Hammersmith Fire Station is one of London’s busiest, and the only one which covers ground on both sides of the Thames. The station was selected for the pilot of the new systems being developed as part of the FIRED-uP project, which aim to improve the management of pumping appliances (fire engines) and the resources they use.
Following the procurement process which took place in 2014, two companies were appointed to develop and install data collection systems on a pumping appliance based at Hammersmith. The first company, JV Facility Ltd, is responsible for tagging all equipment items with radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, to assist in inventories and replacing/maintaining equipment. The tags are read via antennae which have been installed within the vehicle’s lockers, with data displayed on a tablet. This allows crews both to complete their routine checks and to identify any items which are missing. It also allows them to accept replacement items and confirm that they have an up-to-date service record.
Tablet system is demonstrated to firefighters
Each pumping appliance carries 220+ items of equipment
During the installation phase, a number of technical challenges had to be overcome by the contractor.
“One of the biggest challenges has been bringing technology that has been commonly used in a warehouse environment to a single vehicle and expecting the same results. This challenge, combined with the difficulty in reading through various metals, has meant that we have had to try many different things to achieve the desired outcome” according to Alison Jacques, JV Facility’s Service Director.
She added “We have spent a lot of time researching the best equipment to use in this environment, from RFID tags to fixed readers and antenna. We have tried many combinations of tags and antenna orientations to achieve the desired outcome and will continue to monitor and make changes where necessary throughout the pilot. The challenges will continue to come but I am confident that the entire project team will work together to create a solution that can be rolled out on a larger scale.”
At the same time, Airwave Solutions Ltd. is working with MiX Telematics to deliver a full suite of reports on how the pumping appliance and its systems are being used. This data is drawn from sensors which connect to the vehicle’s electrical system and measure engine use, fuel consumption and flow of water to and from the pump, as well as the more traditional records of routes taken and journey times. This information is expected to make it easier to manage LFB’s fleet and to ensure the safe and efficient use of vehicles for the various activities they carry out.
The pilot will run until June 2015 and during this time the systems will be continuously monitored and adapted as necessary. In July 2015, LFB will host an event to present the results of the pilot and demonstrate the systems to fire and rescue services from the UK and abroad. This event will also be attended by the City and Fire Brigade of Ghent, Belgium, partners with LFB in FIRED-uP.
Hammersmith crew gets to grips with new flow meters
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