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Project Secricom: successful demonstration with B-APCO input
EU FP7-funded Project Secricom delivers a successful proof of concept demonstration to a range of influential end-user stakeholders in Portsmouth.
Project Secricom commenced 44 months ago in September 2008 and was focused on enhancing emergency services interoperability through improved communication systems resilience and reliability that is seamless to end-users.
This has involved researching multiple bearer options whilst also maintaining required security needs. A key aspect of the project was to examine cross state border communication needs at time of crisis when multiple agencies from different countries need to communicate to effectively manage their combined response.
The project comprised 13 partners with B-APCO providing the business and end-user engagement and input. QinetiQ UK, which hosted the demonstration, was the overall project coordinator with Ardaco from Slovakia the lead technology coordinator; other partners contributed as regards research, associated technology development and security needs.
The stakeholders’ demonstration, a key project deliverable and the last in a series of incremental demonstrations, was conducted on 8 March 2012 with an audience of invited representatives from ambulance, fire and police; Civil Contingencies Secretariat and the Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme. Senior Fire and Security representatives from Poland also attended, as did a senior Police Officer from Sweden.
The demonstration consisted of two scripted live exercises set within a plausible operational scenario and involved actors (project personnel) playing the roles of various emergency personnel. The invited audience saw live voice and data communication exchanges between various sites on the QinetiQ Portsmouth campus and with and between Luxembourg, Poland, Slovakia and Spain.
Communication was seen to be seamless and uninterrupted as bearer systems (3G, IP, Satellite, and TETRA in Slovakia) were changed during communication exchanges; security was seen to be dynamically monitored as new devices were moved in and out of talk-groups. The range of devices utilised in the exercises across all the five demonstration sites included TETRA and analogue handsets, mobile and android phones, laptops with secure docking modules and iPads and PDAs.
The demonstration provoked animated comment and discussion in the audience with the stakeholders commenting very positively about what they had seen and its possibilities for the future. Particular interest was raised in regard to the potential of enhancing currently deployed networks and systems with the project developed capabilities to meet present as well as future requirements needs.
For more information about the project contact:
Shaun O’Neill B-APCO
European project manager
M 07785 925 450
E euprojectofficer@bapco.org.uk
