Bodycam rollout will improve safety & decision-making says Norfolk Fire
This tech will be used by all of the county's fire-fighters, after first being introduced at the end of last year
The county's fire service tells us the rollout of 160 body-worn cameras improve safety and decision-making.
This tech will be used by all of the county's fire-fighters, after being introduced at the end of last year.
They have also been issued to protection and prevention officers for business safety inspections and home visits, as well as fire investigation officers and the service’s training school.
Trading Standards officers have also been equipped with ten cameras for use in investigations.
All of this enables firefighters and officers to be able to stream footage to control room staff taking emergency 999 calls while an incident is ongoing.
The fire services says this ensures quicker, more informed decision-making during complex fire incidents.
It's also being claimed that live streaming will help improve safety by identifying risks earlier and supporting better coordination with police, ambulance to ensure resources are deployed at the right time to save lives.
"I’m sure this will be a major boost for how our service operates"
Scott Norman, Deputy Chief Fire Officer, said: “We’re keen to utilise technology wherever we can to keep the people of Norfolk safe, and these body-worn cameras are a great demonstration of that.
“The devices will be brought in to support firefighters at all of our stations in Norfolk, helping us with learning at incidents, providing evidence for fire investigations, and enhancing the safety of our staff. Our teams have already said they’re benefiting from the technology, so I’m sure this will be a major boost for how our service operates, and for the communities we serve.”
Cllr Margaret Dewsbury, Norfolk County Council Cabinet Member for Communities and
Partnerships, said: “I am really pleased NFRS and Trading Standards have taken this step to use body-worn cameras. This new technology will enhance the fantastic work already undertaken by the services, offering multiple benefits to keep staff and Norfolk’s communities safe.”
This is Axon’s second-largest deployment of body-worn cameras with a UK fire and rescue service, following West Yorkshire.
Axon already works with eight different UK fire services to roll out body-worn cameras in their daily operations, with 55% of UK police forces also using the tech.