In this episode we talk with Bedfordshire FRS about the spate of heat related incidents seen through summer of 2022 and how their new mobilising system supported their operational response to these incidents.

We are joined by Alison Kibblewhite and Jason Tai from Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service. Alison serves as the Assistant Chief Fire Officer at Bedfordshire FRS, with more than 27 years experience working in the fire sector. Jason serves as an Area Commander at Bedfordshire FRS, also with more than 27 years experiences working in the fire sector.

We hear first hand how deploying and implementing technology has allowed greater situational awareness of an incident before anyone has even arrived on scene, allowing control room operators to dispatch the appropriate resources, increasing the public and firefighter's safety.

We wrap up with 5 key recommendations for vendors:
1) Partnerships are key
Your end-users are not just your customers. Your end-users should be your partners. Collaborate and work together.

2) KISS principle
"Keep it simple stupid!" Don't over complicate. Don't fall into the trap that complexity is always better. Simple solutions, that do the job that's needed, are often the preferred approach.

3) Do what you say you do
Build products and solutions that do what they're designed to do. Additional features are great, and may be useful, but it always comes back to core functionality.

4) Empower your users
Look for ways where a collaborative approach can bring benefits to multiple parties. Empowering users by enabling cooperation between people and systems enhances organisational response.

5) Affordability at the front-end
Public safety organisations are budget limited. They are also keenly aware that procurements must show value.

Have a topic you’d like to discuss on the show?
Get in touch with us at critcommscircle@omdia.com