IBM to supply tech for new Emergency Services Network

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The Home Office said the system will help provide vital information to emergency services more quickly, for example instantly updating fire services about the make and model of a vehicle involved in a road traffic accident, which could then be cross-referenced with data on how to best use cutting equipment if someone is trapped, or where batteries are located on an electric car. Policing minister Dame Diana Johnson said: “Every day our brave emergency services help members of the public facing life or death situations. “This Government is working tirelessly to support this project, making sure it is delivered in a timely and cost-effective manner, and IBM will be an important part of bringing the Emergency Services Network online.” Rahul Kalia, managing partner at IBM UK and Ireland, said: “We are proud to support the Emergency Services Network in delivering a secure and resilient communications platform to empower frontline emergency services. “We look forward to working with the Government to deliver this in a timely and cost-effective manner.” In 2023 MPs warned that Britain’s blue light services were facing “significant costs” because of Home Office failures with the plan and said the former Conservative government had already spent more than £2 billion on the project.