Case Study: West Midlands Fire Service achieves £470,000 annual cost avoidance and improved service delivery with Ordnance Survey

West Midlands Fire Service - Customer Case Study

West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service (WMFRS) needed a future‑proof GIS and data‑integration solution to transform its IT assets, reduce costs and improve emergency service delivery. Ordnance Survey mapping products — including OS MasterMap Topography Layer, OS VectorMap District, Code‑Point Open and related OS datasets — were used to underpin a purpose‑built system tailored to fire and rescue requirements.

WMFRS deployed an award‑winning single‑hardware “workbook” with an Activity Assistant that captures, geolinks and distributes operational data via OS gazetteers and maps. With Ordnance Survey data supporting the solution, WMFRS realised £470,000 in annual cost avoidance, an estimated 15,000 hours of operational efficiencies per year, 490 users rated the software “excellent,” and a CLG‑sponsored pilot for other services (starting with Staffordshire FRS) was initiated, while data timeliness and training/support costs were substantially improved.

West Midlands Fire Service

Paul Longmore

FiReControl and Firelink Projects coordinator