All personnel from the emergency services and partner agencies are invited to The Emergency Services Show 2019, which returns to Hall 5 at the NEC from 18-19 September. Highlights of the event include over 450 leading exhibitors showcasing their latest solutions, 80+ free CPD-accredited seminar sessions over four theatres and a new feature dedicated to the use of drones by the sector. With new exhibitors, new seminar theatres and a new Public Sector Commercial Hub facilitated by the Home Office, this year’s event is one not to be missed.
The seminar sessions, which all visitors to the show are welcome to attend free of charge, are focused into four theatres – IT Theatre, sponsored by Excelerate; Emerging Technologies Theatre, co-sponsored MSA, Zebra Technologies and Westbase Technology; Lessons Learnt Theatre, sponsored by UCLan; and the Health & Wellbeing Theatre.
Sessions will include how cloud is pushing operational efficiency on the frontline and how 5G could improve operational response. The programme will also take a look at minimising data costs and how the public’s use of technology will change how they interact with the 999 service in the future. For example, there will be a seminar on ‘what3words’, a simple system, which enables emergency services to accurately find any location and share it more quickly, easily and with less ambiguity than any other system.
There will also be updates on the Emergency Services Network from the Home Office and The Police ICT Company will also be speaking.
The new Emerging Technologies Theatre, sponsored by MSA, Zebra Technologies and Westbase Technology, will explore how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning could be used to improve emergency response. It will focus on the training benefits of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies and look at emerging vehicle technologies, including electric vehicles and connected cars.
The multi-agency (JESIP) benefits of training in a simulated immersive environment will be discussed in a session looking at Coventry University’s Simulation Centre, while London Fire Brigade will explain how it is implementing zero emission solutions for its fleet. Other seminars will examine how the future of vehicle communications can positively impact emergency service operations.
The Lessons Learnt Theatre, sponsored by UCLan, is always a very popular educational aspect of The Emergency Services Show. Following last year’s standing room only presentation on the Thai Cave Rescue, sessions this year will feature case studies of major incidents, including the Salisbury nerve agent incident, the Ocado warehouse fire in Hampshire and the recent wildfires on Winter Hill in Lancashire.
Experts from across the emergency services community will detail findings from current research to enable best practice in prevention and collaboration. The Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, for example, will explain how Scotland has been so successful in dealing with knife crime. Another session, entitled ‘Murder is Everyone’s Business’ will cover the criminal investigation into a gang-related murder, where multi-agency collaboration led to many successful convictions.
There will be further sessions from the Institution of Fire Engineers, the Road Rescue Recovery Association plus the Katie Piper Foundation and National Fire Chiefs’ Council.
As part of the Health & Wellbeing Seminar Theatre, Andy Elwood of Andy’s Landie, former search and rescue paramedic, will share the mental health impact that traumatic events have had on his own life. He’ll discuss how emotions of despair and elation are more difficult for men to talk about and how he releases his emotions in a positive way to stay healthy.
British Red Cross will give an update on its Resilient Responders Programme, while the Police Federation of England and Wales will talk about the findings of the first-ever survey looking at how the menopause affects police officers and staff in the workplace, and how the findings can be used to facilitate better support and inform future policy and guidance.
In a packed programme, further highlights include: Oscar Kilo will be updating visitors on its National Police Wellbeing Service; Jules Lockett from the London Ambulance Service NHS Trust will discuss staff resilience in ‘Not Just A Voice’; and Police Care UK will share the findings of a national police survey, which found that one in five police are suffering with a form of PTSD yet 83 per cent don’t even know it. This session will talk about the practical steps that police can take now to improve their trauma resilience and training.
This year the show has an exciting new addition – The SkyBound Rescuer Drone Seminar and a SkyBound Rescuer Drone Zone – to encourage drone development for emergency services through research and discussion, proudly sponsored by SOARIZON® by Thales.
New emerging drone technologies are saving lives faster, safer and cheaper than ever before. But drones are still far from fulfilling their potential; the best is yet to come.
This year’s show offers a unique opportunity for all emergency responders and anyone engaged in protecting public safety to discover, learn and collaborate. The exhibition features over 450 exhibitors, including leading suppliers of vehicles and fleet, communications, technology, medical and fire fighting equipment, search and rescue, extrication, water rescue, first response, protective clothing and uniforms, public safety, training and station facilities.
Visitors to the show can network with individual blue light services and gain a deeper understanding of the support available from the voluntary sector and other emergency services partners in The Collaboration Zone.
The popular College of Paramedics free CPD workshops are once again open to all emergency responders and the West Midlands Fire Service will be hosting an expanded programme of its extrication, first aid and trauma challenges, which aim to develop proficiency levels in all areas of Road Traffic Collision Rescue and are judged by the United Kingdom Rescue Organisation.
Another new addition for 2019 is the Public Sector Commercial Hub, facilitated by the Home Office, which can be found within the Collaboration Zone. This dedicated space will feature speakers from across public sector delivering seminars to educate the emergency services supplier base on how the public sector buys and on some future changes to the commercial landscape.
Last year the show attracted a record 8348 visitors and buyers and 2019 will build on this success to be our biggest and best show yet.
The Emergency Services Show is aimed at anybody involved in emergency response, planning and recovery, including all blue light services, voluntary workers and service providers.
Entry to the exhibition and seminars, as well as parking, remains free of charge – so register online today and start to plan your visit.
