Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service
Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service have chosen to protect their front line Fire Prevention Practitioners by equipping them with MySOS personal safety devices. With 24 hour monitoring and single button alarm activation, there’s no quicker or easier way of calling for help in the event of an incident or emergency.
Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service provide emergency response across the county of Suffolk in East Anglia. With 35 fire stations, their service answers to around 8,000 emergency calls per year, of which over 740 are serious fires. Aside from attending serious incidents, they also offer fire safety prevention education and advice.
This proactive education is delivered by a dedicated team of Fire Prevention Practitioners, which involves officers attending people’s homes whilst carrying out ‘safer home’ visits. These can include elderly and vulnerable clients, those with mental health issues, and various forms of dependencies. These factors can make home visits particularly challenging and can occasionally lead to abusive or threatening behaviour.
Station Commander and Prevention Delivery Manager, Jon Southgate, approached Peoplesafe after a serious incident that highlighted the inefficiencies of their incumbent lone worker protection provider.
Jon explains, “we introduced the MySOS personal alarm as a safeguard due to an event which would have benefited hugely from having their device as a back up. Our team didn’t like the previous system they were using, as they felt it was too labour intensive and not timely enough in the event of an emergency.”
The MySOS features GPS technology and two-way audio communications. At the press of a button, users can call for help via Peoplesafe’s 24 hour manned Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC). Professionally trained Alarm Controllers are always on hand to communicate with the user, whilst promptly directing the appropriate response to their exact location. With other features such as voice memo, speed dial, and fall detection, there’s no more complete device available in the marketplace today.
Peoplesafe’s service is fully audited and approved against BS 8484:2022, which enables incidents to be escalated to the highest level of police response, even bypassing the 999 emergency system. With the Association of Chief Police Officers awarding both the device and ARC their highest accolade, it’s no wonder Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service join over 100 NHS Trusts, 130 Local Authorities and the majority of police forces in the UK in trusting and using Peoplesafe on a daily basis.
Jon concludes, “would I recommend Peoplesafe to other services? Definitely! With a first class device and service to match, it’s peace of mind that you can’t put a price on to know your team are covered by Peoplesafe.”
