Airwave communication service to ambulances |
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Published
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Thu, 21 Jul 2005 02:35
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LONDON: O2 Airwave will provide its communications service to all the ambulance trusts in England. The company won a 13-year, 390 million pound contract that covers network access and integration of equipment.
When fully commissioned across the country, the system offers scope for better care delivery by paramedics ferrying patients in ambulances from incident scenes and improved response times. The facilities provided are:
* better communication between paramedics and control room operators and providers of other emergency services.
* better coverage for hand-portable radios and in rural areas.
* upgraded control room equipment
Airwave, the national digital radio communications network dedicated to the emergency services, is already available to the police forces in England, Scotland and Wales and it is being used by 78 public safety-related organisations. The service is also shortlisted for the fire services.
U.K.'s health minister Lord Warner said the service will facilitate improved safety and support for NHS staff, will increase security and enable a better response to major incidents through improved response time and interoperability between emergency services.
The contract is part of the government's plans devised following the 11 September 2001 terrorist strike in the U.S. intending to create a single digital communications network for emergency services.
O2 Airwave will replace the existing analogue radio systems currently used by ambulance trusts. Ambulance services in Hereford, Worcester and Merseyside have already switched over to Airwave. The implementation is expected to be completed by 2008-end.
If all the UK's emergency services sign up to Airwave, more than 250,000 people could be using the network.
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