Thorcom Systems has been selected by North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) NHS Trust, to equip 270 Community First Responders (CFRs) with Thorcom’s Mobilize® CFR Solution.
The solution is fully integrated in to the NWAS’ Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) and allows volunteer first responders to be securely mobilised using a standard Android™ Smartphone using any mobile network or WiFi connection.
Mobilize CFR allows ambulance trusts to leverage the low cost and wide availability of modern smartphones with an intuitive and easy-to-use mobile data application. The User Interface has been optimised to meet the specific needs of a volunteer responder, by including a convenient book-on / book-off button and a simplified guided pathway through the complete incident response process. This significantly reduces the training and support needed to use the solution.
The application provides frequent GPS location updates to the control room which allows the most appropriate active volunteer to be mobilised. Once the volunteer has indicated they are on their way, the satnav facility built-in to Android smartphones is automatically programmed to guide the responder to the incident location.
Mobilize CFR interacts with the ambulance service’s dispatch system in the same way as a traditional Thorcom Mobile Data Terminal (MDT) allowing the system to treat it as a fully operational resource through the use of a managed gateway service. The managed gateway service provides the secure link to the Mobilize CFR device. By using the smartphone’s built-in ability to connect via any mobile network or a WiFi connection, Thorcom’s approach avoids radio coverage problems associated with any single network or radio technology.
“We use Mobilize CFR Solution to allocate our community first responders (CFRs) to life-threatening incidents close to where they are located,”
“The system is integrated into our emergency operations centre and is used by our volunteers through a smartphone.”
said David McNally, NWAS Community Engagement and Resuscitation Manager for the Greater Manchester area.
“Mobilize CFR provides a very simple and cost-effective mobilisation solution for Ambulance Trusts”
“We are proud to use our 20-years of ambulance dispatch experience to make a smartphone application for volunteer users.
said Mike Tubby, Technical Director at Thorcom Systems.
Community First Responders are volunteer members of the public who give up their time to respond to emergencies in their local area. Allocated at the same time as an ambulance resource, they are able to arrive quickly in situations where every second counts. As well as being able to start live-saving treatment in the critical time between the 999 call and the arrival of the ambulance service, they can also help assist the clinicians and be a friendly face for patients and families in very distressing situations.