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Interoperability – A Tri Service Programme to make it efficient and effective now, and meet future user requirements
DCS Michael Hallowes – NPIA lead for the Tri-Service Interoperability Programme
Michael Hallowes started by pointing out the police service has come a long way since the whistle, which was potentially the first form interoperability available to patrolling officers to summon help. Now with Airwave, the emergency services have the opportunity, and indeed duty, to make sure they take advantage of the benefits this new technology provides, especially for interoperable communications.
The NPIA (National Policing Improvement Agency) is entrusted with the maintenance and development of the critical police national infrastructure, including Airwave, the DNA Database, identification platforms and the Police National Computer, as well as supporting forces implement improvements to policing standards nationally and achieve a high level of interoperability, people, systems and equipment.
Michael outlined the view that the 2012 London Olympics will require significant preparation and be a massive test for interoperability across the blue light services plus a major milestone in their joint programme to improve command, control and co-ordination at incidents and events.
The terrorist attacks of 7/7 raised interesting lessons about how the services traditionally interoperate. Despite their outstanding response to the attacks, there was still too much reliance on face-to-face communication and the exchange of mobile phone numbers between commanders, which may not stand the test of resilience in complex simultaneous incidents with stretched resources, particularly if the mobile phone networks are also congested.
While Airwave has been introduced as the technical solution, culturally the command structures across the three services have not yet caught up with the benefits it brings, especially the capability to communicate on one all-informed radio talkgroup. This is now the focus of the Interoperability Programme.
Michael reinforced the importance of interoperability in the context of the challenges faced by the blue light services in the ever increasingly complex environment of major incidents, such as the Buncefield fire and the 2007 floods. However, use of the interoperable talkgroups, available since 2007 was minimal. This is despite every police force having a stock of extra Airwave terminals to share with commanders from the other blue light services.
Changing the culture to encourage incident commanders to take advantage of inter-Service radio communications is paramount so that it becomes commonplace, not just at large-scale incidents but also daily events involving two or more services. This ‘new normality’ means the command structures across the services must to talk to each other and capitalise on the significant investment in the Airwave common radio platform that has enabled them to do so.
The public certainly expects its emergency services to make best use of available technologies. To that effect, Michael outlined the three Cs of Capacity, Capability and Competence that are vital to effective co-operation between the emergency services.
Achieving a high level of interoperability would not only bring strategic benefits but also real operational improvements around protecting personnel. Highlighting the rise in attacks on emergency services vehicles, particularly fire engines, Michael explained use of interoperable talkgroups would make it far easier for crews to call for prompt back-up from police.
The first major step towards achieving interoperability between the blue light services was taken on 22 April when the chief officers’ associations signed the joint memorandum of understanding to begin work on the Tri-Service Interoperability Programme.
