In-vehicle connectivity has become ever more important to the emergency services and the Northamptonshire Joint Operations connected vehicles are set to be a major feature at this year’s show.
The vehicles will be showcased in the Connected Vehicle Zone (stand OS140) sponsored by Excelerate Technology.
The importance of keeping vehicles online is critical to the safety of the public. Emergency services must be able to respond at a moment’s notice and it’s becoming ever more crucial that they have the flexibility to set up and deploy anywhere.
The Northamptonshire Police and Fire and Rescue Service joint command unit is a prime example of the limitless opportunities made possible by improved multi-agency cooperation and collaborative working. Since its launch in 2016, the command unit has been deployed regularly to support operational requirements at pre-planned events including F1 at Silverstone and major incidents.
The high-tech vehicle, the first of its kind in the UK features resilient satellite, 4G, and private 4G LTE connections. This secure, private, hybrid communications network supports real-time data, video, and voice applications even when terrestrial networks are congested, under threat, or suffering from disruption. Responders can manage all aspects of the vehicle in one place using Excelerate’s Digital Dashboard Management Interface (DDMI). This intuitive ‘app style’ interface automates many complex functions allowing responders to operate the vehicle without hassle or obstacle. The vehicle can also send and receive live video from remote cameras, body-worn cameras, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), and the police helicopter.
By putting connectivity at the forefront of their digital fleet strategy, Northamptonshire has used lessons learned from designing and developing their joint command vehicle to propel innovation in their fire appliances.
The eight new smart fire appliances have been equipped with Excelerate’s Multi-WAN router with integrated 4G and Wi-Fi, a specialised 4G optimisation antenna (Excell) and Exstream video streaming service enabling the seamless integration of connected vehicle technology, mobile devices, and live-streaming of any video including the services drone, and deployable cameras. The solution offers an ‘always-connected’ experience and fleet-wide interoperability for both day-to-day operations as well as improving crisis management by connecting tactical and operational commanders at the scene with control room(s) for real-time shared situational awareness.
Factoring in the complex environment that our teams face when deployed on-scene we have worked with Excelerate to provide a dynamic, scalable, and resilient solution across our fleet. These solutions improve communication on-scene and enable us to seamlessly share real-time operational information as well as support with ongoing training and operational learning.
Phil Pells
Area Commander
Connected vehicles have become the next frontier for Internet of Things (IoT) based solutions and visitors to the connected vehicle zone will get to experience first-hand how technology, advanced communication networks, innovation and collaboration are driving transformational change across police, fire, and ambulance services.
