Infoterra Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of EADS Astrium, has announced that, following a recent order from Lothian and Borders Fire & Rescue, six out of eight Fire and Rescue Services in Scotland now have the company’s SAFEcommand mobile solution.
Lothian and Borders FRS has selected Infoterra to equip 78 appliances with the company’s Vehicle Mounted Data System (VMDS) to provide intelligence to help manage operational safety at incidents. Infoterra’s mobile data system has already been deployed in all 30 of Dumfries & Galloway’s appliances, Tayside’s 58 appliances and Fife & Central Scotland Fire & Rescue Service’s 30 appliances. Strathclyde Fire & Rescue has invested in STEPS (Strategic Emergency Preparedness System), a collaborative emergency planning and response solution which forms part of the Infoterra product suite for public safety and homeland security operations.
Dave Fox, CEO of Infoterra Ltd said: "The adoption of the Infoterra Vehicle Mounted Data System by such a high number of Scotland’s Fire and Rescue services provides a very real opportunity for true cross border data sharing. Individually, the latest order will provide Lothian and Borders Fire & Rescue Service with accurate Location and Risk information, supporting operational crews with tactical decisions both on route to – and in attendance at – incidents."
By using the solution, front line personnel and back-office information managers alike have access to the complete picture of an emergency situation, according to the product firm. It enables users to look beyond the risks at the incident property or location, and consider other essential information – for example, how to gain access to a nearby stretch of river. With a single touch, firefighters can switch between maps, premises information, Computer Aided Design plans, brigade orders or Chemdata. In summary, according to Infoterra, their product enhances the management and distribution of risk data and assist in the operational safety at incidents by front line crews.
Andy Kerr, Fire Sector Commercial Manager at Infoterra Ltd, added: "the SAFEcommand in-vehicle system successfully combines a range of different data sets to provide both front line personnel and risk intelligence teams with all the information they need to build an in-depth assessment of any given risk. Due to its intuitive user interface it requires minimal training, keeping Fire & Rescue Service training costs low and making it a practical option for deployment. In addition, each Fire & Rescue Service can process, manage, share and use its data without the need for third party intervention.
"Crews can use the solution to reach emergency locations quickly – through accurate route planning and mapping of access routes to emergency water supplies or railways for example. Our solution also provides access to essential location information, including hydrant locations or details of local hazards such as proximity to gas mains or chemical stores," added Andy Kerr.
