Plymouth prepares for emergencies with GGP mapping technology
Plymouth City Council is using a Geographic Information System (GIS) from GGP Systems to help its Civil Protection Unit produce emergency planning maps for exercises relating to a major incident in the city such as flooding, terrorist attacks or even a nuclear accident. The council's civil protection unit says the maps are vital for staff training and inter-agency coordination, and have supported the launch of a new warn and inform service for residents and businesses close to locations identified as possible high risk sites. The primary function of the GIS is to map public information zones around sites where a major incident could occur. These sites currently include oil terminals, fuel distribution centres, munitions stores as well as the Devonport Dockyard which berths and refuels nuclear powered submarines. The sites are analysed in GGP GIS and, using the Council's centralised address database (Local Land and Property Gazetteer), individual properties that may be affected are identified. In the case of an incident these addresses will be issued with relevant information and will be the addresses the council evacuates should the need occur. GGP GIS is also used in live exercises, such as the multi-agency scenario of a radioactive leak from the city's Devonport Dockyard codenamed Short Sermon. "By mapping the exact area of impact of such an incident we can quickly identify affected properties and export this information to share with other authorities or agencies that would be involved in the emergency response to a major incident in Plymouth," said Scott Senior, civil protection manager at Plymouth. "In a real life scenario this information would be essential in managing the distribution of potassium iodide (a salt of stable iodine that can help block radioactive iodine from being absorbed by the thyroid gland) to affected properties."
GGP Systems: www.ggpsystems.co.uk
Devon and Cornwall police sign BT infrastructure contract
Devon and Cornwall Police has signed a contract with BT for the provision of IT infrastructure and support services. The contract will see BT provide both support for and development of IT services for the next five years, with an option to extend to nine years. The service will begin April 1, 2015, and will mean a change in service provider for the force, which currently works with Capita Group. The force's chief constable Shaun Sawyer said: "This is a contract which will... allow us to make considerable savings helping to reduce and better control support costs. We want to enhance the 24 hour support given to IT systems across the spectrum of our needs and give a more robust support to police officers and staff... We have had a long and positive relationship with Capita and will continue to develop specific IT products with them. This contract will allow us to develop the ongoing strategic alliance project with Dorset Police and further exploit savings and opportunities to work together more closely."
BT Global Services: globalservices.bt.com
Taunton and Somerset NHS Trust picks Ingenica for inventory management
Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust has awarded an inventory management contract to Ingenica Solutions. The deal is aimed at helping the trust save thousands of pounds per year by allowing it to better monitor and track its supplies. The new contract is for the supply and implementation of Atticus, Ingenica Solution's inventory management solution for the NHS. The phased implementation of Atticus will begin in the head and neck theatres, followed by additional phases leading to roll-out across the entire trust. Debbie Frankpitt, project lead at the trust, said: "Atticus will help the Trust reduce wastage and historical inefficiencies by facilitating greater transparency and better stock and data management."
Ingenica Solutions: www.ingenicasolutions.co.uk
Gloucester City Homes selects Exponential-e for ICT overhaul
Gloucester City Homes (GCH), an arm's length management company providing housing management services for the city council, has selected Exponential-e as its new partner for the provision, management and support of ICT infrastructure for the next five years. The organisation is now planning an upgrade of its IT infrastructure, desktop and mobile working solutions to improve service access to tenants, enabling channel shifting and enhancing digital inclusion. Exponential-e is a cloud and networking provider whose services reside on a customer's LAN, away from the public internet. GCH is planning a move to a cloud environment and virtualised desktops, underpinned by Exponential-e's managed services and centralised IT security and future proofed technology. Lesley Williams, head of IT at GCH, said: "A new virtualised desktop infrastructure will transform the end user experience, enabling GCH staff to work on any device from any location where there is an internet connection. This will improve tenant services both in the workplace and in the home."
Exponential-e: www.exponential-e.com
