The Minister was speaking during a visit to Knock Fire Station in Belfast where he met with the Chief Fire Officer and saw at first hand how the use of Geographic Information (GI) in the Fire & Rescue Service enables them to respond more effectively to major incidents.
The number of organisations seeing the benefits of using GI is increasing all the time. Already the Ambulance Service has significantly improved response times by changing where ambulances are sited, the Fire & Rescue Service have used mapping technology as a vital tool in helping them to save lives and there have been improvements in access to out of hour’s health services in border areas.
The Minister said: “Northern Ireland leads the way in the British Isles in promoting the effective use of Geographic Information – data about place. The power of this work has been seen in fields as diverse as the location of ambulances, the provision of school transport, the devising of new local government boundaries and improving accessibility of library services. This work has brought real benefits in effective use of funds and improved customer service.
“To build on this progress, the Executive recently endorsed the Northern Ireland Geographic Information Strategy 2009-2019, with Ministerial colleagues noting the range of benefits brought by the effective use of GI.
“I welcome this further milestone in using information about place to deliver better services. During these increasingly constrained financial times, the use of GI can help both the public and private sectors deliver improved services more efficiently. These improvements can have a real impact on the lives of people right across Northern Ireland.”
Colin Lammey, Chief Fire Officer from the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service said: "Mapping is essential to the work of the Fire & Rescue Service. During major incidents it is vital that the Incident Commander is quickly provided with the most up to date and reliable information on the developing situation.
“GI therefore assists officers in the decision making process and offers them a better overview of the situation. GI has become an essential element of effective firefighting in not only protecting the lives of the community but by protecting the lives of the firefighters dealing with the incident."
The work to make sure that information about place is up to date, accurate, accessible and used effectively has been taken forward over many years. It is currently coordinated by Land & Property Services.
Iain Greenway, Chief Survey Officer, said: "Geographic information can play a vital role in the everyday lives of the people of Northern Ireland, and it is already being utilised in a number of ways. As well as assisting in the rapid deployment of emergency service vehicles, GI is also being used by the Northern Ireland Assembly in the scrutiny process and by utilities who share data on pipe location to avert damage to each other’s installations.
"We have shown the power of GI. This new strategy is about releasing more of that power to improve services and thereby develop the economy, the environment and the society of Northern Ireland by placing information about location at everyone’s fingertips and supporting the development of sufficient skills to exploit this information."
The Minister also welcomed the first meeting of the Northern Ireland GI Council. The group, which is chaired by the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Finance and Personnel and includes representatives from academia, industry, the professions and government, will work to increase the effective use of GI to improve policy development and service delivery in Northern Ireland.
Notes to editors:
1. The Northern Ireland Geographic Information Strategy 2009-2019: Effectively using information on location is available at: http://www.gistrategyni.gov.uk
2. The members of the GI Council are:
Chair - Stephen Peover – Permanent Secretary at the Department of Finance & Personnel
Iain Greenway – Chief Survey Officer for Northern Ireland
Colin Lammey – Chief Fire Officer, Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service
William McKee – Chief Executive, Belfast Health & Social Care Trust
Sally Montgomery – CEO, W5
Alastair Hamilton – CEO, Invest NI
Trevor Polley – President of SOLACE NI
Cynthia Smith – CEO, Planning Service
Gavin Boyd – CEO Designate, Education & Skills Authority
Geoff Allister – CEO, Roads Service
Professor Julian Orford – Professor of Physical Geography, Queen’s University
Terrence Brannigan – Incoming Chair of CBI NI
David Gavaghan – Chief Executive, Strategic Investment Board
Michael Hannaway – Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors NI
David Orr, Corporate Services Director, Department of Finance & Personnel
David Ferguson – Head of Urban Regeneration & Community Development Group, Department for Social Development
3. All media queries should be directed to the DFP Communications Office on Finance and Personnel Press Office on 028 9052 7417 / 028 9025 5734. Out of office hours please contact the duty press officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.
4. Photos are available on request by contacting the DFP Communications Office on 028 9052 7417.
