The NJ Police Chief Magazine Volume 24, Number 1 | Page 12

Development Case Study
Features and benefits
In July 2013, a fire broke out in a plastic and paper recycling
plant in Smethwick, West Midlands, UK. The nature of
the information provided by the first caller meant that
only a small-scale response was mobilised by West
Midlands Fire Service (WMFS). However, once the
firefighters arrived at the scene they immediately called
for significantly more support.
Secure, one-time-use link sent by text message
Works on any smart device and operating system - using
SMS ensures widest possible take-up - No app required
Real-time live video stream viewable by Dispatcher
Maintains voice contact with caller while images are
transmitted
Ultimately the fire, which involved 100,000 tonnes of
plastic recycling material, produced a 6,000-foot smoke
plume and caused approximately £6million worth of
damage. The incident required the attendance of more
than 200 firefighters.
Still images available in lower signal coverage
Secure cloud-hosted service and ISO27001 Information
Security assurance
Following the blaze, WMFS began to investigate how
they could have dealt with the incident differently. A key
conclusion was that if the information received in the
first 911 call had been more accurate, WMFS could have
provided a more effective response.
Confirms caller