|
Commanding the Worlds largest Military Air Show using Atlas OPS– RAF Fairford July 2004
The following article is presented as a case study describing the role of Atlas OPS when controlling the worlds largest military air show. This event has been controlled using Atlas OPS since 1998.
The Royal International Air Tattoo is the world’s greatest military Air Show, and is held each year at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire in support of the RAF Benevolent Fund. This year marks the 60th Anniversary of D-Day, so in addition to the series of high profile displays, the current level of heightened alert requires a focus on major incident management.
However, visitors to the Fairford show have no need for concern. For the sixth year running the technology being used at the air-show is significantly raising the level of efficiency in all planning and processes
More than just another Air Show, RIAT (Royal International Air Tattoo) has grown into one of the most prolific aviation events in the world and attracts the attention of major aerospace consortiums as well as air forces.
Worlds largest military air show
The emergency response is coordinated via the main Emergency Control Centre ECC.
Atlas OPS is installed within the ECC and is used as the primary command and control system showing current locations of key resources, monitoring and managing a coordinated incident response and also maintaining a full event log which is distributed to all agencies based within the ECC.
The system is up-loaded with all current airfield mapping provided by RIAT prior to the event. It is also supported by additional formats of complementary map data supplied by various other organisations.
The Emergency Control Centre (ECC) at RAF Fairford is the hub of the air-show’s management team. Representation from all divisions of the Emergency services sector including Police, Fire, Ambulance, Base Security Staff and RIAT's emergency co-ordinating staff, can result in a room of between 20 to 40 people, each with very defined roles of responsibility and tight guides lines of operation. The ECC provides operational control of all RIAT Emergency Services resources during the air show.
Using Atlas OPS in the Emergency Control Centre
Operators in the ECC use Atlas OPS to provide a pictorial representation of the airfield which shows dispositions of emergency services resources (Mobile Response Columns, Crash Combines and other Fire or Support units), and to provide an accurate and rapid ‘log’ of all routine changes to asset locations.
Atlas OPS has now fully replaced the manual ‘incident management system’ previously used by ECC supervisors. This highly graphical and up-to date ‘operational picture’ is disseminated throughout the ECC OPS room via multiple repeated monitor screens.
Emergency Control
In normal operating mode, Atlas OPS displays all resources available to the emergency services control, runway in use, current met data and full traffic reports from the police traffic control room.
Traffic information is entered directly via an Atlas OPS input terminal located in the Police traffic control room. Each traffic route is colour coded (as per the operational order) and its colour can also be displayed on the Atlas OPS event log.
Responding to incidents
When an incident occurs the ECC Atlas OPS operator will enter full details of the incident using a pre prepared incident form. This incident form will have various options such as the ‘type of incident’, ‘aircraft type’, ‘nature of emergency’ etc. Additional data is then added to the incident form by the operator as information comes into the ECC and responses are made.
Emergency Services responding to an incident
All data added to the incident form is automatically entered in chronological order into the main event log.
Should there be multiple incidents, Atlas OPS will display additional incident forms to suit, again adding any information into the event log against the appropriate incident number.
Using the Atlas OPS main map display, available resources are ‘deployed’ to correspond with the verbal radio instructions passed to them by the ECC. Resources are moved using either a mouse, or via the large screen ‘touch screen’ plasma displays installed in the control room.
Touch Screen Input
The touch screen displays allow a simple drag and drop of resources to their current or designated positions. Each time a resource is moved the event log is updated recording the time, resource call sign and location moved to, without any additional input from the Atlas OPS operator.
As the front desk Atlas OPS operator (emergency control), updates and deploys resources, the central Atlas OPS controller distributes an appropriate picture of any incident via multiple repeated twin screens located throughout the ECC.
All updates from the Emergency Control are immediately disseminated around the room providing enhanced situational awareness and shared information to all agencies at their own desks.
Medical Control
All agencies located in the ECC now get a complete, accurate and up-to-date picture of all incidents on the airfield - what they are, how they're being managed and whether they are being dealt with correctly.
When an incident is terminated, the incident report form is deleted from screen, with the main event log retaining all incident data. This data can be used for debriefs or post incident analysis if required.
The implementation of the Atlas OPS system for the last 8 years, now demonstrates a highly professional, slick command centre and incident management facility. It provides the infrastructure for agencies to interact, evaluate, validate and manage incidents as they occur.
Emergency Control Desk
 Top of Page
|
