Mr ELFERINK - 1999-06-02
Efficient communications are obviously critical for the ability of our emergency service to respond swiftly to incidents. I understand the minister will be opening a new emergency communications centre this afternoon. Can the minister tell this House how this facility will enhance the integration and coordination of our emergency services, both here and elsewhere in the Northern Territory?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the member, as a former police officer, would be only too aware of the importance of good communications for our emergency services. The government, of course, has committed considerable funds over the last few years to increase police numbers and to provide an enhanced police service to Territorians, similarly with equipment for the fire and rescue and emergency services.
This joint emergency services communication centre that will be opened today has cost $4.5m to put in place. It will be the state of the art system, modelled on a system developed by the Australian Federal Police and will enable police, fire and emergency services and, for the first time in Australia, ambulance services to operate through a single communications network. To demonstrate to members the importance of that from the point of view of safety and also service to the community, I give the example of the Palmerston shooting of a year or 2 ago where there was a serious issue with a gunman and police were involved. An ambulance was called to the scene and because of the communication system, that is the ambulance having a separate system to police, police were unable to communicate with the ambulance on that occasion. As a result of that the ambulance drove into the cross fire.
This new system is unique to the Northern Territory. Again we lead the nation in this regard, trying something different, being out there ahead of everyone else and daring to be a little bit different …
A member interjecting.
Mr REED: Well, you wouldn’t appreciate it because you’re a bit of a goose but people listening to this broadcast …
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr REED: The Leader of the Opposition, the type of comment that she comes out with, people listening to the broadcast have come to expect it of her. One should realise the importance of a communication system of this kind, not only to the Territorians for whom the service is provided, but also to the ambulance staff. That she can make mirth of a situation where ambulance officers drove into the cross fire of a very serious situation, together with the member for Wanguri, won’t go unnoticed by the people listening to this broadcast. It certainly won’t go unnoticed by police, and it certainly won’t go unnoticed by the ambulance officers who were in that very serious situation.
This system that we’re putting in place today demonstrates the seriousness with which the government takes these issues. It’s one thing to have well-trained and professional police, fire and emergency services personnel and ambulance officers, but there is another requirement to have them well equipped. And they have to be, from the point of view of communications, provided with something that is up to date. As I say, it’s unique and we’re well ahead of systems elsewhere in Australia.
The integrated system - as someone calls a police officer in the police station - will now enable them to call up, on a computer screen, a map of the area from which the person is calling or reporting about, and be able to determine where the nearest cross street is so that they can direct an emergency services vehicle to the particular location in question. In addition to that, it will also demonstrate on the screen the closest vehicle to the point that’s being reported. From that point of view I think that members, and certainly people listening to the broadcast, would appreciate the value of that information, both to the person who has to relay the information to the patrol vehicle and, of course, to the person at the end of the line who’s waiting for a response.
There is a very highly technical process that backs up the system. It will be available throughout the Northern Territory in due course and, in addition to that, it will link in with the $7.1m new radio network to be provided to emergency services over the next few years. That was, of course, included and announced in the budget in April, and together with this new communication scheme that will be launched today, it will see that the Territory is in the forefront of the use of technology in this regard.
I just want to put on the public record the appreciation that all members would want to extend to Acting Superintendent Jeffs, the Director of the SPEAR project, as this project has been known; Ms Wendy York, the Director of Information Services for the Police, Fire and Emergency Services; Mr Rex Pearson, the Director of Radio and Electronic Services for the Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services; and their teams, for a job well done on this project. Quite apart from the technical aspects of introducing new technology, up-to-date advanced technology, these officers have been able to maintain the old radio and communication system in operational order to ensure that Territorians receive the services that they want from their emergency services, and then, at the same time, fit out the new centre and have it worked up, proven, and now, today, fully operational.
I commend them for their efforts in servicing not only the emergency services personnel but also the people of the Northern Territory, and I thank the honourable member for his question.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the member, as a former police officer, would be only too aware of the importance of good communications for our emergency services. The government, of course, has committed considerable funds over the last few years to increase police numbers and to provide an enhanced police service to Territorians, similarly with equipment for the fire and rescue and emergency services.
This joint emergency services communication centre that will be opened today has cost $4.5m to put in place. It will be the state of the art system, modelled on a system developed by the Australian Federal Police and will enable police, fire and emergency services and, for the first time in Australia, ambulance services to operate through a single communications network. To demonstrate to members the importance of that from the point of view of safety and also service to the community, I give the example of the Palmerston shooting of a year or 2 ago where there was a serious issue with a gunman and police were involved. An ambulance was called to the scene and because of the communication system, that is the ambulance having a separate system to police, police were unable to communicate with the ambulance on that occasion. As a result of that the ambulance drove into the cross fire.
This new system is unique to the Northern Territory. Again we lead the nation in this regard, trying something different, being out there ahead of everyone else and daring to be a little bit different …
A member interjecting.
Mr REED: Well, you wouldn’t appreciate it because you’re a bit of a goose but people listening to this broadcast …
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr REED: The Leader of the Opposition, the type of comment that she comes out with, people listening to the broadcast have come to expect it of her. One should realise the importance of a communication system of this kind, not only to the Territorians for whom the service is provided, but also to the ambulance staff. That she can make mirth of a situation where ambulance officers drove into the cross fire of a very serious situation, together with the member for Wanguri, won’t go unnoticed by the people listening to this broadcast. It certainly won’t go unnoticed by police, and it certainly won’t go unnoticed by the ambulance officers who were in that very serious situation.
This system that we’re putting in place today demonstrates the seriousness with which the government takes these issues. It’s one thing to have well-trained and professional police, fire and emergency services personnel and ambulance officers, but there is another requirement to have them well equipped. And they have to be, from the point of view of communications, provided with something that is up to date. As I say, it’s unique and we’re well ahead of systems elsewhere in Australia.
The integrated system - as someone calls a police officer in the police station - will now enable them to call up, on a computer screen, a map of the area from which the person is calling or reporting about, and be able to determine where the nearest cross street is so that they can direct an emergency services vehicle to the particular location in question. In addition to that, it will also demonstrate on the screen the closest vehicle to the point that’s being reported. From that point of view I think that members, and certainly people listening to the broadcast, would appreciate the value of that information, both to the person who has to relay the information to the patrol vehicle and, of course, to the person at the end of the line who’s waiting for a response.
There is a very highly technical process that backs up the system. It will be available throughout the Northern Territory in due course and, in addition to that, it will link in with the $7.1m new radio network to be provided to emergency services over the next few years. That was, of course, included and announced in the budget in April, and together with this new communication scheme that will be launched today, it will see that the Territory is in the forefront of the use of technology in this regard.
I just want to put on the public record the appreciation that all members would want to extend to Acting Superintendent Jeffs, the Director of the SPEAR project, as this project has been known; Ms Wendy York, the Director of Information Services for the Police, Fire and Emergency Services; Mr Rex Pearson, the Director of Radio and Electronic Services for the Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services; and their teams, for a job well done on this project. Quite apart from the technical aspects of introducing new technology, up-to-date advanced technology, these officers have been able to maintain the old radio and communication system in operational order to ensure that Territorians receive the services that they want from their emergency services, and then, at the same time, fit out the new centre and have it worked up, proven, and now, today, fully operational.
I commend them for their efforts in servicing not only the emergency services personnel but also the people of the Northern Territory, and I thank the honourable member for his question.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016