For many organisations, the deployment of mobile solutions is driven by a desire to improve productivity and reduce operational costs.

Yet for the emergency services, the use of wireless technologies can fulfil a much more basic need – improving responses to 999 calls. As South Wales Fire & Rescue discovered when it embarked on the roll-out of a sophisticated in-cab mobile solution.

The solution, which was implemented with help from Computacenter, provides firefighters with a massive, mobile bank of data, which includes the design specifications of most cars manufactured between 1990 and 2003; the properties and risks of more than 30,000 chemical substances; and detailed building and street maps.

By putting this real-time critical information into the hands of firefighters, the brigade will be able to improve its response to emergency incidents, and deliver greater public service.