The Record - Issue 20: Spring 2021

124 www. t e c h n o l o g y r e c o r d . c om V I EWPO I NT Innovation for public safety I R ENE S CHR E I B E R : UNB LUR Digital tools that aggregate data, feature machine learning capabilities and are based on knowledge and experience could help first responders make faster, safer decisions during emergency situations I t’s no surprise that technology has great poten- tial to support public safety, but bringing innovation into emergency situations can be challenging. Currently, information is shared via paper-based tools, radio communications, and divided into silos that don’t easily enable sharing. Technology ineffectiveness is also a major challenge. Since technology is constantly shift- ing, many tools can quickly become obsolete. They can be expensive to readapt to meet cur- rent needs, so they end up in storage, where they are unable to provide the necessary aid. Organisations currently developing solutions in this area must understand the reality of field situations and ensure their tools evolve with emergency responders’ needs. Solutions must be designed for complex and dynamic environ- ments, collecting and showing valuable infor- mation in the simplest way possible to enhance coordination effectiveness. Enter Unblur. Via the European Innovation Council, the European Union has provided us with a grant as part of its first dedicated fund- ing round for Green Deal start-ups. With this support, we are working to create the first intelli- gent assistant for front-line commanders to help them operate more safely and in a more effective way during emergencies. We will do this through our incident management software, Iris. We have started a pilot programme for Iris in which we are collaborating with first respond- ers. Through it, we aim to jointly develop and update new functionalities to ensure the best usability and deliver real value for emergency services across Europe. Front-line workers have the opportunity to not only access the latest technologies, but also directly influence how the technology should work. Iris is already being used across the UK and Spain in real-life emergency situations. However, this project’s culture revolves around continuous evolution, and this is where the co-creational role of first responders comes into play. Officers in the field work closely with our product team, for example by testing new features and proto- types in controlled, simulated scenarios and participating in feedback sessions that allow us to transform first-hand experiences into new functionalities. “This platform provides an unprecedented level of situation awareness for our crews,” said Steve McLinden, senior fire officer and digital programme manager at Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service. “It also allows sharing of real-time information in a very easy manner with all participants. The Unblur team has been excellent, supporting us to discover what we needed and designing the product with a very strict end-user approach, that is intuitive and very easy to use.” “We are working to create the first intelligent assistant for front-line commanders”