Fire Department Command Vehicles

Canada
UK
 

In what it believes is the first purchase of its kind in the UK, Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue are equipping their state of the art mobile incident command vehicle with an array of data communications technology that will give the vehicle secure broadband data connection via Satellite to any information and computer application held on their main computers at the new tri-service Fire, Police and Ambulance control center in Quedgley, Gloucestershire.

Within minutes of arriving at its designated destination an onboard operator simply presses a few keys on a keyboard and a motorized 74cm dish automatically raises, locates and locks on to the appropriate satellite and establishes a broadband data link. At the same time an VPN (Virtual Private Network) device creates a totally secure two way data link which fulfils the company s objective of providing information where you are no matter where your office is.

Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Chief Fire Officer Peter Jones enthusiastically spoke of the potentially life saving benefits this technology would bring. We are delighted to enter into a partnership with a Gloucestershire based company with a product that has our full support and will add to firefighter and public safety.

Our mobile command unit is on call to be deployed at major incidents to co ordinate the safe and efficient multi agency responses required to deal with large scale emergencies as effectively as possible. With this technology on board we have the equivalent of transferring our headquarters systems, applications and information to anywhere we are required, to enable our Officers to make informed decisions with real time, fast and relevant information such as our plans and risk files without relying on fixed line telephone communications. Decisions and actions will always be enhanced with the benefit of complete information and that is what iNetVu enables us to do.

As well as the potential operational benefits that can be achieved, this equipment will help us deliver our Community Fire Safety message to areas that we have been unable to reach with existing technology. It will provide us with the immediate ability to educate and support young people in a number of ways that aim to improve their self esteem and reduce the incidents of arson. It also demonstrates the many benefits that Satellite Broadband communications brings and is a clear indication of our commitment to the e-government program.
 

U.S. and Canadian firefighters and land managers are using satellite data from both NASA and the European Space Agency to combat wildfires raging in the North American continent's Northwest region.

Modern emergency management organizations worldwide have defined a need for real-time communications between command centres, field personnel and equipment such as helicopters, vehicles and heavy equipment. Existing and newly emerging space-based technologies such as satellite positioning systems, satellite communications and earth observation could satisfy many of today's emergency management requirements. However, a gap currently exists between these technologies and their operational use. To address this need, the European Space Agency initiated the REMSAT (Real-time Emergency Management via Satellite) Activity. The objective of the REMSAT activity is to demonstrate the use of real-time satellite communications, localization, earth observation and meteorology services in emergency situations.

Earlier in the month, REMSAT, an ESA-supported satellite ground station that supplies up-to-the-minute fire mapping and logistics support, was a vital part of the Canadian firefighters' arsenal as they fought blazes in British Columbia.

REMSAT was deployed to aid 180 firefighters battling two 'project fires' - those that require a full incident management team, with logistical and administrative support, camp facilities for crews and much more.

This diagram provides an overview of the baseline REMSAT configuration.
A multiple-component satellite system is employed to provide localization
 via a navigation satellite, messaging via a LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellite,
and low/high data rates, voice and video using geo-stationar
y telecommunications satellite.

The REMSAT Intermediate Mobile Terminal setup at Abbotsford, Canada for proof of concept exercises.

Despite getting a little burned during its trial by fire, Canada's REMSAT proved its self on the frontlines. The REMSAT system provided telephone and fax support functions for the Incident Management Team. Reliable communications are critical to managing any emergency incident, especially to the administrative, planning, logistical, and line operations functions.

High speed internet access provided by the REMSAT system proved invaluable to the Incident Commander, as well as the Fire Behavior Specialist because they were able to access several online weather sites containing such tools as near real-time satellite imagery, 500 millibar charts and long range forecasting models. E-mail with digital photo attachments was used to keep senior managers regularly updated on daily activities.

"Information management in forest fire and other emergency incident types will not be the same in British Columbia after this summer," Newton said. "This REMSAT system definitely filled an operational void that has existed for far too long."

In operation since 1949, the Ontario Fire College's primary responsibility is to develop and deliver academically sound educational/training programs to meet the needs of both today's and tomorrow's fire service. The main objective of the Ontario Fire College programs and courses is to assist all firefighters to become the best-trained and most professional firefighters in the province. 

The Ontario Fire College continues to implement strategic initiatives to make high quality education and training accessible and available to fire service personnel. The Firefighter Curriculum, available to all municipal fire departments, is presently being updated in accordance with the recent revision of the Ontario Firefighter Standards. Associate Instructor pilot projects, agreements with other post-secondary educational institutions, off-campus delivery of OFC courses, extended use of OFC facilities, and increased numbers of course offerings are examples of these initiatives. In addition, partnerships with a growing number of fire service organizations, associations, colleges and universities are helping to meet the ongoing demand for fire service career-path education and training opportunities. On-campus initiatives such as improvements to the classroom and the training ground environments, and the acquisition of state-of-the-art equipment and training aids continue to enhance learning opportunities. The 15-station computer lab, located on the second floor of the residence building, complements the services of the Resource Centre in affording student-learners ready access to research-oriented learning.

The need for a Mobile Command Center is significant due to the types of emergencies, which fire departments and law enforcement must prepare in today's world. These types of incidents require a new level of event management capabilities, including those that can be dispatched immediately. The Mobile Command Center enables fire officials to orchestrate an emergency response while remaining in a designated location with access to the latest information and technology via state-of-the-art computers, telephones, satellite and Internet access, emergency plans, floor plans and maps. In times of natural disaster, or catastrophic events, the need for accessible, sophisticated communication systems and technology is essential.

The Ontario Fire College will be truly on the leading edge of fire departments around the world that are starting to employ data communications technologies to improve their services. iNetVu system puts real-time data at a firefighter's fingertips at the scene where information is most critical. We are happy to help the firefighters of Ontario Fire Department as they do their important work.

July 29, 2003 - Ontario Governement Office Acquires C-COM INetVu Mobile Solution

October 7, 2003 - British Fire and Rescue Command Unit Goes Online

To learn more about iNetVu Navigator please click here: