Recent years have brought unprecedented challenges to the UK's emergency services, particularly in managing large-scale public disorder and protests. The events of 2024 and ongoing disorder have underscored one critical priority: the ability to share situational awareness effectively is vital for keeping both responders and the public safe.
Airbox Systems recently partnered with The Emergency Services Times to host a timely discussion on these lessons. Chaired by Editor Catherine Levin, the expert panel featured:
The conversation highlighted three modern challenges that can be addressed when police, fire, and ambulance services operate from a single, unified view.
The fundamental nature of disorder has changed, primarily due to the rapid, widespread dissemination of information, even if it is inaccurate or false, across multiple social media platforms.
Andy Hunt, from the College of Policing, noted that the 2024 disorder spread nationally and quickly, a scale not seen in 2011, and forces were effectively playing "catch up" on the spread of information. The sheer access to a myriad of platforms is the key difference.
For commanders, this creates a constant battle to verify facts and establish an accurate ground truth while the incident is still escalating. Responding effectively requires quickly integrating external intelligence and cutting through the "information noise".
Challenge 2: Achieving True Multi-Agency Interoperability
While the principles of the Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Programme (JESIP) are essential for emergency services working together, implementing those protocols during a fast-moving, spontaneous incident remains complex. Different agencies often use fragmented communication and separate software, which hinders a unified response.
The His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) noted in its report on the 2024 disorder that "all agencies must share information effectively so that they can keep people safe".
Pat Knowles stressed the importance of multi-agency working, noting that the NILO role is key for establishing crucial communication links. He emphasised that interoperability and the ability to share information quickly, using the "right platforms," is the "key" for effective response.
Challenge 3: Protecting Responders from Overload
The mental and physical demands on staff from Gold Command down to the officers on the ground, are extreme. Commanders must process live video, mapping layers, radio chatter, and intelligence, all while managing resource rotation and welfare.
Andy Hunt confirmed that officer welfare is a top priority, stating that it was a key recommendation from the HMICFRS report. Effective logistical planning must ensure officers are "rotating those officers regularly" and not exposed for prolonged periods. Minimising this cognitive load means providing a single, clear interface that synthesises all data, rather than requiring commanders to switch between multiple systems.
The Critical Solution: A Unified Common Operating Picture
The panel agreed that a dynamic, single source of truth, a Common Operating Picture (COP) is required to overcome these challenges. Steve Killick, Tactical Director for Airbox Systems, explained that the goal is for the strategic, tactical, and operational leads to "all see the same common operating picture or situation awareness".
Airbox provides this via a platform that supports every phase of an incident:
This unified, visual approach ensures that all multi-agency partners can rapidly establish a unified plan and agree on designated no-go zones, safe access/egress routes, and casualty clearing points instantaneously, providing a vital "visual planning perspective" for rapid, safe deployment.
The discussion concluded with advice that is fundamental to the blue light world:
The future of public safety response depends on the ability to share information quickly, accurately, and universally across organisational boundaries, turning information chaos into clear, actionable intelligence for every responder.