A cure for Emergency Services communications

It was a case of “Trust me, I’m a technology doctor” recently at the UK’s biggest Public Safety event, BAPCO. I don’t usually spend my time impersonating someone from the medical profession but it was an eye-catching way to offer an IT health check to the emergency services visitors looking for tech solutions to address their communication challenges. 

A common theme was how to provide the most reliable rugged mobile solution for the various types of emergency vehicles. Effective wireless communication is a lifeline for members of the police, ambulance and fire services. They rely on access to critical applications and data when in their vehicles and at the scene.

Fortunately, this is an ailment where Panasonic has a tried and tested cure. As well as leading rugged devices, we offer a total solution for our customers, including in-vehicle solution design for the comms system, as well as the docks and even safety testing certification. We work closely with partners, such as Cradlepoint, to provide a complete solution. For example, Cradlepoint’s NetCloud Service and wireless routers unlock the power of LTE and 5G — including nationwide public safety networks — for reliable connections to emergency services Mobile Data Terminals.

Norfolk Fire and Rescue service is one customer where this total solution approach has been deployed with Panasonic TOUGHBOOK tablets in the front cabs of its fire appliances as Mobile Data Terminals (MDTs) and Cradlepoint NetCloud and IBR1700 Series routers for 4G LTE connectivity via EE, Vodafone and the forthcoming Emergency Services Network. Panorama Antennas are fitted to the vehicle roofs to optimise connectivity.

Already a common provider of this total solution to the fire service, it’s increasingly also an ideal approach for police forces across the UK.