Emergency Services Network
The Home Office is leading a pan departmental, cross government programme to deliver the new Emergency Services Network (ESN) critical communications system. This will replace the current Airwave service used by the emergency services in Great Britain.
Customers for ESN include the police, fire and rescue, and ambulance services as well as a range of other users stretching from local authorities and utility services to first responders like inshore rescue. There are 300,000 frontline emergency service users who will depend on ESN, using handheld devices or operating equipment in 50,000 vehicles, 115 aircraft and 200 control rooms.
The strategic aim of the emergency services mobile communications programme (ESMCP) is to deliver a much better voice and data service to the emergency services. It will replace the reliable but limited and ageing Airwave system. The software that ESN runs on is being provided by Motorola Solutions and the infrastructure is being built by EE.
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CJG are offering transition and assurance services to the Emergency Services organisations. This key services area bundled into 4 key categories:
Onboarding
Each user organisation has to onboard and integrate their IT systems onto the ESN network in order to allow their devices and control rooms to connect to ESN. Our technical teams can assist User Organisation IT teams is capturing the user requirements, architecture design, ITHC, ESN Code of connection, configuration of Firewalls and user testing of ESN products.
ESN Coverage Assurance
Our subject matter experts each have over 20 years experience with coverage assurance on both TETRA and LTE networks. All of our teams have been trained to carryout surveys using both the ESN Assure device and a range of independent LTE survey tools. Our analysts are trained on the ESN Assure Portal and we also have developed our own independent analytical tool that generates automated survey reports on Airwave and is ready for use for EE LTE data.
Comparison between Airwave & ESN
We have the toolsets and analytical capability to provide each User Organisation with a clear comparison between the Airwave Coverage and Performance versus the EE ESN Coverage and Performance. We would use our proven methodologies and analytical software to provide this service and highlight the areas most at risk for Operational Teams.
Outdoor Coverage
We anticipate the majority of drive testing will have been completed by the User Organisation using the Assure application and ESN Devices in either a fit and forget mode and or Dashboard mode. Where additional drive testing is required we would either request User Organisation to complete this or this can be achieved by our survey team. The main focus will be on the output of the datasets collected, the analytics, the operational and technical reporting. CJG will either assume the role of your Regional Analyst (RA) or work with and deliver to the RA. We would tailor the reports to each User Organisation and our executive summary will provide those in the Technical and Operational Senior Leadership Team with a clear and concise view.
This is an example image illustrating the average level of Airwave RSSI levels in each hexagon, our analytical tools have the capability to also illustrate LTE parameters.
In-Building Coverage Assurance
Each User Organisation will have identified Critical Operational Location (COL) that require the availability of an operationally viable Network to maintain essential service delivery to the general public. We have a depth of experience in-building surveying and analysing data from critical operational locations such as Police stations, key operational buildings, Heathrow, Manchester airport, Premier league football stadiums, shopping centres, London Underground and many more critical locations to the 3ES.
CJG will provide qualified, experienced security cleared survey engineers and an analytical team to assist in ensuring each User Organisation can clearly identify the Areas of Concern within the Critical Operational Locations. We will be your technical interface to both the Home Office and the network operator EE to ensure the right type of solution is identified from either using own products or the products and solutions EE can deliver for example, Boosters, Small Cell Systems, Repeaters to full in-building solutions. We will work with all agencies to ensure the value for money is achieved for the User Organisation. Our teams use the both the ESN Assure device and the state of art in-building software used by all the mobile network operators in the UK to ensure that data can be shared collaboratively.
Operational Evaluation
The Home Office have a requirement to demonstrate ESN capabilities to the 3ES through real life scripted scenarios for example; a Train crash involving multi-agencies and the use of ESN & Airwave Interworking. These real-life scenarios will be carried out on a single and multiple agency basis to provide each User Organisation with the experience of using ESN under “live scenarios”. For the Home Office and their operational partners (NPCC, NFCC & AACE) they will not be able to achieve the reach of every single User Organisation completing every scenario as this time pressures to achieve acceptance date for ESN.
CJG have a vast experience of carrying out Operational Evaluation or in old money Trials & Pilots. We would work closely with the User Organisation and or on a Regional basis to ensure the subjective and objective analysis of the Op Evals are thorough and capture all necessary quality of experience datasets. For extended trials and pilots we would customise these to each User Organisation and or regional based by focusing on how best to test and evaluate ESN and interworking across their operational areas against the technical key requirements.
Our methodologies have proven successfully and CJG are a trusted partner of the 3ES that provides the necessary information and evidence to allow SLTs to make their decisions.
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