Bliksund has recently won a competitive tender for the delivery of live video services to the Brussels-Capital Department for Fire Fighting and Urgent Medical Assistance. Using video, they aim to enhance their 112-emergency response system through real-time location and visual intelligence on incidents.
Photo copyright: Brandweer Brussel – Pompiers de Bruxelles
Bliksund, a leading provider of digital tools for emergency situations, has been awarded a contract with Brussels-Capital Department for Fire Fighting and Urgent Medical Assistance for delivery of enhanced video solutions. Brussels, hosting the European Union, NATO, and a diverse expatriate community alongside numerous tourists, requires advanced solutions for safety.
As one of Europe's largest fire departments, The Brussels Fire Department sought an effective tool to ensure the well-being of its over 1.2 million inhabitants and manage over 100,000 missions annually. After a thorough selection process, Bliksund was chosen as the key partner to enhance the capabilities of the Brussels-Capital Department for Fire Fighting and Urgent Medical Assistance in handling 112 emergency calls.
"We are embracing this innovative technology to ensure that 112 emergency communications from our citizens and visitors in Brussels are handled in a manner that maximizes accessibility for any individual, in need of help," says Spencer Smolders, Major at the Brussels Fire Brigade
By using Bliksund‘s video solution, Bliksund IncidentShare™️, the 112 callers can transmit live-stream videos or chat during incident calls directly to the emergency control centre without requiring an app. Utilising live video, chat, and real-time translation can help minimise language barriers and ensure a faster and more accurate level of response during any 1-1-2 call. As a country with three official languages, Dutch, French, and German, and a significant population of foreign citizens, the possibility to offer real time translation will be valuable for their services.
“Emergency communications to our '112' PSAP (Public Safety Answering Points) must be aligned with the European Union's directives. This is why we wanted to utilise video and real-time text (chat). Additionally, because of the many languages spoken in our capital, we wanted to add live translation to our communication response, facilitating a total conversation for any citizen, who may have a disability or does not speak the same language as our 112-call taker”, Smolders says.
Photo copyright: Brandweer Brussel – Pompiers de Bruxelles
Establishing a partnership with the Brussels Fire Department and assisting a globally significant location like Brussels is a notable achievement in Bliksund's international commitment to supporting 112 and dispatch centres worldwide.
Read more about Brussels-Capital Department for Fire Fighting and Urgent Medical Assistance here: https://pompiers.brussels/