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Reach
Issue 7 2014
T
he emergency services in
Hampshire are maximising the
interoperability capabilities
provided by the Airwave Network
through regular exercises to plan
and practise operations that could
occur in real life.
Reach spoke with Chas McGill,
Watch Manager (Officer in Charge) at
Hardley Fire Station, Hampshire Fire
and Rescue Service (FRS), Eastleigh
and New Forest, to find out more.
“Prior to the Airwave Network,
we worked on an old analogue
system. I was directly involved with
the roll out of the Airwave Service to
Hampshire FRS and worked closely
with my police colleagues – who
were already using it – to understand
its advantages. For the fire service, I
knew that we could make some really
good positive steps forward in terms
of communication and how we used
the Airwave Service. It allows us to
do a lot more than with the previous
system,” said Chas.
Chas works closely with both
the police and ambulance service.
“While they use the Airwave Service
differently to us, our close ties in
Hampshire means that we’re able to
work effectively together especially
during an incident.”
“The role of Airwave during an
exercise is to bring everyone together
in order to test how we interoperate
with each other using the identified
talk groups and through the control
rooms using a hailing talk group.”
“The successes we have achieved
to date could not have been achieved
without Mike Batten from Hampshire
Constabulary. Mike has tirelessly
campaigned with us and other
users from across the emergency
services to highlight the importance
of interoperability. By organising a
schedule of exercises – both large
and small – we have instilled an
appreciation of the Airwave Service
and how to use it to our advantage.”
Mike takes up the story, and tells
how a chance encounter some six
years ago brought them to this point.
“When I was posted to Southampton
in 2008 I continued in my role as one of
the Constabulary’s Hazardous Materials
and Items (Hazmat) advisors. I was
lucky enough that my inspector at the
time gave me a free rein to develop the
role locally and network with partner
agencies and industry. It was at one
of the first incidents that I was sent to
that I met Chas. I asked how I could
help and was advised that the protocol
dictates that the fire crew goes in first
Working
together
through
the Airwave
Service
