Excelerate Technology Unveils New Hart Vehicle At Ambex 2008

12/06/2008

Excelerate Technology, the leading supplier of satellite and wireless-based data, voice and video solutions, unveiled the first of the new generation of Mobile Incident Response Vehicles (MIRV) for the NHS’s Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) initiative at AMBEX 2008.  The exhibition stand was hosted by Excelerate Technology its coachbuilder partner for the contract, W.H. Bence and the NHS Health Department to demonstrate the results of a major collaboration project to produce the most comprehensively equipped incident response unit ever deployed by ambulance services worldwide.

The first vehicles will be deployed by West Midlands, West Yorkshire and North West NHS Ambulance Trusts equipped with some of the world’s most advanced voice, data and video technologies.  This includes mobile satellite technology that enables a comprehensive suite of cutting edge applications to be fully deployed within four minutes of arriving at serious incidents such as CBRN and HAZMAT, as well as others requiring category ‘A’ response regardless of location.

Excelerate Technology was appointed technology supplier for the HART contract after successfully completing a pilot scheme with London Ambulance.  According to Mark Rainey, CBRN HART co-ordinator for London Ambulance, who was in attendance to answer questions from other ambulance services about the finished HART vehicle:  “This MIRV represents a significant step forward from the prototype we have been trialling since December 2006 and successfully deployed at more than 250 incidents.  The new vehicle received an overwhelmingly positive response from delegates throughout AMBEX, which is a significant endorsement of what has collectively been achieved by the project team.  Construction is to the highest quality throughout and the technology installed has the resilience to deliver a rapid response in any environment.”

Mark Rainey concluded:  “This new generation of HART vehicles will provide high levels of real-time information to enable ambulance service personnel on the ground to make more effective decisions and enhance patient care at major incidents.”

David Savage, Chief Executive of Excelerate Technology, added:  "We are incredibly proud of this finished vehicle that is the result of more than two years development and the completion of pilot schemes with the NHS and London Ambulance.  The effective partnerships formed with the NHS and coachbuilders W.H. Bence have ensured that the design, build and technology systems used are a quantum leap ahead of the previous generation of vehicles.”

Commenting on the contribution made by W.H. Bence to the successful award of one of the most significant contracts of its kind in Europe in recent times, David Savage concluded:  “The dedication, imagination and attention to detail shown by W.H. Bence throughout the HART project has confirmed our faith in choosing it as a partner.  With an unrivalled level of capabilities in the six to fifteen ton range of vehicles, the company has enabled us to set a new benchmark for all such vehicles that will be used by Ambulance, Fire and Police command units for years to come."


The new HART MIRV is equipped with key technologies including:

Excelerate Communications Management System - Provides satellite and GSM-based VoIP (Voice over IP) PBX switching functionality with VoIP handsets that operate as fully featured extensions of any NHS PBX.  ECMS also enables different voice devices including UHF and VHF radios, cellphones and VoIP phones to be patched as well as providing real-time voice recording of all voice communication channels.


RapidNet Private GSM - Enables communications to be maintained with field-based personnel without requiring service from the main mobile network providers.


Meshed wireless network – Allows MIRVs and other vehicles to communicate directly with each other using rapidly deployable self-powered mesh nodes.


CCTV - Mounted on an extendable mast, it gives normal and thermal operation with full PTZ.  The latest COFDM transmission technology enables high quality video images to be recorded locally and streamed via satellite to fully managed servers enabling images to be viewed from any internet-enabled location around the world.

Ruggedised, touch screen PC terminals - Installed to enable STEPS (Strategic Emergency Planning Software), GIS and other specialised applications to be run and updated in real-time wherever the vehicles are deployed.


Briefing Screens - Internal and external 42” plasma briefing screens enable all available video feeds to be simultaneously viewed.

 
Mobile Satellite – Provides access to high speed broadband regardless of location.  The satellite network is managed in real-time from a Network Operations Centre, which is based at Excelerate Technology’s Cardiff-based headquarters.  Network performance is monitored to ensure that bandwidth meets current requirements with additional bandwidth instantly available to meet operational requirements at any time.


TV Monitor – Provides access to terrestrial and Sky broadcasts.