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Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Fire and Rescue Service drives inspection best practice

collaboration with Consilium Technologies automates fire inspections, ensuring officers’ time is spent on safety not paperwork

November 15, 2007

Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Fire and Rescue Service has developed an innovative automated process for streamlining fire risk inspections for fire brigades across the country.

In a three-year, six figure deal, Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Fire and Rescue Service will use Consilium Technologies’ TotalMobile solution to produce electronic forms that can be completed with handheld devices. This replaces the current paper-based scheme many fire services use with their inspections of high-risk commercial and residential properties. The interactive forms can be immediately transmitted to HQ servers, rather than an inspector having to manually type out his or her findings, enabling them to complete more inspections as well as focus solely on the future safety of at-risk properties.

Working jointly with the mobile innovator, the Service has also developed a back office portal and server, which is specifically tailored to Fire Service requirements. This includes streamlining searches for key data to retrieve past records quickly and integrating information from each fire brigade in the area, who have previously used a variety of databases. Improving the data capture will enable fire inspectors to comply with key Government guidelines and also speed up processes for follow up activities such as issuing enforcement orders.

“Fire officers are currently bogged down by the paperwork that the rigorous inspection process demands,” said Garth Morton, business development manager, Consilium Technologies. “Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Fire and Rescue is leading the way for UK Fire Services. Automating the process means inspectors can focus wholly on working onsite on more properties across their region – which could mean more lives are saved through improved preventative measures.”

“Enabling our fire inspectors to complete forms on the move cuts down the admin and removes the reams of paper we currently rely on throughout the process,” said Doug Gruchy, station manager, Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Fire and Rescue Service. “The Consilium solution is tailored exactly to the needs of the UK’s Fire Services but also offers a simple uniform system that can be used and shared by inspectors across the country.”

Executive quote

“Fire officers are currently bogged down by the paperwork that the rigorous inspection process demands,” said Garth Morton, business development manager, Consilium Technologies. “Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Fire and Rescue is leading the way for UK Fire Services. Automating the process means inspectors can focus wholly on working onsite on more properties across their region – which could mean more lives are saved through improved preventative measures.”

Customer quote

“Enabling our fire inspectors to complete forms on the move cuts down the admin and removes the reams of paper we currently rely on throughout the process,” said Doug Gruchy, station manager, Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Fire and Rescue Service. “The Consilium solution is tailored exactly to the needs of the UK’s Fire Services but also offers a simple uniform system that can be used and shared by inspectors across the country.”

About the company

Consilium Technologies has over 20 years’ experience in providing innovative IT solutions specifically for local authorities and housing associations. It provides a full portfolio of software solutions and supporting IT services, designed to deliver improved customer service more efficiently.

The company is focused on the provision of advanced mobile working solutions for the public sector. Consilium’s TotalMobile applications for Windows Mobile are tailored for field service and customer facing roles, supporting service delivery in areas such as housing repairs, incident reporting, environmental services and home welfare visits. Staff can upload and complete job data on the spot, enabling teams to complete more visits per day, eliminate excessive admin at the back office and reduce paper and fuel usage.

Current customers include Edinburgh City Council, South Somerset Works, Bradford Community Housing Trust and London Borough of Newham.

Consilium Technologies is based in Antrim, Northern Ireland and employs 90 staff across the UK.

Contact details

Patrick Hussey at LEWIS, the PR agency
Tel: +44 (0) 161 601 7740 Fax: +44 (0)161 601 7741
Email: patrickh@lewispr.com
Website: www.lewispr.com

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