U.K. fire, EMS agencies to use technology that sends real-time aerial footage

By Leila Merrill

BIRMINGHAM, U.K. —  A fire service and an EMS agency in the same area in the U.K. will begin using Enterprise Control Systems technology that sends real-time aerial footage of incidents for the purposes of improving situational awareness and improving collaboration among services, according to a news release.

Handyviews, portable monitoring terminals that can be added to command vehicles and in control centers, are designed to provide instant access to encrypted audio and video footage of live incidents monitored by the National Police Air Service. The footage will come from the National Police Air Service’s fleet of 19 helicopters and four airplanes. 

ECS said that “it complements both services’ existing drone capabilities and ensures crews can access intelligence when drones are unable to fly.”

The West Midlands is the first region in the U.K. to use this technology.