NFRS 2023 65 - Radio technology

You asked for

I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request the following information Please may you provide me with:

Section 1

1. Motor vehicles (for example police cars or ambulances), human powered vehicles (for example a cycle response bike), aircrafts (such as air ambulances or police helicopters) or portable devices used by first responders (such as mobile phones or tablets), allocated for responding to emergency incidents use radio technology for communication with first responders or other emergencyservices personnel?
2. Motor vehicles (for example police cars or ambulances), human powered vehicles (for example a cycle response bike), aircrafts (such as air ambulances or police helicopters) or portable devices used by first responders (such as mobile phones or tablets), allocated for responding to emergency incidents use mobile technology for communication with first responders or other emergency services personnel?
3. Motor vehicles (for example police cars or ambulances), human powered vehicles (for example a cycle response bike), aircrafts (such as air ambulances or police helicopters) or portable devices used by first responders (such as mobile phones or tablets), allocated for responding to emergency incidents use satellite technology for communication with first responders or other emergency services personnel?
4. Motor vehicles (for example police cars or ambulances), human powered vehicles (for example a cycle response bike), aircrafts (such as air ambulances or police helicopters) or portable devices used by first responders (such as mobile phones or tablets), allocated for responding to emergency incidents use 2G networks for communication with first responders or other emergency services personnel?
5. Motor vehicles (for example police cars or ambulances), human powered vehicles (for example a cycle response bike), aircrafts (such as air ambulances or police helicopters) or portable devices used by first responders (such asmobile phones or tablets), allocated for responding to emergency incidents use 3G networks for communication with first responders or other emergency services personnel?
6. Motor vehicles (for example police cars or ambulances), human powered vehicles (for example a cycle response bike), aircrafts (such as air ambulancesor police helicopters) or portable devices used by first responders (such as mobile phones or tablets), allocated for responding to emergency incidents use 4G networks for communication with first responders or other emergency services personnel?
7. Motor vehicles (for example police cars or ambulances), human powered vehicles (for example a cycle response bike), aircrafts (such as air ambulancesor police helicopters) or portable devices used by first responders (such as mobile phones or tablets), allocated for responding to emergency incidents use 5G networks for communication with first responders or other emergency services personnel?

Section 2 Answer here

1. Are your first responders and emergency services vehicles able to achieveguaranteed network connectivity across 100% of their administrative area? Yes or No?
2. How many issues specifically relating to communication or connectivity issues across first responder vehicles and devices have been logged over the last fivecalendar years?
3. Over the last five calendar years there has been a set budget allocated for new communication technologies for incident response, if so, what was this figure?
4. Over the last five calendar years was there a set budget allocated for replacingor mending faulty or unreliable incident response communication technologies? If so, what was this figure?

If it is not possible to provide the information requested due to the information exceeding the cost of compliance limits identified in Section 12, please provide advice and assistance, under the Section 16 obligations of the Act, as to how I can refine my request.

If you can identify any ways that my request could be refined I would be grateful for any further advice and assistance.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to your response.

Our Response

Section 1

1. Motor vehicles (for example police cars or ambulances), human powered vehicles (for example a cycle response bike), aircrafts (such as air ambulances or police helicopters) or portable devices used by first responders (such as mobile phones or tablets), allocated for responding to emergency incidents use radio technology for communication with first responders or other emergency services personnel?

   Answer: - Yes

2. Motor vehicles (for example police cars or ambulances), human powered vehicles (for example a cycle response bike), aircrafts (such as air ambulances or police helicopters) or portable devices used by first responders (such as mobile phones or tablets), allocated for responding to emergency incidents use mobile technology for communication with first responders or other emergency services personnel?

   Answer: - Yes

3. Motor vehicles (for example police cars or ambulances), human powered vehicles (for example a cycle response bike), aircrafts (such as air ambulancesor police helicopters) or portable devices used by first responders (such as mobile phones or tablets), allocated for responding to emergency incidents use satellite technology for communication with first responders or other emergency services personnel?

   Answer: - Yes

4. Motor vehicles (for example police cars or ambulances), human powered vehicles (for example a cycle response bike), aircrafts (such as air ambulances or police helicopters) or portable devices used by first responders (such as mobile phones or tablets), allocated for responding to emergency incidents use 2G networks for communication with first responders or other emergency services personnel?

   Answer: - Yes

5. Motor vehicles (for example police cars or ambulances), human powered vehicles (for example a cycle response bike), aircrafts (such as air ambulances or police helicopters) or portable devices used by first responders (such as mobile phones or tablets), allocated for responding to emergency incidents use 3G networks for communication with first responders or other emergency services personnel?

   Answer: - Yes

6. Motor vehicles (for example police cars or ambulances), human powered vehicles (for example a cycle response bike), aircrafts (such as air ambulancesor police helicopters) or portable devices used by first responders (such as mobile phones or tablets), allocated for responding to emergency incidents use 4G networks for communication with first responders or other emergency services personnel?

   Answer: - Yes

7. Motor vehicles (for example police cars or ambulances), human powered vehicles (for example a cycle response bike), aircrafts (such as air ambulances or police helicopters) or portable devices used by first responders (such as mobile phones or tablets), allocated for responding to emergency incidents use 5G networks for communication with first responders or other emergency services personnel?

   Answer: - Yes

Section 2 Answer here

1. Are your first responders and emergency services vehicles able to achieve guaranteed network connectivity across 100% of their administrative area? Yes or No?

   Answer: - No, no network can guarantee 100% connectivity. The NFRS do not however, experience any significant issues.

2. How many issues specifically relating to communication or connectivity issues across first responder vehicles and devices have been logged over the last five calendar years?

   Answer: - 156 tickets issued via our ICT Service Desk that relate specifically to communication or connectivity issues.

3. Over the last five calendar years there has been a set budget allocated for new communication technologies for incident response, if so, what was this figure?

   Answer: - Please see below the total of ICT Budgets from 2018/2019 to 2022/2023

   • 2018/19: £1,446,860
   • 2019/20: £1,518,294
   • 2020/21: £1,616,575
   • 2021/22: £1,779,788
   • 2022/23: £1,832,686
4. Over the last five calendar years was there a set budget allocated for replacing or mending faulty or unreliable incident response communication technologies? If so, what was this figure?

   Answer: - Not applicable as there is no set budget for the above and would come outof the total allocated budged in section 2 question 3.