Real-time aerial footage will be transmitted directly to ambulance crews in the West Midlands as part of a multi-agency response to major incidents.

West Midlands Ambulance Service, along with West Midlands Fire Service, has invested in Enterprise Control Systems’ downlink receivers, which will allow staff to see live video footage from National Police Air Service (NPAS) helicopters and airplanes.

The Airborne Data Link will provide commanders with enhanced situational awareness, aiding critical decision making in the event of large-scale operations. The trust’s Emergency Preparedness team reviewed the recommendations that were citied in phase one of the Grenfell Tower Fire Inquiry, which led to this project being implemented into daily practice.

The trust has invested in two receivers, which will be kept in Incident Command Vehicles, providing commanders with a bird’s eye view of incidents, and allowing them to assess situations and direct resources accordingly. If required, the output from the NPAS aerial footage can also be streamed back to Strategic Commanders back in our control rooms by connecting the receiver with a laptop.

Cameron McVittie, the trust’s Tactical Incident Commander, said: “Learning from incidents is at the forefront of our command development as an organisation, and the addition of the airborne data link into our command toolbox will be a fantastic asset to ensure that as a multi-agency command team, we can make the best decisions to keep our patients and staff safe at incidents such as water rescue, significant fires or marauding terrorist attacks. Not to mention, to create further synergy between ourselves and our JESIP partners on the scene of incidents.”