Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service are set to become an early adopter of the new Emergency Services Network (ESN), providing improved communications connectivity for the Norfolk County Council funded fire service. Operating across more than 2000 square miles of largely rural countryside, the fire service has one of the largest geographical areas which means reliable communications are essential.
To achieve this, Norfolk Fire and Rescue wanted to deploy a Mobile Data Terminal (MDT) solution across its fleet of 66 vehicles, enlisting Panasonic TOUGHBOOK to deliver both ruggedised tablets and a Cradlepoint 4G LTE solution. Working with Panasonic and Cradlepoint, Westbase.io helped to supply the technical solutions and best practice installation advice needed.
The Challenge
To deliver an ESN-ready connectivity solution that provides reliable, secure coverage to Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service appliances.
The Westbase.io Solution
- Cradlepoint Mobile NetCloud solution package with ESN-certified COR IBR1700
- Ruggedised LTE-Advanced Pro networking platform for reliable and secure connectivity
- On-hand technical advice and expertise with and through long-term partner, Panasonic and their own partner network
The Results
- A “rock solid” connectivity solution that has proved reliable and simple to manage
- Connected appliance fleet, enabling status updates, risk assessments, occupancy and hydrant information to be easily provided to teams on the go
- 100m, line of sight, wireless local area network around the vehicles, enabling firefighters to remove the Panasonic MDT from the cab and take it with them during incidents
- Simplified network management, including vehicle location tracking, network performance and more