Shared wireless network cuts costs for fire service

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service has created a shared wireless network with the local authority to allow faster and more reliable access to essential data.

The service decided to increase bandwidth at 55 fire stations and realised there were significant benefits from creating its own broadband network, especially when combining with Rhondda-Cynon-Taf Council.

To minimise costs, supplier Computacenter Services ran the network over the existing cabling infrastructure.

‘We wanted to provide better links to stations,’ said Chris Williams, IT manager for South Wales Fire & Rescue Service.

‘The network cost £1.5m, but other options would have been five times that.’

Williams says the point-to-point wireless broadband network means that every station now has a 10Mbit/s link.

‘Sharing parts of the network works well and we are in talks with other councils about expanding the network to incorporate them,’ he said.

In a separate project, South Wales Fire and Rescue Service is planning to use Airwave, the national voice and data radio network for the emergency services run by supplier O2, to run its in-cab computer systems.

The vehicle-mounted data system installed by Computacenter Services gives fire crews access to vital information that can help save lives such as car designs or chemical properties.

The system currently relies on GPRS for connectivity between the client devices and the data repository.

‘We intend to integrate our system into Airwave and use GPRS as a back-up,’ said Williams.