Egress Software Technologies, the leading provider of encryption solutions to blue light organisations, today announces the uptake of Egress Switch by North Wales Fire and Rescue Service (NWFRS).
NWFRS works to protect a residential population of over 600,000 people, in addition to the thousands of tourists that visit the area every year. Employing approximately 1,000 staff members, NWFRS attends over 3,200 fires, 500 road traffic collisions and 500 other emergency incidents every year, in addition to delivering initiatives to schools, businesses and local communities to promote fire safety and prevention. Carrying out this crucial work involves collaborating with a network of external third parties and NWFRS consequently adopted Egress Switch to meet the increasing need for staff to exchange electronic information securely with other emergency services, local authorities and agency partners.
Sarah Roberts, Head of ICT at NWFRS, explains: “We have seen real benefits throughout the organisation as a result of our usage of Switch. For example, because the software is free for our recipients to use, and it’s a simple process for them to register and share information with us securely, the NHS, local authorities, housing associations and charities can encrypt the Home Fire Safety Check referrals they send to our Community Fire Safety teams, which contain personal information about vulnerable citizens. NWFRS Control Room staff also use Egress Switch Secure File Transfer to exchange voice recordings and information about incidents securely with law enforcement agencies.
“Moreover, as the only CESG CPA-certified product for sharing Foundation Level data over the internet, Switch Secure Email enables NWFRS staff to share OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE emergency planning information as part of the North Wales Local Resilience Forum – a multi-agency partnership made up of representatives from local public services, including emergency services, local authorities, NHS, Environment Agency (part of Natural Resources Wales) and other Category 1 responders,” continues Sarah Roberts. “NWFRS also uses Switch to secure confidential employee data. The HR department, for instance, secures the sensitive information shared with our Occupational Health Service provider, while our Finance department is able to securely exchange payroll information relating to NWFRS employees with Conwy County Council.”
Discussing the announcement, Egress UK Sales Manager Kelly McCann comments: “Fire and Rescue Services play a diverse role in protecting the communities they serve, not only attending emergency incidents but also striving to increase awareness to prevent them from occurring in the first place. It is great to see NWFRS has taken the proactive step to protect and secure the sensitive information they share with their network of third parties by adopting Switch throughout multiple departments, understanding that it is important to encrypt confidential employee data as well as that of the citizens they serve. By taking this step, NWFRS are not only protecting the highly sensitive data they share but also ensuring that information security does not get in the way of their continued work to effectively meet the needs of the citizens in North Wales. ”
For more information please visit www.nwales-fireservice.org.uk
