Firefighters and staff at Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service are benefiting from a super-fast, resilient, PSN compliant network from Virgin Media Business to respond to incoming 999 calls and use bandwidth hungry applications such as Voice over IP and video conferencing. Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service also plans to use the network to share services with other councils and fire services across the country including Kent Fire & Rescue in the coming months. The Wide Area Network (WAN) has been procured over the HPSN2, a shared framework agreement launched in 2009 that’s powered by Virgin Media Business’ nationwide, fibre optic network.
The Wide Area Network connects 52 sites, including 51 fire stations and the headquarters in Eastleigh. Wider connections include another 16 partners including Hampshire County Council, Southampton City Council, Portsmouth City Council and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council. 1,935 staff at Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service will have access to the network operating at speeds of up to 100 Megabits per second (Mbps) including 810 whole-time firefighters, 755 retained firefighters and 370 support staff.
One of the primary systems that the highly secure network will support is the Command and Control System which processes the 40,000 999 calls that are made across the county every year. Staff can also access specialised systems that enable them to determine the fire risk to premises before they leave the station. These applications are bandwidth hungry and, through the Virgin Media Business network, now run far faster than with Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service’s previous network. In addition to data, the network supports IP telephony at all firestations which it estimates saves them in excess of £80,000 per annum.
“ICT isn’t something that sits outside of what we do. A resilient network underpins every action we make, from responding to 999 calls call and assessing fire risk at premises across the county to reducing the number of fires through our prevention activities. It’s therefore absolutely critical that we can rely on our network at all times,” said Neil Moore, head of ICT at Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service. “Sharing services is very much a reality for us. Knowing that we have a network that has a high level of security accreditation means that now and in the future, we can share sensitive information, resources and knowledge with partners across the country.”
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service has signed a six year contract with Virgin Media Business. Installation of the Wide Area Network is almost complete. Last year, Virgin Media Business has committed its support and super-fast, nationwide fibre-optic network to the UK Government to underpin the Public Sector Network (PSN).
“When the right network can make the difference between a successful and failed 999 call, it’s critical that resilience and business continuity are front of mind for Hampshire Fire and Rescue,” said Lee Hull, director of public sector, Virgin Media Business. “The time we’ve spent investing in our PSN accreditations and shared networks such as HSPN2 and the London PSN is now coming to fruition and it’s great to see organisations start to harness the true benefits that sharing services enable.”
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About Virgin Media Business
Virgin Media Business has the UK’s only nationwide fibre optic network, carrying 35 per cent of all business broadband traffic. Already able to reach 85 per cent of businesses in the UK, Virgin Media Business has the ability to connect to all organisations. The largest business-to-business brand in the Virgin group, it prides itself on delivering innovative, high quality solutions that breakdown the barriers facing UK businesses today.
Staff are located at 40 offices across the country, meaning that Virgin Media Business really is closer to its customers. Organisations working with Virgin Media Business include London City Airport, Nottingham Building Society, Arqiva, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Partnership and South West Water.
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