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Emergency response vehicle used in Scotland for joint service operation
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport worked with Airwave to provide coverage in an area of the Glasgow Subway on a joint exercise simulating an emergency incident involving a train within a tunnel. This was the first use of the Emergency Response Vehicle in providing underground coverage outside of London...
One of the most difficult issues in emergency services communications today is the challenge behind enabling coverage in underground environments. Emergency services in Scotland currently have no communications systems in the underground tunnels. In the past, incidents that have occurred in underground tunnels where radio communications are limited have had to rely on ‘runners’ to pass messages between the different ground levels.
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT), who run the underground transport system in Glasgow, have been pre-empting this problem in collaboration with Airwave, providers of the secure digital radio network dedicated for the exclusive use of Britain’s emergency and public safety services.
Currently SPT use an analogue system which provides them with radio communications in the stations only, however, the analogue call quality is patchy and it does not extend into the underground tunnels. The system is nearing the end of its lifecycle and SPT wanted to trial and test the effectiveness of the Airwave coverage within the underground network, via a practical exercise to ensure the solution met their requirements.
operation crystal
SPT wanted to compare the existing analogue and Airwave’s digital communications system in order to verify the differences. Consequently an exercise was set up in collaboration with the emergency services, named ‘Operation Crystal,’ whereby SPT simulated a train incident within a tunnel as it approached Shields Road underground station, part of Glasgow subway. It was agreed that the fire service would use their existing radio system at one end of the tunnel, whilst Strathclyde Police, SPT, and British Transport Police (BTP) would use the Airwave system at the other end.
Siobhan Scott, Airwave ERV Product Manager commented: “In order to proliferate the Airwave coverage underground we used an Airwave Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV), seven of which are currently in use on the London underground. Our ERVs can be quickly mobilised for use at planned events, such as this one, or sent out in the case of a major incident to provide immediate communications in an area of limited coverage.”
On the day of the exercise the ERV was positioned at the incident site to co-ordinate the real-time communications. In order for the Airwave coverage to be received underground, the team made full use of the functionality of the ERV to provide coverage via a leaky feeder system to the station concourse, stairwells, platform and tunnel areas. As police forces across England, Scotland and Wales have already been equipped with Airwave handsets, Strathclyde Police used their existing radios to communicate. The fire service used their existing radios and Airwave handsets to ascertain the difference between the levels of underground coverage.
effectiveness
The fire officers using the analogue radios had difficulty in communicating along the platform and into the tunnel and could not communicate between the train, tunnel and platform during the exercise. They then tested the Airwave coverage using spare radios kept within the Emergency Response Vehicle. The difference was noticed immediately. As the Airwave network is engineered to provide crystal clear call quality, users were able to convey messages quickly and effectively without the need for repetition. Users were also able to communicate directly with each other, regardless of which organisation they worked for, allowing for a more cohesive response. Above ground users were able to hear the communications from services in the tunnels and were able to pass messages back and forth.
This not only emphasised the benefit of seamless coverage, but also the potential of tri-service communications between the police, fire and ambulance services. The Airwave systems allowed effective inter agency operability providing a communications platform that supported an efficient and effective response to the incident.
For the first time ever, radio communications were up and running in the Scottish underground tunnels. Stephen Halley, Airwave’s Client Manager in Scotland, explained: “As this was the first time the ERV had been used for a joint operation in Scotland, we were happy to see the functionality of the equipment being effectively used, and its potential for interoperability should a major incident occur in Scotland. This success was then further validated by the level of positive feedback from the attending bodies. By having the emergency services collaborating together it demonstrates how valuable time can be saved, which in case of emergencies equates to saving lives.”
The exercise emphasised the imperative need for quick mobilisation of communications at an emergency site. The ERV delivered mobile temporary coverage that facilitated rapid communication between the agencies involved throughout the underground incident area. Evacuations cannot be co-ordinated without communication underground, and without being able to maintain contact with personnel on the ground, the safety of the emergency services personnel is also endangered.
Discussing this further and highlighting the resilience, Scott, added: “In addition to faultless coverage, a specific benefit of the ERV solution worth noting is its resilience. As can often be the case with these types of emergencies, the site can often be deemed unsafe for extended periods of time during evacuations. In these incidences communication becomes even more essential. A great benefit of the ERV is that the system can be unmanned for up to 10 days, and managed centrally via our network management centre.”
going forward
With the benefits of underground coverage firmly established for the emergency services, the next step lies in the implementation. Airwave can provide a variety of solutions to ensure clear underground coverage. In addition to the Emergency Response Vehicles, Airwave can also deliver an in-built solution called ‘special coverage’ that enables permanent coverage in underground areas.
Following Operation Crystal Peter Holmes, Client Manager at Airwave for SPT, concluded: “The cooperation and responsiveness between SPT, the emergency services, Scottish Executive and Airwave enabled this test to take place and demonstrate how underground communications can and will work in the future.”
Ron Culley, SPT Chief Executive added: “Operation Crystal was a full scale emergency exercise to test responses to a series of incidents involving the Subway system that would place the emergency services on full alert. It was devised to specifically test the communications systems and such an exercise is an important part of SPT’s contingency planning arrangements. The exercise proved to be a valuable learning experience and the Airwave system proved its worth.”
