West Midlands Ambulance Service Trust has added a new rapid response incident command vehicle to its fleet.  It has been equipped with the latest voice, data and video communications systems by Excelerate Technology to provide state-of-the-art Mobile Emergency Operations Centre (MEOC) facilities that will further improve the Trust’s resilience and help achieve interoperability with other emergency services during major incidents throughout the region.

The MEOC has been designed to play a dual role throughout the West Midlands.  It will deliver a rapid response communications platform in the event of major incidents as well as providing full back-up facilities in the event of an Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) evacuation.  

Excelerate Technology has installed a range of powerful technologies that will enable more informed decisions to be made at the scene of major incidents regardless of location.  A rapidly deployable roof mounted 98cm satellite dish provides a resilient stand-alone broadband connection that enables the use of secure telephony, internet and email.  The five seat MEOC is also fitted with a dual thermal CCTV camera that enables live images to be streamed to headquarters around the clock.  It also offers an outdoors command room capability with a large external plasma touch screen contained under a heated awning.

According to Daren Fradgley, Regional Head of Emergency Operations Centres: “The new MEOC allows the Trust to set up a robust series of command and control arrangements at any incident allowing seamless communications and live streamed pictures where appropriate both night and day to Gold Control and any EOC around the Region.  Over the next few months the EOC teams will be training along with the Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) to ensure that we have the best possible arrangements in place for any incident.”

David Savage, CEO of Excelerate Technology added:  “We are proud to be technology supplier nationally for the Department of Health’s HART programme which will play such an important role in enhancing patient and victim care at major incidents.  However, whilst HART has become the blueprint for the most comprehensive technology solutions that money can buy, our core focus continues to be the development of bespoke solutions to meet the individual requirements of Ambulance Trusts and other blue light services and the delivery of the highest level of customer support.”