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Mobile high tech solutions for Berkshire
Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service has taken delivery of two new high tech mobile incident command vehicles with a new Command Support System to match – and the system is also currently being installed on all of London Fire Brigade’s mobile command vehicles.
Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service has chosen VectorCommand’s Command Support System (CSS) as the command and control system for managing major emergencies from its new incident command vehicles and fire appliance fleet.
The Command Support System is a new generation of command, control, communications, computing and information (C4I) system developed specifically for supporting emergency services and emergency management organisations. As well as being used on the Service’s two new high tech mobile incident command vehicles and front line pumps, the Command Support System will also be used throughout the command hierarchy.
Data and imagery accessed by the system (including live CCTV and TV footage), advanced GIS mapping, asset management database information and risk information are among some of the many different types of data that can be displayed on touch screen displays, desktops and wireless-linked mobile data terminals.
The data and imagery sources are integrated through the CSS, providing commanders at all levels (and, if required, in different agencies) with a clear comprehensive picture of an incident, thereby improving command decision-making.
The user interface allows non-technical users to follow an easy-to-use, intuitive, touch screen-based decision-making model based on nationally agreed fire service command doctrine. All command decisions – made on electronic white board sketch maps, using asset icons and GIS mapping, emails, video conferencing and voice commands – can be easily communicated to all relevant parties (and stored for later analysis or enquiry purposes).
One of the most innovative aspects of Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s use of the CSS is the fact that, in addition to deployment on mobile incident command units, it will be deployed on mobile data terminals on all 24 of the Service’s front line pumps. This will allow all incident commanders to receive more detailed incident and command information.
"This year Royal Berkshire Fire Authority has invested heavily in the provision of state-of-the-art incident support assets,” commented Olaf Baars, Director of Service Delivery for Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service. “Our current incident command unit is to be replaced by one large incident command vehicle and a smaller multi role command vehicle that will, together, provide the environment and facilities to support incident command at the multi-agency level. VectorCommand’s Command Support System is the application that breathes life into the technology in order to support our incident commanders in the field. I am particularly pleased that the fire authority has had the foresight to enable the CSS to be rolled out across the fleet, thereby supporting effective incident command at all levels, but also enabling the seamless sharing and transfer of critical information in dynamic, escalating situations. In the current environment facing the fire and rescue service, I am pleased to be able to give incident commanders the best available technology to assist with their decision making, recording and post-incident analysis that will improve the service that we can deliver to the public and improve fire-fighter safety,” concluded Olaf Baars.
In addition to the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service installation, the CSS is currently being installed on all of London Fire Brigade’s mobile command vehicles and throughout the entire command hierarchy. It is also being used for coordinating multi-national, multi-agency flood response by partners involved in the pan-European European Union coastal flooding project EU FloodCommand – the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Irish Coast Guard and the Swedish Rescue Services Agency.
