Event Round Up: Fire Innovation Forum – Geographic Information Systems
Alongside Steve Taylor, Strategic Data Lead at NFCC DDaT, expertise were also brought to the discussion by Richard Barker and Dave Chapman from the Ordnance Survey, and Dan Cooper, contributing user insight from Devon & Somerset Fire Service.
Providing context to the meeting, Steve gave an overview to the NFCC and the importance of GIS for the sector, both in terms of the mapping itself and the data that sits behind it. GIS can map out incidents and risks, enabling the fire service to look for trends or find properties that need interventions.
Delving into the role of data in leveraging the potential for GIS, Richard set the scene by introducing the Public Sector Geospatial Agreement (PSGA), a 10 year contract with the Government Digital Service. The PSGA ensures data operability across the public sector, providing access and support for public organisations.
Richard introduced key GIS concepts that benefit the fire service, including intelligent routing, contextual mapping and highlighting incident location using an address gazetteer. The OS National Geographic Database (OS NGD) is a structured database containing authoritative geospatial data for Great Britain. It provides the most current, comprehensive and richly attributed data describing Great Britain ever produced by OS in non-proprietary data formats that are easily integrated into a wide array of customer systems and workflows.
You can access the presentation here.
To showcase the operational uses of GIS data, Dan Cooper presented its benefits through its potential for operational risk mapping, incident analysis, community engagement, multi-agency response and dynamic risk modelling.
He expressed his intentions to promote further collaboration with the tech sector, to encourage a knowledgeable network and promote the opportunities presented by GIS technology. Through this, he noted that several challenges need to be addressed, such as ensuring systems are resilient and enable successful vehicle deployment through improved pre-mobilisation knowledge.
Dan’s slides can be found here.
To follow, the attendees engaged in a thought-provoking conversation, exploring the use of other data sets and how the technology is being secured, signifying positive first steps to a strengthened partnership between the fire and tech industry in the GIS space.
You can find more information on techUK's Fire Innovation Forum here.
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Dave Evans
Dave Evans
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 Miatto
Cinzia Miatto
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.
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Fran Richiusa
Fran Richiusa
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.
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- https://www.linkedin.com/in/francesca-richiusa/