescue 3, one of the world’s largest technicalrescue training organisations. Rescue 3 courses arecompliant with relevant competencies andstandards for rescue agencies and technicians aslaid down by organisations such as the UK ChiefFire Officers’ Association (CFOA)/Defra FloodRescue National Enhancement Project and theNational Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Thecourses have been carefully designed to meet thetraining and development needs of the safety andtechnical rescue sectors, focusing primarily onwater, rope and inland boat rescue.

Swift water capabilitiesBarrus recently took part in R3’s National

Resilience Assurance Team (NRAT) Flood SMAEvent where over 20 fire and rescue servicesundertook swift water demonstrations at Tees

Barrage International Whitewater Centre, nearMiddlesbrough. This purpose-built facilitycomplements the natural river venues of NorthWales and guarantees swift water conditions at alltimes. Barrus supplied a Zodiac FC 470 inflatableboat fitted with a Mariner 50hp outboard engineand a Mariner 30hp, which R3 fitted to anArancia boat.

Paul O’Sullivan, Managing Director, R3 Safety& Rescue Ltd, said, “The engines were great and I

think we were able to highlight the effectivenessof the FC 470/Mariner 50/prop guard and theArancia/Mariner 30/prop guard combinations.

“We operated both boats for two days doingmore runs up and down the course than anyoneelse, including night runs. The only boat able tomake it up the channel carrying six people onboard was the FC 470/Mariner 50/ prop guard set up,” Paul concluded.

Barrus has demonstrated and supplied anumber of engines in the past but the companywill be sponsoring a Mariner 30hp and a Mariner50hp outboard engine for R3’s two demonstrationboats.

Barrus is now working with over 45 fire andrescue services around the UK supplying Mariner two-stroke outboard engines from 25-40hp and other equipment, including waterrescue pumps.

www.barrus.co.uk

Visit EP Barrus Ltd on Stand A7.

Mariner outboards chosen for water and flood rescue training

Barrus recently took part in R3’s National Resilience Assurance Team(NRAT) Flood SMA Event.


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MC Products has it coveredMC Products UK Ltd, with 30 years’ experience inmanufacturing, offers a bespoke custom madeservice for equipment holders for gas bottles,defibrillators, scientific equipment, speed cameras,body worn CCTV, basically any item that needs acover or specialised carrier.

The company will have a wide range ofequipment belts and holders on view for NHS,police, security, and enforcement officers, with abespoke service if required for special requirements.

Waterproof clipboardNew to the range is the Hi-Visibility waterproof

clipboard ‘Stormwriter’, which is ideal for workersin all industries to keep their paperwork dry whileworking outside in wet or windy weatherconditions. It is available in portrait and landscapeorientation in black and hi-visibility yellow andthere is also the option for companies or groups tohave identification labelling added to the item.

MC Products is also a leading developer for vestsfor various operations with off the shelf options inblack, yellow and orange or the company’s in houseresearch and development team can advise anddevelop products to your bespoke requirements.

Major Incident TabardsEmergency planning is establishing a service

wide approach with a command structure thatrequires having the right equipment in place andbeing able to identify the necessary people involved.Part of this is the Major Incident Tabards, whichshow the rolls of the emergency response team.This simple but very effective design offers a

versatile and quick deployment of the tabard. It canbe manufactured in various colours and reflectivemarkings, with various designation depicting therolls of the wearer; some of the standard designswill be on show for examination and members ofstaff available to discuss and advise.

Protecting your designs, signing non-disclosureforms is not a problem when developing client’sown ideas to a prototype stage and MC ProductsUK Ltd realises that working together benefits both parties.

A range of bags, equipment vests and holders willbe on display, with the popular new additionStormwriter ready for immediate despatch.

www.mcproducts.co.uk

Visit MC Products UK Ltd on Stand A38.

Scott Safetyshowcases newRPE rangesScott Safety, a global leader in the design,manufacture and supply of personal andrespiratory protective equipment (RPE), will bereturning to ESS 2014 to reveal leading new rangesof respiratory protection and gas detectionproducts.

The new ProPak range of Self ContainedBreathing Apparatus (SCBA) provides the ultimatecomfort, reliability and performance. Thislightweight set offers the highest levels of protectionwhile providing the wearer with ease of movementand comfort.

Scott Safety’s new 379bar high-pressure cylinder will also be unveiled at the show. At 25 percent higher pressures than the current300bar SCBA, it offers significantly increasedduration with minimal increases in size and weight. At the size of a typical 60-minute cylinder, the 379bar is able to provide a duration of 75 minutes.

Also available on the stand will be the popular Protégé Multi-Gas Monitor and Protégé ZM Single Gas Monitor; both offer anergonomically designed hand-held solution tomonitoring potentially hazardous levels ofcombustible gases, enabling the operator to focuson the situation at hand.

www.scottsafety.com

Visit Scott Safety on Stand G27.

The new ProPak range of Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA).

Proflight works with all of the emergency servicesand is passionate about creating bags that enableusers to best practice their talents and knowledge.One instance of this is the company’s expansiverange of first aid bags, which come in varyingshapes and sizes but are specifically designed tohold the products users need neatly, compactly andsecurely. The zip compartments even Velcro in andout of the bag so you can just remove the specificsyou need in each instance.

Another example is Proflight’s recent adaptationof its popular gas cylinder covers. The company hasadded anti-entanglement straps, which bridge thesmall gap between the cylinder and harness. This

prevents any debris becoming trapped between the two essential and potentially lifesavingcomponents; a small and simple addition, whichhas proved an invaluable safety enhancer andhighlights the company’s passion for detail andsafety enhancing solutions. This innovation is already being adopted and positively received by fire and rescue services, includingNottinghamshire and Derbyshire.

The company will be showcasing its latestproducts, including the first aid bags, cylindercover, stowage bags, helmet bags and more, on its largest stand to date.

www.proflightbags.co.uk

Visit Proflight on Stand F35.

Smart bags designed tooptimise your skills



RAE Systems’ new QRAE 3 is a versatile, rugged,one-to-four-sensor gas monitor that providescontinuous exposure monitoring of Oxygen (O2),combustibles, and toxic gases, including Hydrogensulfide (H2S), Carbon Monoxide (CO), SulphurDioxide (SO2) and Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN).

The QRAE 3 is certified for use in hazardousenvironments, and is designed for use across abroad array of industries where exposure to toxicgas is a constant safety threat. These industriesinclude a broad range of industrial, oil and gas,environmental, first responder and national defence applications.

Real-time dataWhen a situation arises, safety officers must make

critical, split-second decisions about how and whereto deploy resources.

They need access to real-time threat data, whichQRAE 3 can provide, to help make faster, moreinformed decisions to protect lives and property.

“With the QRAE 3,emergency responders

now have wireless access to Toxic Twin

gas information, whichcan help protect their long-term

health and safety.”

The QRAE 3’s wireless communication capabilityenables access to real-time, remote instrument

readings and alarm status – including aninnovative ‘Man-Down’ alarm – from anylocation, for better visibility and fasterresponse. Real-time hazard readings canalso be communicated to the ProRAEGuardian Safety System and theEchoView Host Closed-Loop WirelessSystem for safety-enhancing wireless

monitoring outside the hot zone, from aplant safety office or from a remote,

enterprise location. This can help facilitatefaster, data-driven decision making to alertresponders, save lives and protect assets.

“RAE Systems has been the industryleader in advancing wireless gas detection

technologies that help save lives and assetsfor more than a decade,” said Thomas Negre,Vice President of Products and Marketing forRAE Systems. “With the addition of theQRAE 3, RAE Systems now offers the mostextensive line of area, survey and portablewireless gas detectors making affordable,cutting edge toxic gas detection solutionsavailable to more customers across abroader range of applications. Our wirelessmonitors include single-gas, four-gas,multi-gas with gamma (radiationdetector), transportable multi-gas withgamma and semi-fixed with gamma forenhanced organisational safety.”

Toxic Twin gas information“The toxic vapours present in fire smoke,

particularly Hydrogen Cyanide and Carbon

Monoxide, the ‘Toxic Twins’, are increasinglyrecognised as the most dangerous and deadly partof any fireground operation. As such, it is essentialfor incident commanders to have access to critical,real-time threat data to help protect personnel fromdangerous exposure levels,” said Jason Krusen,Chief of Special Operations at Columbia, SC, FireDepartment and President of the FireSmokeCoalition. “With the QRAE 3, emergencyresponders now have wireless access to Toxic Twingas information, which can help protect their long-term health and safety.”

Breakthrough technologyThe QRAE 3 offers breakthrough gas detection

features and capabilities, including:• Advanced wireless functionality – first

and only solution that is rapidly deployablein both closed-loop and global, 24/7Internet-based systems

• Enhanced organisational safety andcompliance – organisations can leveragepolicy enforcement features (RAE SystemsAutoRAE 2 bump and calibration stations)to ensure users follow calibration andbump test procedures and that theirinstruments are working properly

• Protection against the ‘Toxic Twins’ – theQRAE 3 provides a wireless fire smokeconfiguration to detect for the ‘Toxic Twins’(CO and HCN)

• Advanced User Interface – the QRAE 3features large graphical display, icon-drivenuser interface through intuitive, two-buttonoperation. The QRAE 3 also includes a‘Man Down’ alarm and automatic flipscreen. All ToxiRAE Pro, MultiRAE andQRAE 3 monitors now feature a similarmenu, navigation and icons

• Available in multiple, user-configurablemonitors – all configurations are availablepumped or diffusion, and wireless or non-wireless, and with various sensorconfigurations. The QRAE 3 includes athree-year warranty on standard sensor

• Compatible with RAE Systems wirelesssafety systems – QRAE 3 real-time threatdata can be monitored on mobile devicesvia the ProRAE Guardian Wireless SafetySystem, 24/7, through a secure Internetconnection, or via the EchoView HostClosed-Loop Wireless System.

www.raesystems.comwww.honeywell.com

Visit BW Technologies by Honeywell on Stand P58.

Wireless gas monitor improves first responder safetyRAE Systems Inc, a leader in wirelessly connected gas and radiation detection solutions, has launched the industry’s

first wireless, portable, four-gas pumped and diffusion gas monitor that will significantly enhance worker safety in

industrial environments and better protect first responders.


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Baselayers can be lifesaversFirefighters experience many stresses, strains andchallenges when performing fire fighting duties inpersonal protective equipment (PPE). PPE is anessential component of modern day fire fightingequipment designed to save lives and reduceinjuries. Extensive research has been conductedlooking at the outer protective layers but littleresearch has been undertaken to determine theeffectiveness of next-to-skin clothing as part of alayered system.

ResearchIn 2013 Guelph Humber University in Canada

researched four different base layers during live fire evolutions to identify the next generation ofbaselayer systems for firefighters. Four differentgarments’ systems were tested and compared with live physiological monitoring andperceptual/sensorial measurement.

The research finding ranked Armadillo Merino®

as the number one choice of next-to-skin clothingwith 67 percent selecting Armadillo Merino®

as their first choice and 100 percent as their first or second choice. Armadillo Merino®

garments don’t melt or drip and provide naturalflame resistance up to 600°C. They feature no staticgeneration, high UVA and UVB protection andhighly effective thermo-regulation in both hot andcold conditions – sweat is actively managed in boththe vapour and liquid state keeping userscomfortable while preventing odour productionand helping to maintain a more stable core body temperature.

Head-to-toe systemBuckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Fire and

Rescue Service (BMKFRS) chose ArmadilloMerino® to supply a head-to-toe clothing system inthe UK. “We were looking for base layer garments,which had fewer limitations and challenges thancotton or synthetic materials,” explained CFOMark Jones, BMKFRS. “We wanted a T-shirt styletop that could be worn at all times when on duty,without the need to issue alternatives.”

The work of the Buckinghamshire technicalrescue staff required base layer clothing that couldbe adapted to meet the physiological demands ofchallenging environments and differing weatherconditions. The team is part of the national urbansearch and rescue (USAR) capability, meaning theycan be deployed to incidents anywhere in the UKfor extended periods of time.

High flame resistanceThe trials found the Armadillo Merino garments

offered a higher level of flame resistance thanexisting next-to-skin clothing. The outcome of these trials was crucial in the purchase decision,stated CFO Jones. “After a series of extensive and punishing wearer trials, the Armadillo Merinogarments outperformed the cotton and syntheticalternatives, providing a good solution on thegrounds of effectiveness and wearer comfort. Whilst there are less expensive garments availableand money is always tight in this service, we feltthat we needed a greater focus on improving base layer clothing in addition to outerwear PPE.

“This represents a significant investment toimprove the health, safety and welfare of ourspecialist staff that fits well with our ethos ofseeking high quality to achieve the best value over time.”

www.armadillomerino.com

Visit Armadillo Merino on Stand L12.

Managing all your hose needsParkland Engineering, established in 1978, is amajor manufacturer and distributor of hose,couplings and fittings throughout the UK andEurope and classified as a Grade A supplier toseveral world leading OEMs.

Now part of the Kiowa Group, which includesBorder Hydraulics and Pneumatics Ltd, ParklandEngineering not only has the backing of two wellaligned companies with extensive knowledge andexperience of industrial products, the company hashave a national support network of six fullyequipped branches who provide from stock a range of industrial, hydraulic, metallic, PTFE and silicone hose assemblies. Combine this withlocalised branches, which are interlinked via asophisticated computer system, you can ensureproducts are delivered when you need them and even through next day timed deliveries when required.

Recognised highquality

For the past decade,Parkland Engineeringhas been a majorsupplier to the fire andrescue service. Success isdue to the recognised

high quality of Parkland’s own manufactured hoses,produced within the company’s 41,000sqftpremises; supported by on-time delivery and exceptional technical adviceand service to meet your requirements. The high-pressure fire reeling hose is unique to Parkland andhas a design-registered highly visible fluorescentstrip with black arrows pointing the way to safety.

The Parkland manufactured hose range isreinforced by a variety of items bought only frominternationally renowned manufacturers such asMerlett and Dantec for whom Parkland are theUK’s largest distributor of their composite hoserange. A range of Layflat fire hoses, Reelcraft hosereels and Scorpe/Elkhart Brass fire and rescueequipment complete the range. To complementParkland’s products, the company also provides afull hose management service, which can betailored to meet your needs.

On site testingThe onsite testing and hose management service

is carried out by probably the most experienced testteam in the UK, having detailed knowledge of themajority of the UK’s fire brigades, chemical, oil anddistribution facilities. The team also holds ‘passportto safety’ clearance, which allows personnel to workunsupervised on site to provide a comprehensivecomputerised database for full hose traceability.

Parkland is an ISO 9001 approved supplier and aregistered member of NEPIC and NAHAD.

www.parkland-eng.co.uk

Visit Parkland Engineering Ltd on Stand B48.


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SlideandTilt has quickly established itself as amarket leader in emergency vehicle drawersolutions. Over recent years the company hasbrought a fresh approach to the engineering ofproducts for storage solutions by using the latesttechniques in manufacturing plastics and alloys tooffer lightweight corrosion free components whilealso looking after the environment.

This year sees the launch of the company’s new

lightweight drawers, put together without weldingor bolts. Further products include: telescopic slides;slide and tilt kits, including bespoke drawers;drawer front handles; general moulding; and an in-house design facility.

www.SlideandTilt.com

Visit Slide and Tilt. Com Ltd on Stand B29.

Lightweight vehicle drawers

SP Services, a leading supplier of emergencymedical and rescue equipment, celebrated its 25th Silver Anniversary on 5 July 2014 with aprivate party at the beautiful Weston Park, locatedon the Staffordshire/Shropshire border.

The SP team donned black tie and ball gowns toenjoy an evening of fine dining and entertainmentin celebration of this magnificent milestone.

Over the past 25 years SP services has growninto a market leader in the emergency medicaland rescue equipment sector, with a strong andloyal following of customers and advocates of thequality and service provided.

The party was a huge success and a chance for the team to come together and acknowledgeall that has been achieved over the years.

“After 25 years I feel we have a lot to be proudof,” said SP’s Managing Director Steve Bray, “The next 25 years look bright for SP Servicesand I think I speak for everyone at SP when I say we’re all looking forward to what we can do in the years ahead.”

Show only offersIf you are attending the The Emergency

Services Show from 24-25 September at the NEC be sure to visit SP Services on Stand L52. Be among the first people in the industry to see the new products and specialist emergencyservice equipment on offer, meet with the friendly and helpful customer servicesrepresentatives who will be on hand to help you with all of your enquiries, and purchasingneeds and grab a fantastic show only offeravailable on many product lines.

www.spservices.co.uk

Visit SP Services (UK) Ltd on Stand L52.

SP celebrates 25 years in style

Bollé Safety, a world leader in the design andmanufacture of protective eyewear, will belaunching a new version of the market leadingAtom goggle at this year’s exhibition, a new versatile,high impact protection double lens safety goggle.

The new sealed double lens Atom with Equalizertechnology, which filters and regulates moisturelevels, and Platinum double-sided anti-scratch andanti-fog coating ensures that the lens will not fogup any extreme conditions. It has been tested andapproved to EN 166 1BT KN 3, 4, 5 and EN 1702C-1.2.

The Atom is an extremely versatile, low profilegoggle that has been tested and approved to meetthe highest levels of impact protection, EN 1661BT KN, and also provides the wearer withprotection against chemicals, dust and gases. Thereis a prescription insert available but the Atom willalso fit comfortably over prescription spectacles.Adding to its versatility, the Atom is also availablewith an easy to attach visor and tear off lensprotectors.

All Bollé products provide the wearer withprotection, style, comfort and an exceptional fieldof view due to their lightweight design, advancedmaterial technology and Bollé Safety’s worldrenowned optical class 1 lens quality. And as withall of the range of products from Bollé Safety theyalso offer you the customer excellent value for money.

www.bolle-safety.com

Visit Bollé Safety on Stand G33.

Protectiveeyewear



The NACSC course is designed to give a completeinsight into the world of crime scene cleaning. Andit’s seriously dirty work – the training involvescleaning mocked-up scenarios where fake-blood,skin and body fluids are splattered across rooms.Trainees will also see footage filmed at previousextreme cleans, which helps to show them the truthof the job. They will have to be introduced slowly,because the reality can be shocking.

Trainees are also given advice and educated onhow to cope with people traumatised by the scenethey are cleaning. This can be grieving familymembers, or even the landlord, left to deal with theaftermath of criminal activity.

The threat that crime scenes present is nowrecognised to be considerable, including HepatitisB and other pathogens. The recent tightening ofhealth and safety regulations means thoseoverseeing crime scenes have to take this threat tohealth into account; they have a statutory duty toensure the health and safety of those at the crimescene and afterwards.

“Cleaners regularlycleanse murder scenes,suicides, trauma sites,

and decomposingbodies.”

Increased professionalismThe consequence is the increasing

professionalism of crime scene cleaning, withclients now recognising that, in order to dischargetheir responsibilities properly, they should usecleaning operatives who have been properly trainedon an accredited training scheme.

The National Academy of Crime Scene Cleaners(NACSC) was launched in 2009 to meet this need– to provide rigorous training, which preserved thehealth and safety of cleaning operatives and otherswhile enabling the police and other bodies to besure that they are meeting their statutoryresponsibilities.

The NACSC networkThe NACSC course graduates have the option to

become part of the NACSC network of qualifiedcrime scene cleaning operatives, having crime sceneenquiries passed onto them. Academy members areable to deal with any bio hazard incident, from a

simple needle collection, house clearance, wasteremoval, to full trauma scene clean up.

To date the academy has 450 cleaning companiesin its network across the UK, enabling the NACSCto offer a two hour response time anywhere in thecountry.

Clients always know that, by contacting theAcademy Network, they will have a professionallyqualified service, with operatives trained to thehighest standards.

Services include: clean crime scenes and traumascene locations, including police cells andcontaminated vehicles RTA and crime sceneequipment; deodorise, remove contaminatedflooring; control pests; house clearance; road trafficaccident clean up; animal death clean up; collecthypodermic needles; cleaning and sanitisingpersonal effects; removing hazardous waste to meetspecialist waste carriers regulations (including allblood borne pathogens); sanitation services thatinclude both minor and major outbreak control;health and safety method statements and riskassessments; dealing with the client or member ofthe public offering a compassionate service in theirtime of need; renovation services; and ATPmonitoring and auditing.

The cleansCleaning a crime scene is not easy and a long

way from the work of a regular industrial cleaner –though most qualified crime scene cleaners do the day-to-day stuff too. Crime residue and other biological waste and matter, especiallyhypodermic needles, need correct handling.Without the right procedure the team could be atrisk of Hepatitis, HIV/AIDs, and other nastyinfections and diseases.

Cleaners regularly cleanse murder scenes,suicides, trauma sites, and decomposing bodies.They are the first on site to incidents wheresuspects have trashed their police cells, as well asother smaller blood and body fluid incidents.

Each job requires a different approach, and arange of cleaning tools and products. You will get tounderstand the process and protocols, and thescience behind the method.

The cleaners work in a specific way to avoid crosscontamination of bodily fluids, while keeping theirown safety paramount. They also have to berespectful, as often it’s the family members who areleft behind to pick up the pieces.

The cleaning will include – decontaminatingrooms, insect infestations, and tracing andremoving body fluids. The teams also then replaceproperty, repaint rooms, and get everythinghabitable again for the client.

New pathogens are being discovered every day!NACSC has the safe solution to the problem.

www.nacsc.co.uk

Step inside the world of crime scene cleaningRun by a dedicated team on the west coast of Wales and recognised by police forces around the country, the National Academy of Crime Scene Cleaners is (NACSC) is a pioneering force. Students for the course come fromall over Great Britain, with some travelling from further afield in Europe to learn the definitive way to clean crime scenes.The students come from police and local councils, as well as cleaning companies who want to get onto the approved list.


ESTVEHICLES | 115

Two cars – conversions based on the NissanPathfinder – currently fulfil this 4x4 role forEMAS. However, one of the vehicles has limitedpatient carrying capacity due to head space so itcan only be used to move the patient to the waitingambulance for transport to hospital. This is clearlynot ideal as it results in delays in the patient’sarrival time. The need to provide better facilitiesled EMAS’ fleet services department to considerthe options available.

The choice was narrowed down to two basevehicles – the Land Rover Defender and the VW Amarok. Unfortunately, the Land Rover is dueto be discontinued in 2015 and it was felt thismight cause problems in future years so this leftthe Amarok 4x4 as the vehicle of choice. TheAmarok has a proven pedigree and has been testedunder the most demanding conditions, forexample, as the official support vehicle for theDakar rally in 2010.

Having decided on the most suitable vehicle,EMAS began work on developing a specification,which met their needs. The base vehicle is astretched version of the VW Amarok (VW LONO)with a modular-structured ambulance body. 132kWof engine power, eight-speed automatictransmission and four-wheel drive ensures agileperformance on tarmac and off road. Work on thechassis extension and body were completed byEuropean specialist partners of VCS, namelyVETH and Tamlans, and VCS in West Yorkshirecompleted the internal conversion and electricalinterface to EMAS’ specific requirements.

Safety was a very important factor. Tamlanscarried out load simulations and practical safetytests in its numerous research facilities. TheAmarok body can withstand heavy point loads andretains its shape even if the vehicle was to roll over.The structure of the body is both durable and light– it was subjected to 20G dynamic loads, doublethe requirement of CEN compliancy.

MaintenanceReplacing parts and other maintenance tasks

have been made as simple as possible. The designof the ambulance provides unobstructed access tomaintenance points and adequate space for alltasks. All electronic systems have been placed inone location on the cockpit’s wall. The composite

ambulance body is rustproof and, in case ofdamage to the cockpit, the body can be reused on anew platform.

Design and useEMAS’ Head of Fleet Services, Steve Farnsworth,

asked staff that would be using the vehicle for theirinput in designing the internal layout as they werethe best qualified people to know what would berequired and, equally as important, what would not.

VCS in Huddersfield was commissioned toconvert the basic shell and, through the guidance of VCS Sales Engineer Mark Sockett and Sales and Operations Director Mark Kerrigan, was ableto produce a working vehicle so the design teamcould get a feel for the finished product. The onlythings that were fixed were the Stryker stretcherand the doors.

“The positioning of medical instruments and

equipment always requiressome compromises but the

design team’s goal was neverto veer away from making thevehicle as ergonomic and safefor paramedics as possible.”

This ‘blank sheet’ approach to the design processwith input from engineers and medics resulted inwhat EMAS feels to be the best possible layout ofthe vehicle interior. Around 90 percent of thecontents of a full size ambulance were slotted intosome unusual places! There were many evolutionsin the ‘mock up’ stage, which avoided costlymistakes/changes later. The positioning of medical

instruments and equipment always requires somecompromises but the design team’s goal was neverto veer away from making the vehicle as ergonomicand safe for paramedics as possible. Every piece ofmedical and patient immobilisation equipment hasits own place, providing easy access for quick use.The joint input from EMAS’ design team, VCSengineers and production technicians has resultedin the best possible finished product.

Improved patient experienceThe Amarok 4x4 vehicle will help EMAS staff

perform their duties more efficiently and effectivelyunder what can often be extreme circumstances.The Amarok 4x4 is capable of going off road toretrieve a fallen walker or cyclist, get to snow boundvillages and farms to pick up the patient and thentravel to hospital without the need to transfer thepatient to another vehicle thus reducing hospitaladmission times by at least 30 minutes andproviding a much improved patient experience.

Whatever the challenges posed by terrain orweather conditions (or both) EMAS no longer hasto compromise. Its staff will able to offer treatmentat the point of injury or illness and then takepatients direct to hospital saving vital time, whichwill be a huge benefit in the most critical cases.

www.emas.nhs.uk

Efficient and effective in the extremeThe East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) faces many diverse challenges on a daily basis, one of which is the terrainin the High Peak of Derbyshire. The organisation is committed to providing staff with the right tools for the job andhaving 4x4 vehicle capability was identified as crucial to enable crews to retrieve patients from remote areas and farms.


116 | ESTPRODUCTS

Chief Inspector Damien Kennedy leads the MobileData Team. He said, “With the roll out of thePanasonic Toughpad in 90 vehicles across the force,we are really starting to reap the benefits. Themobile technology is saving operational officers’time, because they can complete a number ofenquiries ‘on the go’ at the touch of a buttonwithout having to return to their patrol base. Thisin turn means officers are more highly visible andaccessible to residents.”

“Hertfordshire have invested £3m to makesavings in the future”

The team has been working closely withPanasonic and Vauxhall to develop the PanasonicToughpad FZ-G1 rugged tablet with Windows 8Pro, featuring an 8.4in high-resolution multi-touchscreen in-car screen developed by KME (Kent

Modular Electronics Ltd) and a 4G compatiblebroadband router enabling high-speed internetconnectivity.

Huge savingsChief Insp Kennedy said, “We had problems of

connectivity last year in many parts of the countywhen we were testing the Toughpads, but weworked hard to address this. Hertfordshire is at thecutting edge of technology within policing havinginvested £3m, which will enable us to make hugesavings in the future. By being more efficient atinvestigating crime, officers will be able to deal withmore crimes as well as being a visible deterrent tooffenders.”

Multi-agency initiativesThe technology is not only used to deal with

incidents in real-time, it is also being used by SaferNeighbourhood Teams during events andinitiatives, for example Safer Streets, whereCommunity Safety Partnerships (CSPs) includingthe council, police and fire and rescue service work

with residents to improve quality of life issues, forexample clearing up litter or fitting smoke alarms.

www.herts.police.uk

Police officers to be even more highlyvisible in HertfordshireMobile, secure and robust laptops rolled out across Hertfordshire put the Constabulary at the ‘cutting edge’ of newtechnology in policing and officers can spend more time out and about in communities and on frontline police work.

The Cube 12V portable air conditioner providesvehicle cooling even when the engine is notrunning. Cube could be the ideal answer for coolingsurveillance vehicles, dog vans and speedenforcement camera equipped vehicles. It does notneed to be permanently installed and can be easilyremoved when a vehicle is moved on.

For larger vehicles, Espar’s Dirna Greenline rangeof roof and bulkhead mounting 12V and 24V airconditioners can provide effective engine off

dehumidifying and cooling up to 3.2kW for largemultiple dog carriers and multi-mannedsurveillance vans.

Also available are Espar’s low cost range of roofand bulkhead mounting Ebercool and Dirnaevaporative coolers for use when dehumidified air isnot a requirement.

As well as its range of air conditioners, Esparprovides 12V and 24V DC electric hot waterheating for hand washing and hot drinks. The company’s diesel fired cookers are ideal for messing vehicles and its range of DC refrigeration keeps stored food at a proper stable low temperature.

The portable Polarn diesel fired heater can be used to heat an area away from a vehicle, ideal for keeping casualties warm in situ and keeping rescue service staff warm when outside a vehicle during cold winter days and nights.

Visit the website below to discover how Espar can help cool, heat and provide cooking and hot water facilities for your special application vehicles.

www.espar.co.uk

Vehicle climate control solutions


ESTPRODUCTS | 117

This was a real scenario and stopping the bleedingquickly was just one of the priorities for theattending responders. In this case, Celox Rapidhaemostat was used to control the bleeding inunder one minute, allowing rapid evacuation afterextrication.

Major haemorrhage can kill a casualty as fast as acompromised airway. In 2006,T J Hodgetts et al (1)proposed a revised protocol, changing the ABCparadigm to <C>-ABC, with the <C> standingfor ‘Catastrophic Haemorrhage’, meaning anycatastrophic haemorrhage needs to be dealt withfirst. The latest JRCALCS guidelines (2013revision) include use of a haemostatic gauze withinthe catastrophic haemorrhage protocol.

Haemostatic technology has advancedsignificantly, although legacy myths about burningetc still seem to cause confusion and hesitationabout its use. The Celox Gauze products produceno heat and the latest version, called Celox RapidGauze, speeds up the treatment by increasing theproduct’s muco-adhesion (ability to stick to wettissue) allowing it to stay in place where it is needed.

Speed of treatmentPrimary clinical concerns include, time to

haemostasis (how fast it works) and mechanism ofaction (how it works). Most testing on haemostaticdressings have used a 2-3 minute ‘hold’ times afterdressing application, which may not be possible inpractice. Celox Rapid dramatically reduces theneed for three minutes compression to 60 seconds.A study by N R Kunio et al (2) showed that this

significantly reducedblood loss and treatmenttime. Time saved withCelox Rapid is similar tothe time taken to apply amore complextourniquet, with theadvantage that it can beused on areas of the bodywhere a tourniquetcannot be applied. Celoxhaemostats work by apurely physicalmechanism, so they areeffective on blood that ishypothermic orcontaininganticoagulants, such aswarfarin. Cases reportedto Celox attest to theproduct working inhypothermic blood andblood containinganticoagulants.

Practical useThe technique for packing Celox haemostatic

gauze is the same as packing standard gauze into awound, the main difference being the compressiontime specified to stop the bleeding. With CeloxRapid, the speed of treatment effectively frees upthe responder’s hands after a minute to allow workon other treatment or preparing for casualtytransfer. In a hazardous area response or a ‘HotZone', products that free up the responders’ handsquickly, can dramatically impact both the casualtyor responder’s safety and security.

“Majorhaemorrhage can

kill a casualty as fast as a

compromisedairway.”

Economic considerationsEconomic considerations are important for a

public seeking value for money and emergency

services having budgets squeezed. Where Celoxproducts have been used it has been shown tominimise blood loss (below left). The costs oftransfusion, blood products and after care forhypovolaemic shock far outweigh the cost of ahaemostatic gauze. Celox Rapid Gauze now has afour-year shelf life, representing a reduced ‘lifetime cost’.

ConclusionUse of haemostatic gauze like Celox is now

considered a standard accepted treatment inclinical protocols for severe haemorrhage. CeloxRapid Gauze provides a proven, fast way of gettingbleeding under control with a strong cost-benefitrationale. Haemostatic gauze should no longer beseen as a tool of last resort and we should lookforward to a time when responders reach for Celox.

Think Celox, for the <C> in <C> A B C.

www.medtrade.co.uk

www.celoxmedical.com

References:(1) Emergency Care Paradigm, TJ Hodgetts

et al, Emergency Medical Journal 2006 23:745-746

(2) Chitosan based advanced hemostatic dressingetc, NR Kunio et al, The American Journalof Surgery 2013

Celox (on the right) against competitor haemostatic gauze showingbleeding stopped after 2ft of gauze packed, reducing blood losscompared to 12ft of competitor haemostatic gauze.

Haemostatic gauze use in the pre-hospital environmentEver been on a ‘shout’ as a responder where time is critical, either due to the severity or number of injuries or injured you

need to deal with? Maybe a casualty remains trapped so blood loss is initially low and the casualty remains hypertensive.

As soon as the pressure is freed, blood loss immediately accelerates and hypotension and shock are real risks.


AIRPOWER® X1 and R91 – HAIX®

www.haix.co.ukThe AIRPOWER® R91 model from HAIX® is a flexible work boot for everyday use. With a legheight of 19.5cm and its patented fast-lacing fit system, this boot combines the comfort of a mid-height boot with an optimum fit for daily use. Once the two-zone lace system has been adjusted,it's a matter of stepping in, pulling on, fastening up and you’re ready to go. An alternative is theproven AIRPOWER® X1 model with classic lace-up system. A non-penetrable sole and, for theR91 model, an integrated instep protector provide protection, especially for technical operations.The integrated CROSSTECH membrane also prevents the penetration of body fluids such asblood. Both models will ensure you are well equipped, even when wearing the boots for longperiods.

HDS Kevlar Gloves – Hammond Drysuits Ltdwww.hammond-drysuits.co.ukLeading British drysuit manufacturer Hammond Drysuits Ltd has announced its new HDS KevlarGloves. These hardwearing gloves are ideal for commercial use, and are already proving popularwith Hammond Drysuits’ fire and rescue customers, such as East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service,and the Environment Agency. Featuring heavy duty Kevlar protection across the palm and fingers,together with a high gauntlet and Velcro wrist adjuster, these gloves offer all the protection thatfire and rescue workers could need when working in a hazardous environment. An ergonomiccut means full articulation is retained, and the lightweight neoprene material to the back of thewrist ensures protection across the whole hand.

HD-SDI periscope camera – MEL Secure Systemswww.melsecuresystems.comThe new high performance HD-SDI Periscope camera from MEL Secure Systems is designedfor law enforcement and broadcast applications in a wide range of mobile or fixed covertsurveillance operations. The camera will deliver reliable and resilient performance in all weatherconditions and includes an HD-SDI interface to transmit uncompressed surveillance images in1080p resolution at full frame rates over coaxial cable making installation a quick and trouble-free process. It uses a Sony day/night camera module with image stabilisation and transmits HDimages at high speed to be received at distances of up to 100m without requiring repeaters. Thecamera has full PTZ functionality with 360˚pan and 60˚ tilt with continuous rotation. MEL SecureSystems also provides a compatible video link, telemetry link, 10.4in LCD colour monitor, cameratelemetry controls, rechargeable battery pack and solid state recorder, all of which are built intoa rugged, weatherproof case that can be used in any location.

Crane Sling and Spacer Bar – Promove UK Ltdwww.promove.uk.comDeveloped at Promove UK Ltd in collaboration with technical rescue specialists in the UK fireand rescue service (FRS), a new Crane sling and Spacer Bar is designed to assist FRS teams torescue bariatric casualties from road traffic accidents. Currently in the UK the preferred methodof extracting obese or bariatric casualties from road traffic accidents is to remove the vehicleroof and lift the person out. This is done by lifting the casualty manually, using the ProMove Barikit,or mechanically by a rope and pulley assembly mounted on a temporary scaffold or with a lorrymounted crane. The Crane Sling can be placed beneath the seated bariatric individual even in arestricted location, with the individual’s weight supported from head to knees by the sling, andstirrups supporting the lower legs and feet. The Spacer Bar is designed to keep the sling andstirrups in an open position, thereby avoiding pressures on the bariatric individual and providinga single central lifting point.

Stronghold® Mobile Anchor Point and Barrier System – Glazesafewww.glazesafe.comAward winning inventor and London Firefighter Daniel Cheddie has teamed up with CapitalSafety and the Youngman Group to produce the Stronghold Mobile Anchor Point and BarrierSystem, which provides an instant safe and secure dedicated anchor point. The system is designedto maximise safety for fire crews, other emergency service personnel and the public whenworking at height during line rescue from a window, lift or other vertical opening.The Stronghold is free standing and does not require any fixing to the walls orfloor. Therefore unlike fitting anchor bolts no drilling, curing time or pull tests arerequired, saving valuable time at an incident. Two horizontal life lines areconnected to the Stronghold in seconds, providing the harness attachment pointfor two crew members, protecting them both in either a fall restraint, fall arrestor work positioning mode. The Stronghold also has separate anchor points toattach tools or other equipment to via load straps and lanyards. Manufactured instrong, lightweight aluminium the Stronghold weighs little over 30kg.

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120 | ESTLAST WORDS

The recent outbreaks of Ebola virus in West Africaand the public fear surrounding the possibility ofglobal transmission has put the risks from highlycommunicable and non-treatable diseases firmly in the spotlight. Keeping ahead of deadly bacterialand viral pathogens is an uphill struggle andemergency services need to be prepared for the worst.

However, without deriding the natural anxiety inthe UK over Ebola, the level of public fear isperhaps a little unwarranted given that should this particular disease be detected in the UK it will probably be relatively easy to contain. Unlike some other untreatable diseases, Ebola isnot especially contagious and, although highlyvirulent, its symptoms manifest themselves quickly, which allows for the rapid isolation ofthose infected.

Risk is very realNonetheless, in an age of two billion air

passengers every year and increasingly porousnational borders the risk of deadly and difficult tocontrol diseases arriving on these shores is very realand growing. And it is a threat that sits alongsidethe problem of more familiar homegrown diseasesthat are fast becoming resistant to modernantibiotics. According to a recent BBC report it isestimated that drug-resistant strains of bacteria arealready responsible for 5000 deaths a year in theUK and 25,000 deaths a year in Europe.

What is a bio-hazard?A biological hazard – ‘bio-hazard’ – is any

biological micro-organism or agent that poses athreat to humans, animals or the environment. Inthe vast majority of cases, micro-organisms areeither beneficial or completely harmless to man.However, a small proportion are highly dangerous,sometimes deadly, and with their tenacity, ease oftransmission, ease of replication, tendency tomutate, complete invisibility and unremittinglyinvasive behaviour, can present a unique challengewhen it comes to their suppression and eradication.According to the World Health Organisationdangerous pathogens such as bacteria, viruses andparasites are responsible for over 16 percent of theannual deaths worldwide.

Bio-hazards can present themselves in numerousways and their very omnipresence can make themvery difficult to manage and control. Bio-hazardsmay be bacterial, viral, parasitic or fungal and anysource materials, such as contaminated body fluids,tainted packaging and dirty work surfaces arepotential bio-risks. Causal origins of biologicalhazards range from decaying foodstuffs and faecalbacteria to highly virulent medical wastes and germwarfare agents. All of these bio-hazards and manyothers relate to the presence of infectious biologicalagents and biologically-derived toxins or

contaminated materials, including organic dustsand mould spores.

Bio-hazards also have widely varying transfermechanisms. Some infectious diseases, influenzafor example, can be contracted directly by touch orby inhaling respiratory droplets while others, suchas tuberculosis, are mainly spread by airbornetransmission. Malaria, on the other hand istransmitted by mosquitoes, while Ebola and AIDSgenerally require the direct transfer of infectedbody fluids.

Protective procedures and barriersIn practice, things are never so clear cut. Ebola,

for example, can survive and remain infectious for48 or more hours outside the human body so it canbe contracted simply by contact with acontaminated surface. And this means thatstretchers, ambulances, medical equipment andPPE need to be rigorously decontaminated in theevent of any possible exposure. Keeping these areasclean to the standard necessary to contain highlyvirulent pathogens such as Ebola is a challenge initself and requires money, education andcommitment. Such measures would no doubt putthe emergency services under considerable strainshould Ebola or a similar disease gain a foothold inthe UK.

“Stretchers, ambulances,medical equipment and PPE

need to be rigorouslydecontaminated in the event of

any possible exposure.”

As can be seen from the recent Ebola outbreaks,exposure to biological contaminants can have veryserious and rapidly escalating health consequences,which means there is little room for complacencyor delay when it comes to putting the correctprotective procedures in place. The vast number ofpotentially dangerous micro-organisms and thehuge range of possible biological risk conditionsmeans that the selection of personal protectionequipment (PPE) for personnel faced with lifethreatening pathogens can be a very complexexercise indeed. Cases of paramedics and firstresponders contracting infectious diseases frompatients and then passing them on are notunknown.

In addition to effective protection againstnaturally spreading infections and diseases, there isa need for personal protection in emergencyresponse scenarios whenever biological agents arebeing manufactured, handled, distributed, studied,administered, neutered, removed or disposed of.The types of sites where these activities can occur

include hospital facilities, defence and militaryestablishments, medical and biological researchlaboratories and biotechnology production facilities.Bio-hazard precautions are also necessary in a widerange of crisis scenarios from flood managementoperations to trauma scene cleaning to bio-terrorism responses.

Seeking guidanceIn all cases of biological hazard exposure a

dedicated risk assessment must be carried out onall PPE, ideally with reference to the performanceclasses described in European Standard EN 14126.Biological agents are classified into four categoriesand, due to the extremely wide compass of riskinvolved with infective agents, it is absolutelyessential that expert guidance is sought when selectingappropriate PPE for the different levels of hazard.

Safety for emergency responders isn’t just abouthaving the right protective gear. The correcttraining is every bit as important. It is a fact thatmany cases of biological hazard exposure havebeen due to lapses of attention or procedure; thingsthat can easily happen in the stressful conditions ofan emergency response situation. Armand Sprecher,the medical adviser to Doctors Without Borders forhaemorrhagic fevers, affirmed this in a recentinterview for NPR in the United States. He said,“Where we see health care worker infections whenthe PPE is in place, [the worker] did something tooverride the PPE: they didn't wear it appropriatelyor contaminated their hands in the process ofgetting [the suit] off.”

SummaryIn many people’s view it is only a matter of time

before a major national or international medicalemergency occurs involving an incurable or verydifficult to treat disease. The risks are hard toquantify; the difference between an isolated caseand a global pandemic might be a single infectedtraveller stepping undetected off a plane. But if andwhen such a disaster strikes it will be theemergency services that put themselves on the lineto protect, serve and support the public. We need tobe preparing now to ensure this is a battle we donot lose.

www.dupont.com

Keeping superbugs at bayThe Ebola crisis and the escalating fight against untreatable bacterial and viral diseases show no signs of abating and

point towards a new level of risk for paramedics and other emergency responders.

Words: Ian Samson, Training Manager, DuPont Protection Technologies.

EU Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Department (ECHO).

Documents

EST October 2014