Joint doctrine seeks to improve interoperability of emergency services

The Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Programme (JESIP) has launched a doctrine providing specific guidance to police, fire and ambulance commanders on the principles of effective joint working at major or complex incidents.

The programme, which was launched last year, aims to help the emergency services better understand each other’s expertise and ways of working so they can improve how they can jointly deal with an emergency.

Following the first ever Interoperability Workforce Survey, which was used to gauge levels of skills, knowledge and awareness of interoperability across the emergency services, the programme has sought to identify areas for improvement and consolidate activity into a number of deliverables with timescales and milestones.

The publication of Joint Doctrine: The Interoperability Framework has laid the foundations for JESIP and informs the remaining programme of work over the next 12 months.

Central to this is the delivery of joint training to operational and tactical commanders of each of the emergency services.

During October 2013, a Train the Trainer Programme was run to establish a national network of JESIP trainers. Services will then need to work with their partners to deliver joint training at a local level using JESIP products.

Further training products for other staff and an awareness package for Category 1 and 2 responders are in development and will be completed before September 2014.

Taken from Journal of Paramedic Practice, published 26 November 2013.