We were pleased to host our fifth Fire Innovation Forum session with a focus on drones' application in fire and rescue services.
Steve Beakhust and Gillian Fyfe, National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) welcomed attendees with an overview of the Council’s Digital, Data and Technology objectives. Within their strategy and roadmap, the NFCC recognise the importance of partnerships in achieving their innovation goals, as they continue to explore the benefits of emerging technology to the sector.
Tim Morell, the National Drone Lead, NFCC, gave a presentation on the current landscape, including the national capabilities of the different drones used by services. Drones are beneficial for increasing situational awareness, providing a new perspective for thermal imaging camera, creating detailed incident maps through photogrammetry, and reducing risk to front line officers for their ability to enter hazardous areas. Through such abilities, officers now are able to attain visibility to sub surface incidents and send firefighting robots as a first responder.
AI is being explored in fire detection and victim identification with the ambition to improve response effectiveness, with ambitions for it to enhance the accuracy and speed of locating victims and identifying hazards.
With that said, there are several challenges that limit the role that drones can play in the fire and rescue sector. As models vary in resilience it can impair their ability to act as a first responder.
David Hodges, Avon Fire and Rescue, shared his experience leading a pilot on underwater drones (ROV’s) for search and rescue incidents. The results of this highlighted the use of sonar technology for improving the success of rescue operations, as it allows victims to be located in turbulent waters where visibility is low. His research also highlighted the importance of rapid deployment for drones for successful retrieval.
Amongst the open discussion, the group considered what are the areas for improvement for better collaboration between industry and the fire services. A key area for development is the incorporation of traditional firefighting methods into the design of technology. To benefit from the different perspectives and to mitigate the budget constraints of services, partnerships are encouraged to ensure the vision of the NFCC Strategy and Roadmap is incorporated to the early stages of technology development.
If you want to know more about previous forum sessions, you can find the links below:
May 2024 techUK launched its Fire Innovation Forum. We were joined for this kick off meeting by representatives from the National Fire Chiefs Council’s (NFCC) including; Steve Beakhurst, Steve Taylor, Claire Chambers, and Gillian Fyfe. During the session, attendees gained insight into the infrastructure and challenges of NFCC and their Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) ambitions.
Following the success of our launch back in May, this July we were delighted to welcome back the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) for our second meeting. We were joined by NFCC representatives Steve Beakhurst, Steve Taylor, Gillian Fyfe and many of our techUK members across the Justice and Emergency Services and Cyber Programmes.
In October 2024 we hosted our third Fire Innovation Forum meeting focusing on procurement, and we were delighted to be joined by representatives from 10 fire and rescue services, including representatives from the National Fire Chiefs’ Council (NFCC) and Blue Light Commercial (BLC) .
Under techUK’s MoU with the National Fire Chiefs’ Council (NFCC) we were delighted to kick off the forum’s activity for 2025 with the fourth session, focusing on data. We were joined by NFCC DDaT representatives Steve Beakhust, Gillian Fyfe and Steve Taylor, who gave an overview of the challenges and opportunities of data quality, usage, collection and sharing within the fire and rescue services.
Get involved in techUK's Robotics and Automation sprint campaign
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Dave Evans
Head of Programme - Justice and Emergency Services and Economic Crime Lead, techUK
Dave is a former senior police officer with the City of London Police, bringing extensive experience as a Detective and senior leader across frontline operations and multi-agency partnerships at regional and national levels.
He has led and supported responses to major national incidents, including mass casualty events, counter-terrorism operations and large-scale public disorder, working closely with partners across the criminal justice sector.
Alongside his public service, Dave has also held leadership roles in the private sector, managing projects focused on intellectual property and licensing. His combined experience across both sectors gives him a deep understanding of how collaboration between service providers and end users can strengthen resilience and trust.
Cinzia joined techUK in August 2023 as the Justice and Emergency Services (JES) Programme Manager.
The JES programme represents suppliers, championing their interests in the blue light and criminal justice markets, whether they are established entities or newcomers seeking to establish their presence.
Prior to joining techUK, Cinzia worked in the third and public sectors, managing projects related to international trade and social inclusion.
Junior Programme Manager - Justice and Emergency Services, techUK
Ella joined techUK in November 2023 as a Markets Team Assistant, supporting the Justice and Emergency Services, Central Government and Financial Services Programmes, before progressing into Junior Programme Manager in January 2024.
Before joining the team, she was working at the Magistrates' Courts in legal administration and graduated from the University of Liverpool in 2022. Ella attained an undergraduate degree in History and Politics, and a master's degree in International Relations and Security Studies, with a particular interest in studying asylum rights and gendered violence.
In her spare time she enjoys going to the gym, watching true crime documentaries, travelling, and making her best attempts to become a better cook.
Programme Team Assistant for Public Sector Markets, techUK
Fran serves as the Programme Team Assistant within techUK’s Public Sector Market Programmes, where she is responsible for delivering comprehensive team support, managing administrative functions, and fostering strong relationships with members.
Prior to joining techUK in May 2025, Fran built a meaningful career in the charitable and local government sectors. She worked extensively with both victims and perpetrators of crime, and notably led the coordination of Domestic Homicide Reviews across Surrey—an initiative aimed at identifying lessons and preventing future incidents of domestic abuse.
Outside of work, Fran is an avid traveller and a proud cat mum who enjoys unwinding with her feline companions.
Justice and Emergency Services Programme activities
The techUK Justice and Emergency Services Programme represents tech firms operating in the public safety, criminal justice, and blue light markets. We create strong relationships between members and public sector customers, encouraging industry engagement, and unlocking innovation. Visit the programme page here.
VAWG and RASSO impact day 2025
Following our recent engagement with the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) on tackling VAWG and the recently established partnership, The Justice and Emergency Services team is pleased to be hosting our 2025 VAWG and RASSO impact day.
Our members develop strong networks, build meaningful partnerships and grow their businesses as we all work together to create a thriving environment where industry, government and stakeholders come together to realise the positive outcomes tech can deliver.
Head of Programme - Justice and Emergency Services and Economic Crime Lead, techUK
Dave Evans
Head of Programme - Justice and Emergency Services and Economic Crime Lead, techUK
Dave is a former senior police officer with the City of London Police, bringing extensive experience as a Detective and senior leader across frontline operations and multi-agency partnerships at regional and national levels.
He has led and supported responses to major national incidents, including mass casualty events, counter-terrorism operations and large-scale public disorder, working closely with partners across the criminal justice sector.
Alongside his public service, Dave has also held leadership roles in the private sector, managing projects focused on intellectual property and licensing. His combined experience across both sectors gives him a deep understanding of how collaboration between service providers and end users can strengthen resilience and trust.
Cinzia joined techUK in August 2023 as the Justice and Emergency Services (JES) Programme Manager.
The JES programme represents suppliers, championing their interests in the blue light and criminal justice markets, whether they are established entities or newcomers seeking to establish their presence.
Prior to joining techUK, Cinzia worked in the third and public sectors, managing projects related to international trade and social inclusion.
Junior Programme Manager - Justice and Emergency Services, techUK
Ella Gago-Brookes
Junior Programme Manager - Justice and Emergency Services, techUK
Ella joined techUK in November 2023 as a Markets Team Assistant, supporting the Justice and Emergency Services, Central Government and Financial Services Programmes, before progressing into Junior Programme Manager in January 2024.
Before joining the team, she was working at the Magistrates' Courts in legal administration and graduated from the University of Liverpool in 2022. Ella attained an undergraduate degree in History and Politics, and a master's degree in International Relations and Security Studies, with a particular interest in studying asylum rights and gendered violence.
In her spare time she enjoys going to the gym, watching true crime documentaries, travelling, and making her best attempts to become a better cook.
Programme Team Assistant for Public Sector Markets, techUK
Fran Richiusa
Programme Team Assistant for Public Sector Markets, techUK
Fran serves as the Programme Team Assistant within techUK’s Public Sector Market Programmes, where she is responsible for delivering comprehensive team support, managing administrative functions, and fostering strong relationships with members.
Prior to joining techUK in May 2025, Fran built a meaningful career in the charitable and local government sectors. She worked extensively with both victims and perpetrators of crime, and notably led the coordination of Domestic Homicide Reviews across Surrey—an initiative aimed at identifying lessons and preventing future incidents of domestic abuse.
Outside of work, Fran is an avid traveller and a proud cat mum who enjoys unwinding with her feline companions.
A summary of our market engagement event with HMRC's Tech Sourcing Programme on its upcoming Post-Covid Recovery & SR21 New Build Activity, and Automation Delivery procurement.
At last month’s Police Digital Summit in the UK, a panel of police, tech specialists and criminal justice stakeholders discussed how technology could help to meet the challenges of rape and serious sexual offences, and violence against women and girls; techUK’s Georgie Henley, who chaired the panel, highlights some of the key points from the discussion, and the collaborative approaches that can ensure improved responses in the future.
The Queen’s Speech sets out Government’s legislative agenda over the course of the next Parliamentary term, but what did the Speech include for the tech sector?
The Ministry of Defence has launched its Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) for the Hypersonic Technologies and Capability Development Framework which has a total value of £1bn over 7 years.
