Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident command vehicles and commanders to use Command Support System, the world’s most advanced distributed command and control system for emergency services and agencies.
Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s new incident command vehicles will be running the Command Support System, the world’s most advanced command and control system specifically developed for supporting emergency services and agencies.
The Command Support System from VectorCommand is a new type of command and control system – a distributed, mobile command and control system that integrates into an easy-to-use, drag-and-drop interface a wide range of different communications and display technologies. These include GIS mapping, organisational asset management, imagery streaming, electronic whiteboard sketching, automatic incident logging, web access, video conferencing and instant messaging.
By providing this wide selection of functionality the Command Support System delivers the widest possible choice of critical incident information to Fire and Rescue Service commanders at all levels of an incident in the shortest possible time, thereby helping them to improve their situational awareness and decision making.
By allowing commanders to create and share annotated electronic sketches and maps, for example (which can also incorporate imagery and organisational asset symbols showing plans of how assets such as fire appliances, specialist equipment and firefighting personnel should be deployed or have been deployed), commanders can quickly create and share a Common Operational Picture. Doing this will enhance Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s operational efficiency and will help save lives and property.
The Command Support System has also been designed to support improved multi-agency cooperation during operations such as flooding and terrorist attacks. Police forces, ambulance services and local authority emergency response personnel will all be able to contribute to and share the same Common Operational Picture if they are using the Command Support System.
The Command Support System will also support fire and rescue service operations when the new FiReControl regional control centres are introduced over the next few years.
Olaf Baars, deputy chief fire officer, Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “VectorCommand’s Command Support System (CSS) incorporates unique features and operability and has delivered an outstanding range of solutions for our Incident Command Unit. The advanced technology of CSS enables us to run everything from a house fire to a major regional incident from a single location. It gives us access to a wider range of information from the fireground than ever before, links in to command areas and our Brigade headquarters, at varying command levels and to share dynamic information with partner agencies. In terms of operational resilience, CSS offers us an ideal platform for incident command and control and its adaptability will make it a key component in our command and control functionality for years to come.”
Niels Andersen, VectorCommand executive chairman, said: “VectorCommand is delighted to be supporting the launch of Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s new incident command vehicles and their integration within the service’s overall command and control process. The service has demonstrated a highly innovative and progressive approach to the introduction of new technology, such as the Command Support System. We look forward to working in close partnership with the service as it applies the Command Support System in innovative new ways to serve the people of Berkshire and beyond.”
