A new dual stream format at the Annual International BAPCO (British Association of Public Safety Communications Officers) Conference and Exhibition will deliver more variety and a greater choice of sessions for practitioners, under the theme “Sharing Information for the Future.” 

This event, will take place from 21st – 23rd April 2009 at the Business Design Centre, Islington, London.

The Civil Contingencies Secretariat will give the opening keynote address, focusing on the Resilient Telecommunications Programme, followed by parallel streams on Resilient Communications and Communications and Command Centres.

Resilient Communications are discussed in an operational context, drawing on case studies including Dansk Beredskabskommunikation in Denmark, New York City Wireless Program and Sussex Police Project. Communications and Command Centre sessions present a FireControl Project Update and information on a major new integrated system for London Fire and Rescue Service - the Command Support System.

On Thursday 23rd April, O2 will give a keynote presentation – ‘Ensuring Emergency Services are as well equipped as the public’, while parallel streams cover key topics: Next Generation Networks and Operational Data. Sessions examine the future of public networks alongside a private infrastructure, the use of wireless mesh technologies and proposals to enable the Highways Agency to have full inter-working and data-sharing with the emergency services. The Operational Data stream focuses on effective communications to the public, using mobile data to enable better-informed decisions, and improved emergency response and draws on examples from the Emergency Evacuation Alert System (EASE) in Dudley MBC. The conference will close with DAC Richard Bryan discussing security issues for the 2012 London Olympics.

Both one and two day conference delegates will be able to attend free sessions during the afternoon of Tuesday 21st April for updates on Project CHORIST, Project SERICOM and Project COPE.

Alongside the conference, the free to attend, BAPCO exhibition (22nd- 23rd April 2009) enables delegates and visitors to meet over 100 specialist suppliers of tried and tested technologies, and to see brand new product launches and future public safety communications systems.

Excelerate Technology, the leading supplier of satellite and wireless-based data, voice and video solutions, will be demonstrating a number of recently completed vehicles outside the main entrance at BAPCO 2009.  They will enable visitors to see what a multi agency command village might look like at a large scale incident and how interoperability can be delivered. 

BAPCO 2009 will attract over 1200 professionals from ambulance, emergency medical services, fire and rescue, police, defence, local authorities, national governmental agencies, volunteer organisations, civil contingency responders and emergency management to explore how technology, current and emerging, assists in ever-changing user requirements, increased inter-agency communications, and demand for services requiring resilient systems and established protocols for information sharing in the event of civil emergencies and incidents.

For the full conference programme, exhibitor list and to register as a delegate or visitor to the BAPCO conference and exhibition visit the link below;