Addressing technology in the emergency services
In life we take many things for granted, one of which are that when we dial 999, the emergency services will find us
To the layman it's simple: you give over your address, the operator finds you and despatches the necessary response. However, anyone involved in the emergency services will know that it is not that simple and that which is arguably the most critical aspect of emergency response – location identification – is fraught with complications.
The one aspect that is probably most taken for granted is the source of addresses and the variety of options available can be perplexing to those working in the emergency services, let alone those who don't.
The sources of address data vary greatly among the emergency services with the Fire & Rescue Service (FRS), tending toward the local authority created National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG) and the ambulance service opting for the Ordnance Survey's Address Layer 2 (AL2).
The situation with the police in many cases is less clear cut, with a report in 2008 estimating that each force averaged five different sources for their address data, including the NLPG, AL2, ADDESS-POINT (AL2's predecessor), plus their own in-house, legacy databases.
The reason the police will tend toward so many is simple – they consider that no one database contains a comprehensive coverage, a situation that has also led to some FRSs and the ambulance services to continue to run internal databases alongside their main address source.
Historically, separate departments within each of the emergency services had very different requirements and as such maintained varying levels of address data. Often different to begin with, over time these disparate databases have been updated at varying levels, which has resulted in no definitive way of cross referencing and leading to the potential of similarly named properties getting confused.
An example of why this synchronicity is important is a look at using different address data for mobilisation and risk analysis. If fire fighters are dispatched to a burning building on 'Grosvenor Avenue' the risk is clearly evident if they were unaware of the firework factory next door because it had been wrongly listed as being on 'Grosvenor Drive'. All modern datasets use unique reference numbers to ensure precise property/street identification and without one definitive source across each service it takes very little for a mistake to be made, mistakes which ultimately can cost lives.
The British Transport Police (BTP) has unique requirements so make use of both the NLPG and their own in-house gazetteer. They use a piece of software called Symphony Bluelight Search, which gives them GIS-enabled access to both address gazetteers in addition to their names database. Though held separately, Symphony Bluelight Search gives them a single portal through which the force can access all of this data and with an entire NLPG search (32 million records) achieved in sub-second time, Symphony Bluelight Search gives them the speed they require, from the addresses they need.
Kent FRS is another user of Symphony Bluelight Search, with their usage an example of removing the issue of different departments using different data. They are able to hold their address data centrally and have other departments access that data via web services. Integration has recently been established with their Microsoft Dynamics CRM with the help of Optevia and further integrations into other departments are planned for the future. What this essentially means is that those departments will be using exactly the same data as is used during mobilisation.
Multiple address sources are not desirable, but with software such as Symphony Bluelight Search, it's no longer the problem it once was. As with the case of the BTP, all emergency services are now able to save time by accessing previously disparate data, all through a single source.
Having all of this address data accessible to all departments is clearly advantageous and now it is easily achievable. With address data held centrally, integration can be achieved via web services, which can give all departments access to the same, consistent data and in doing so, reduce costs, reduce the risk of errors, and ultimately allow for a safer, more efficient and higher level of service to the public.
Technology will never put out a fire or perform CPR, but when it comes to accurate and efficient use of address data, it can certainly help.
