LONDON, UK - 27 Aug 2009: IBM (NYSE:IBM) and IBM Business Partner Frontworks, a Scottish-based software company, today announced the deployment of an innovative web-based management application for Emergency Rest Centres (ERCs) across all 32 local authorities in Scotland. It provides a vital information stream for local authorities and the police service to enable them to assist in reuniting those affected with their loved ones, providing peace of mind and alleviating anxiety.
Scottish Government funding of £77,000 to date and a commitment to a further £51,000 to encourage further adoption has been a key driver in the Frontworks-hosted solution rollout across the country. The solution is set to transform the service Scotland’s local authorities can offer to members of the public evacuated to any rest centre in Scotland.
ERCs are opened in the event of any major public incident that involves people being evacuated, such as flooding or fire, and requires the gathering and use of data to determine where individuals are being cared for, and their personal requirements such as medical and dietary needs. This helps the authorities, who have a legal responsibility for people made homeless, to provide an excellent level of care, vital during their stay in an ERC.
The new application provides easy-to-use registration and command & control facilities for multi-agency staff such as local authorities, housing associations, the police and where required, the voluntary sector. Staff can access the latest data at any one time over the internet, which can be made rapidly available even when traditional communication systems are down.
IBM WebSphere, the core of the solution, enables the integration of information from multiple sources to be available via a web-based interface, maximising the availability of data to all the stakeholders involved, and providing an easy way to share data and deliver the very best services to the ERC inhabitants. The solution also has a powerful search capability, which allows information on any special needs requirements for individuals, next of kin contacts, doctor and health centre information, vehicle and pet details, as well as whether properties are damaged or uninhabitable, all to be shared with key agencies.
Commenting on the new solution, Jim Gill, Emergency Planning Officer at Scottish Borders Council said: “Dealing with evacuees can be chaotic, with distressed friends and family calling authorities or help-lines to check the wellbeing and whereabouts of their loved ones or conducting searches themselves. Whilst the police service is responsible for setting up their casualty bureau they rely on information being fed into them. A paper based system across several sites makes it almost impossible to quickly reassure relatives and there is more room for inaccuracy. In contrast, an easy-to-manage online tool can give great improvement in the level and speed of data access, in turn greatly improving the level of service we are able to offer.”
From a cost perspective, Colin Campbell, Emergency Planning Officer at West Lothian Council added: “As with any public sector organisation, we need to maximise our budgets and avoid any unnecessary outgoings. The ERC solution provides real value for money by providing local authorities with a powerful emergency management tool that will be cost effective in helping to deliver a caring response to members of the public affected by an emergency evacuation.”
Regarding the solution, Patrick Breslin, Managing Director at Frontworks said: “The system we have created with IBM is thought to be the only web-based management tool of its kind in the UK, saving authorities significant resources during the use of ERCs and easing the strain on individuals directly affected. We selected IBM as its technology created the most efficient, robust and scalable system, with good ease of use.”
The Scottish ERC solution uses IBM WebSphere, DB2, Java, AIX and System p server technologies as the underlying infrastructure for the emergency application. WebSphere manages the connections and information sharing, and makes it accessible via a web interface for maximum viewing by the multi-party agencies involved in civil contingency planning.
Additional Information
For more information on the Scottish Government, visit www.scotland.gov.uk
For more information on West Lothian Council visit www.westlothian.gov.uk
For more information on IBM, visit www.ibm.com/uk
For more information on Frontworks, visit http://www.frontworksgroup.com
Contact(s) information
John Galvez
IBM UK Media Relations
07734 104275
john.galvez@uk.ibm.com
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