The Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service has improved its resources by significantly upgrading its Incident Command Unit (ICU).
The aging vehicle, which is based at Newport Fire Station, has been enhanced with new state of the art technology which will help fire crews better coordinate responses to large and major incidents.
Amongst the new technology on board is a dedicated satellite link up which provides the fire service with its own Internet connection. This is particularly useful in remote areas where Internet availability is limited. This new feature means CCTV cameras have been installed with the images streamed lived to the fire service’s headquarters in Newport, allowing commanders access to live images which is something they have not been able to do in the past.
The vehicle has also been installed with a thermal imaging camera which is attached to a 12 metre high extendable mast, providing an extra tool for detecting hidden fires or hot spots. Body worn cameras will also soon be delivered to the service, and these will be given to fire officers to wear when responding to incidents. These will give live feeds to the command unit, showing what fire crews on the ground are doing in real time.
Upgraded TV monitors, an electronic white board which stores any information written on it, and an improved briefing area are also new features of the vehicle. In addition, a new siren has been fitted and other cosmetic changes have been implemented.
Chief Fire Officer Steve Apter said:
“The fire service was successful in securing a grant from the government to enable us to upgrade the command unit.
“We now have a mobile facility which provides significant additional resources when dealing with major incidents which can only help improve the safety of Island residents”.
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Councillor Phil Jordan, Executive member for the fire service, added:
“Our fire service personnel are highly trained and can face significant challenges when dealing with major incidents.
“Anything the service can do to enhance its resources is welcome and I am very pleased it has been able to upgrade the command unit which will provide a vital tool”.
