99% is not enough for 999
Public confidence in emergency services rests on a simple assumption: when someone dials 999, the call will be answered, writes Nick Chorley.
The resilience of the Public Emergency Call Service (PECS) is such that it has suffered nationwide failure only once in 89 years, on June 25, 2023. The current TETRA radio system operates at 99.7% uptime, a level that has proved difficult to guarantee elsewhere and is one of the reasons behind the decade-long delay to the Emergency Services Network (ESN).
However, true resilience in a control room demands zero downtime across all mission critical systems, not just voice connectivity.
In an emergency, calls must be answered within seconds and managed efficiently. If the computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system fails or even slows, the pressure on call handlers increases immediately. The same applies to records management systems (RMS) and contact management systems (CMS). Keeping these increasingly complex, tightly integrated platforms operational at all times is a major challenge, particularly amid rapid technological change, evolving threats and ongoing resource constraints.
As technology ecosystems grow in scale and complexity, and wages for specialist IT staff grow, it is increasingly unrealistic for emergency service organisations to recruit and retain all the specialist skills needed to ensure resilience and optimise performance.
One way to address this challenge is through the provision of a managed service. In simple terms, this means specialist teams from outside the organisation monitor, maintain and manage mission critical systems, such as CAD, for a fixed cost. More importantly, it represents a shift from reactive operations to a proactive model that better supports the changing demands of modern police, fire and ambulance control rooms.
Achieving zero downtime depends on proactive monitoring and preventative maintenance. This goes far beyond checking whether a server is running; it means identifying issues before they become incidents.
By setting defined thresholds for the use of different elements of the operating environment, eg, memory, network performance and other indicators, the service team can detect early warning signs. For example, if memory usage reaches 80%, technicians can intervene before the system performance degrades or ultimately fails. This detailed experience of system behaviour and constant oversight of targeted system metrics ensures problems are resolved behind the scenes, often before the users are aware of a problem or risk to service.
A common concern in public safety is that essential upgrades will lead to avoidable outages. Managed services reduce this risk through detailed planning and proven technical approaches. Maintenance is scheduled during periods of lowest call volumes and forced failovers are used where appropriate.
In a failover scenario, upgrades are carried out on a secondary site before operations are switched across, allowing the primary site to be updated without disrupting control room activity. As a result, staff maintain continuous connectivity with frontline responders.
Threat actors, ranging from opportunists and extremists to state sponsored groups, continue to evolve their methods. Keeping pace with cybersecurity best practice is a significant challenge. Emergency services can be direct targets or suffer collateral damage from wider attacks.
The WannaCry ransomware attack on the NHS in May 2017 demonstrated how quickly systems can be crippled when specialist expertise is unavailable. A managed service can provide access to skilled professionals who ensure systems are protected using the latest defences and can respond rapidly when incidents occur.
Managed services vary widely in scope, cost and quality. While many providers claim impressive uptime figures suitable for commercial environments, emergency services operate to a different standard. Few providers have the experience and understanding required for UK control room operations or the specific technology platforms used for them.
For this reason, it is often worth exploring whether the system manufacturer themselves offer a managed service for their software. No one understands a platform’s limitations and potential better than those who designed it, and this capability should be considered during procurement.
Ultimately, managed services allow public safety professionals to focus on their core mission: protecting communities. By transferring responsibility for complex technical operations to experienced partners, organisations can ensure they are supported by resilient, secure and modern systems.
Nick Chorley is director of EMEA public safety for Octave
