We are delighted to announce that Dale Morgan & Ken Townsend, who have led the Joint Emergency Services Control Room Team - Anguilla (British Overseas Territory), have won the British APCO Control Room Innovation Award at the Control Room Awards at the event on 3rd July in Hull.
The Joint Emergency Services Control Room is a UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office funded project and the team in Anguilla achieved this award for their groundbreaking work in launching the island's first fully interoperable emergency services control room, a pioneering initiative that has revolutionised tri-service collaboration and public safety. This is changing the way emergencies are dealt with and saving lives on the island of Anguilla.
Dale and Ken demonstrated exceptional leadership and unwavering ownership from the project's inception. Previously, the only emergency response service on the island was a single phone answered by a police officer at the front desk of a very busy police station; the JESCR project proactively drove the complex process of merging three distinct emergency services into a single, cohesive operational unit, answering calls for all three emergency services 24/7, on average within 1 to 2 seconds. This involved:
- Strategic Foresight
- Comprehensive Planning
- Proactive Engagement
- Policy Innovation
- Technological Stewardship
- Open Communication
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Focus on Wellbeing
The JESCR team overcame significant challenges inherent in merging three independent emergency services with distinct cultures, operational procedures, and technological infrastructures requiring resolute leadership, transparent communication, inclusive engagement, and a clear articulation of the benefits for both operators and the public. Logistical complexities were addressed through meticulous planning, and a commitment to finding solutions that prioritised the seamless delivery of public safety services without disruption.
The JESCR model has already delivered tangible benefits for both control room operators and the public in Anguilla.
The judges were uniformly impressed with the nomination saying,
“JESCR represents a paradigm shift in emergency services delivery for Anguilla, driven by a unique and innovative approach to technology integration and inter-agency collaboration.
The tangible benefits for both control room operators and the public are undeniable, establishing a replicable model of best practice for the region and beyond. The vision, leadership, and unwavering commitment of Dale Morgan & Ken Townsend to public safety make them highly deserving of The British APCO Control Room Innovation Award.”
Beyond the emergency services, this control centre will, for the first time, provide a service to the public in the aftermath of a hurricane and Anguilla is also about to have a radar system installed around its shores connected to the Control Room alerting police to illegal activity in the surrounding waters.
Congratulations to Dale Morgan & Ken Townsend – and it’s great to see how UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office funded projects can help make a real difference.
“One Team, One Dream – to keep Anguilla safe, together.”
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