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South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (SWFRS) has achieved a major milestone in fire safety and emergency preparedness by ensuring that every high-rise residential building — defined as 18 metres or higher — across the region is now supported by detailed Computer-Aided Design and Drafting (CADD) plans integrated directly into the Mobile Data Terminals (MDTs) used by frontline crews.
The initiative marks a significant advancement in operational intelligence and aligns closely with the recommendations of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, underscoring SWFRS’s commitment to community safety through its core values of innovation, integrity, and operational excellence.
According to Area Manager Mike Wyatt, Head of Risk Reduction at SWFRS, the integration represents a transformative step for incident response.
“This is a significant milestone in our mission to keep residents of South Wales safe. Having instant access to accurate building layouts allows our crews to make faster, more informed decisions during emergencies — ultimately saving lives.”
Area Manager Mike Wyatt.
Key benefits of the CADD-MDT integration:
- Real-time access: Firefighters can instantly view building layouts, escape routes, and firefighting infrastructure en route or at the scene.
- Faster response: Enhanced situational awareness enables quicker, safer decision-making during incidents.
- Digital resilience: Plans are stored and updated electronically, ensuring accuracy and accessibility.
The rollout was delivered through a coordinated effort led by the SWFRS CADD team, working in partnership with business fire safety officers and operational intelligence officers. Together, they mapped and digitally highlighted critical safety features — such as protected escape routes, fire stop measures, alarm panels, smoke vents, and sprinkler systems — ensuring crews have access to comprehensive information during an emergency.
Building layout data was gathered through collaboration with local authorities and property owners, who provided existing plans for digital conversion. For older or undocumented properties, CADD technicians conducted detailed site surveys to verify structural layouts, identify hazards, and ensure digital accuracy.
This project forms part of SWFRS’s wider transformation programme, which seeks to leverage data-driven technologies to enhance emergency response, improve firefighter safety, and strengthen community resilience.
Dave Prosser, CADD Manager at SWFRS, said the success of the project reflects the organisation’s forward-looking approach to operational capability.
“This step forward reflects SWFRS’s broader commitment to modernising operational capabilities, prioritising firefighter safety, and reinforcing public trust through proactive risk management,” he said. “We can now extend our focus to include residential apartment blocks under 18 metres, building a smarter, safer future for our communities.”
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