/ Challenge (summary) /
Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue Team (BPMRT) is a voluntary rescue organisation that’s available to respond to emergency callouts 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Most of its operations take place in highly challenging environments, which means it needs technology solutions that are built to thrive in these kinds of conditions.
/ Solution (summary) /
Getac’s S410 is the ideal device for BPMRT’s needs. Not only is it built rugged from the ground up for optimal reliability in challenging field environments, but its powerful processor, large screen, compact form factor and comprehensive connectivity options empower teams in high pressure rescue scenarios.
/ Benefits (summary) /
With Getac’s S410 in place, BPMRT knows it has a device its members can trust to perform, even in remote and challenging situations. Reliable data collection and sharing in the field leads to better situational awareness for teams, which is the most critical asset they can have when every second counts.
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/ Challenge /
Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue Team (BPMRT) is part of the Mid-Pennine Search & Rescue region in the UK, supporting the statutory emergency services on behalf of Lancashire Police and the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS). The team, which consists entirely of volunteers, is available to respond to emergency call outs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in all weather conditions.
Like many emergency services, technology is playing an increasingly important role in BPMRT’s operations. Growing use of laptops and tablets in the field has enabled volunteers to coordinate rescue efforts more effectively and quickly share key information with one another via SARCALL, a dedicated multi-agency search and rescue incident management platform used by emergency organisations throughout the UK. This improved situational awareness helps teams locate victims faster, leading to better outcomes in emergency scenarios where every second counts.
BPMRT also uses digital technology to maintain the extensive network of hilltop radio masts in the local area, which play a critical role in rescue team communication. These masts need regular on-site repairs to keep them operational but their remote, hard to reach locations can make repairs challenging, particularly when technicians are reliant on consumer-grade technology that isn’t designed for hard use in the field.
“Effective emergency response is all about situational awareness and technology now plays a critical role in this. However, nearly every aspect of our day-to-day activity is extremely hard on digital equipment, which can be extremely problematic,” says Iain Nicholson, ICT Officer, BPMRT. “When being used by our teams on rescue operations, or for maintenance of our hilltop radio network, knocks and drops are inevitable, as is exposure to rain, dirt and dust. Our record for breaking a new consumergrade device is just six weeks! With this in mind, we knew we needed a more reliable technology solution, built on rugged devices that are designed with our kind of use case in mind.”
/ Solution /
Following extensive research, BPMRT identified Getac’s S410 rugged laptop as the ideal device for its specialist needs in the field.
Built rugged from the ground up, the Getac S410 is both MIL-STD-810H and IP53 certified, meaning it can withstand accidental bumps, knocks and exposure to dust/moisture, as well as drops from up to three feet. This gives rescue teams and maintenance personnel the peace of mind they need when operating in changeable weather conditions or challenging/remote locations.
The S410’s powerful processor, coupled with its extensive connectivity capabilities, makes data collection and transmission via SARCALL smooth and seamless, whether on site at the scene of a rescue or from one of BPMRT’s command and control vehicles. It’s large, bright 14-inch screen also features Getac’s sunlight readable technology, meaning it is easy to read in even the brightest sunshine.
Elsewhere, the S410 is designed to be compact and lightweight, making it easy for rescuers to carry in the field, while its hot swappable battery design and optional second battery means long periods of uninterrupted operation, even when away from recharge facilities.
“In order to operate as effectively as possible, our rescue teams need to have full confidence in the devices they are using. In the past, this wasn’t always the case, but with Getac’s S410 they know they have a device that they can take wherever they need to go, even in challenging environments where non-rugged devices would likely get damaged or even fail,” says Iain. “This added confidence translates to better situational awareness, which is a rescue team’s most critical asset of all.”
/ Benefits /
With Getac’s S410 laptops in place, BPMRT can now deploy in rescue situations with equipment they trust to get the job done. The devices are carried by team controllers, who use them to run incidents and coordinate teams as needed, be it from a command vehicle, local police station, or from the field itself. They also play a key role in radio network maintenance activity, with repair teams using them to perform vital tasks on-site and keep the network and repeaters running as intended.
“With the kind of work we do, rugged just makes sense. Not only is it robust and reliable, but it’s feature set is perfectly suited to our needs. Knowing we can access the SARCALL network from anywhere in the field makes a huge difference to how we plan our responses, and our information sharing capabilities are now better than ever,” notes Iain. “In the past, our teams would always come to me and say, ‘if only we had this device, or that device, we could be so much more efficient’, but since implementing Getac’s S410s into our operations, they don’t say that anymore!”
/ About BPMRT /
BPMRT is a 100% voluntary charity, that operates within Mountain Rescue (England & Wales) guidelines and is part of the Mid-Pennine Search & Rescue region. The team attends an average of 70+ callouts each year and is staffed entirely by 50 unpaid volunteers. BPMRT’s capabilities include search and rescue planning & management, specialist medical treatment, technical steep ground and crag rescue, night and adverse weather search & rescue, body recovery, flood rescue, and stretcher evacuation.
