Ambulance trust chooses Airwave digital radio
Reliable communication is more than a business necessity for
Newport-based private ambulance trust ETS. In its role of providing medical
trans-portation services to NHS trusts throughout South Wales, the South
West and the Midlands, good communication can be a lifesaver — one reason
why the Trust recently signed up to the Airwave service.
O2’s Airwave is a secure digital radio network for the exclusive use of
the emergency services and enables all those agencies who have signed up to
the system to work together at the scene of major and minor incidents alike,
as well as to co-operate in forward planning to meet new obligations under
the Civil Contingencies Act. Designed to carry voice and data
communications, the service offers guaranteed levels of coverage across
England, Wales and Scotland. For ETS, using Airwave is simple. Jobs come
in on a central landline number and are then allocated over the service.
Drivers listen in on the same dedicated channel or talk group, enabling them
to determine who is nearest to the requested pickup location and agree who
has the most suitably equipped vehicle for the task. Dispatch can also
speak to drivers on a one-to-one basis — especially useful when they need to
contact someone on standby late at night, as they don’t have to disturb
other team members who have left their radios on but may be asleep.
“Wherever in the country our drivers find themselves, from Truro to
Newcastle upon Tyne, we invariably get a signal over the Airwave service. It
hasn’t let us down yet and we don’t expect it to”, said ETS Managing
Director Peter Dite.
Airwave is already being used by the MOD, the Highways Agency, UK
Immigration and several local authorities.
Source: bjhc&im September 2006
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