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A co-ordinated European forum
BAPCO has been working tirelessly behind the scenes to co-ordinate user input on two major European initiatives for the benefit of the public safety community. This exclusive report, highlights the current status of the two projects and underlines the importance of your contribution…
For a number of years there has been a great deal of effort and attempts to try and establish a public safety user’s forum in Europe, and historically, with very little success. Fortunately this has now altered and The European Commission has now issued contracts for two funded projects in which there will be extensive public safety user involvement. Ultimately, this will result in the establishment of a public safety communications forum for Europe that will continue after the end of the project life.
Both projects signify a major initiative for all public safety professionals across Europe and will bring an opportunity to create a user network. BAPCO has been tasked to co-ordinate user input on both projects on the basis that the European nations will then establish BAPCO style organisations, which will then form an alliance.
The Projects
Firstly, there is project CHORIST. CHORIST will propose solutions to increase rapidity and effectiveness of interventions and responses following natural hazards and industrial accidents, in order to enhance citizens' safety and communications between response and relief organisations.
The main objective is to develop a system made of the following subsystems:
* A fully integrated, reliable and performing alert chain delivering alerts to authorities with inputs from heterogeneous sensors, disparate agencies and citizens;
u Heterogeneous communication means (radio, TV, sirens, GSM) to dispatch messages from authorities to as many citizens as possible within the crisis area and with limited delay;
* Secured, rapidly deployable and interoperable voice and high data-rate telecommunication systems (incl. ad-hoc networks) for in the field risk response teams.
A CHORIST system, addressing the different phases of crisis management (monitoring, preparation and response) will be designed to work with:
* The upstream systems used in the prevention and forecast phases,
* The downstream crisis management systems, i.e. Command and Control systems.
Interoperability with these systems, legacy or future, will be an essential criterion.
The second project is, Project NARTUS – now known as Public Safety Communications – Europe (PSC- Europe). Essentially PSC- – Europe is focused on creating a European Public Safety Communication Forum, which will establish a European platform and roadmap for future public safety communication and information management systems. It will also help to facilitate European integration in the area of Public Safety with particular focus on public safety communications and information management systems.
Public Safety Communication - Europe will include Conferences and will carry out other activities between the Conferences, designed to be interactive and consultative with public safety users, system providers and operators in as many European nations as possible.
Through the Forum Conferences and other consultative mechanisms, PSC - Europe will establish consultation processes and build consensus. Furthermore, it will also disseminate information, good practice and establish protocols through which it will be able to provide advice to policy makers and influence the development of standards for the benefit of public safety in Europe.
Once established, it is anticipated that PSC - Europe will endure after the conclusion of the Project, becoming self financing and member driven, and will continue to build on the work completed during the Project lifetime.
Public Safety User Involvement
As mentioned earlier, both of the projects require extensive user consultation and involvement. In Project CHORIST the users will play an important role in providing:
* User inputs into all matters specific to the aims and objectives of the project,
* Regular feedback on the ongoing developments reports made by the project during 2007 and 2008,
* Feedback on the system demonstration during 2009.
In the Public Safety Communications – Europe Project there will be a more general approach to user requirements identification and specification.
The commonality between the projects is derived from the need to establish a User Advisory Board to provide public safety user inputs. It is for that reason that a single User Advisory Board will be established that will serve both projects. This major European development, of which BAPCO is playing a role, is set to benefit all public safety professionals. And with the situation that has arisen from the project development to ensure that public safety voices are heard via the user input, it is imperative not to waste this opportunity. With this in mind, BAPCO is working for all users to co-ordinate the input. For more information on the projects and to provide your opinions, please either contact BAPCO on 0845 3700630 / 01522 575542 or visit www.bapco.org.uk.
