The RIMSAT project involves a number of Public Safety Services (PSS), principally fire services in the UK. The lead PSS is West Midlands Fire Service.

 Why is RIMSAT important to PSS?
Decision makers at the scene of an emergency incident are faced with a range of challenges in bringing the situation to a safe and timely conclusion. The RIMSAT project was initiated with the aim of addressing two key issues
·        Personnel are required to make decisions where the type incident may be outside of their range of experience simply because they have not dealt with such a situation before, or because the type of incident occurs infrequently – rail crash, petrol tanker crashing into Spaghetti junction, Mont Blanc tunnel fire etc. No mechanisms exist to capture the ‘experience’ and the learning outcomes when a similar incident has been dealt by another person, possibly in another country and make that knowledge available at the scene of an emergency to others.
·        Incident commandeers are required to assimilate information from a number of different sources and then develop a plan which identifies a sequence of events which are prioritised. In developing the plan it is possible that key points may be missed or incorrectly prioritised.

The RIMSAT project will research the feasibility of providing a means of assisting incident commanders in the future by providing support information that will enable them to make the best decision for the situation that they are dealing with.
In addition to its use within incident command, RIMSAT aims to support
·        The delivery of training as a web based distance-learning facility that will support the training of personnel within their normal place of work.
·        Pre-planning for incidents and the development of systems of work and procedures. The ability to test a range of ‘what if’ scenarios will enable the outcomes for a particular course of action related to a specific incident, to be predicted.

Involvement of PSS
Two major work packages will rely on the input and expertise of PSS organisations:
 

 Current Practice Analysis
The first workpackage will involve an analysis of current practice that will include identification of; the types of scenarios in which RIMSAT may be used, the issues which are considered by incident commanders in making decisions, the information sources which are available and the training which has been provided to incident commanders.

 Proof of Concept Trials
Following the development by the other project partners of the processes to mange the information provided from the current practice analysis, the RIMSAT tool will be trialed within using desktop exercises and in an operational environment.

 A PSS User Group
 It is the intention of the Project Consortium to form a User Group of interested PSS organisations and others involved in the management of critical incidents. If you would like to know more please email Peter Cox at TMPL.