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Current members of Neighbourhood Watch schemes in Cumbria are invited  to register with a new site to help test our pilot local Community Messaging System.    Click Here

Voice Connect to the Rescue

On April 25th 2008 a serious fire broke out at 'Field and Trek' above 'Boots' in Ambleside. The fire spread to adjacent premises and soon became a major incident. It has been described as the greatest fire Ambleside has ever seen. Special Constabulary Section Supervisor Andy Butler was soon on the scene to support regular officers in the management of traffic and sightseers

Special Constabulary Section Supervisor Andy Butler was soon on the scene to support regular officers in the management of traffic and sightseers.

To gain reinforcements, Andy had a message put out on Voice Connect seeking urgent assistance from Special Constabulary colleagues. Voice Connect enables a message to be forwarded to multiple users in a matter of minutes. 83 colleagues received Andys request almost instantly, resulting in four Special Constables dropping what they were doing to assist.  

Andy said, "Before Voice Connect, I'd have to phone up everyone, or send a message via internal e mail, and wait for people to read the message and respond. Voice Connect cuts through that. In this instance, i couldn't leave the scene, but was able to get someone at HQ to put out the message for me".

PC Dave Buxton, the Community Police Officer at Ambleside said "Getting the extra help from the Special Constabulary was invaluable. The closure of the main road through Ambleside caused severe disruptions, and it was all hands to the pump."

Voice Connect sends messages by e mail, SMS text, or voice mail to registered members (including all Special Constables) and is being used to support Neighbourhood Watch (and other Watch schemes) throughout Cumbria. The month before the Ambleside fire, officers in Brampton used Voice Connect to mobilise volunteers in the search for a vulnerable missing person. More traditionally, the system is used to convey routine crime message to over 2,000 Watch scheme members. In the last twelve months, information from those members has resulted in the detection of 27 offences.