Fire service gets smarter maps

How Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service deployed Blue Light Maps.

In numbers

40
Specialist vehicles deployed to
1.45 million
Residents covered
2
Live data overlay types
OS
Base map building data
DG
Daniel Grew
OPERATIONAL TECHNOLOGY MANAGER · DORSET & WILTSHIRE FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE

"It has made a positive difference in reaching incidents more quickly and effectively."

The Challenge

Every second counts on the way to an incident. With increased use of fire coverage tools, crews are often rotated to cover areas they don’t know well.

That means they not only need the fastest blue light route – they also need access to vital information like hydrant locations and risk data.

Traditionally, getting up-to-date data into the hands of frontline firefighters has been slow and expensive.

The Solution

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service has deployed Blue Light Maps to the existing in-vehicle tablets of all frontline fire appliances.

Through a simple data admin panel, the team can upload fire hydrant and risk data in their existing formats.

It’s then immediately made available to all frontline crews as an overlay to the base map, alongside comprehensive building data from Ordnance Survey.

Hydrant and risk-data overlays shown on the base map in Blue Light Maps

The Impact

Daniel Grew, Operational Communications Technology Manager, explained how the app helps:

What’s next?

Dorset & Wiltshire are now exploring opportunities to further expand the use of the Blue Light Maps solution, by also providing access to all responding officers — ensuring every responder benefits from smarter routing, critical data overlays, and improved situational awareness.

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Summary

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service has implemented Blue Light Maps on their in-vehicle tablets to enhance incident response. The system provides immediate access to critical data overlays, such as hydrant and risk information, alongside base map data. This deployment aims to improve response times and situational awareness for frontline crews.

Key Facts

Frequently Asked Questions

What challenge did Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service face?

Crews were often rotated to cover areas they didn't know well and needed faster access to vital information like hydrant locations and risk data, but traditionally, getting up-to-date data to frontline firefighters was slow and expensive.

How did Blue Light Maps solve the challenge for Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service?

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service deployed Blue Light Maps to existing in-vehicle tablets, allowing the team to upload fire hydrant and risk data in their existing formats, which is then immediately available to all frontline crews as an overlay to the base map.

What impact has Blue Light Maps had on Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service?

Daniel Grew, Operational Technology Manager, stated that it has made a positive difference in reaching incidents more quickly and effectively.

What are the future plans for Blue Light Maps at Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service?

Dorset & Wiltshire are exploring opportunities to further expand the use of the Blue Light Maps solution by providing access to all responding officers to ensure every responder benefits from smarter routing, critical data overlays, and improved situational awareness.

Related Entities

People
Daniel Grew
Companies
Blue Light Maps, Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, Ordnance Survey
Products
Blue Light Maps
Locations
Dorset, Wiltshire
Technologies
in-vehicle tablets