- The appliance of an innovative technology has earned SembCorp Utilities Teesside national recognition.

Geographical Information System (GIS) is an existing technology that uses aerial imagery to map a geocoded representation of the earth’s geography.

Now, SembCorp Utilities Teesside has cleverly adapted it to assist with the mapping and the safe management of a wide range of industrial facilities at the Wilton International site, resulting in the company being named as a finalist in the ‘Best Use of Technology’ category at the National Business Awards in London.

The awards – widely regarded as the business ‘Oscars’ – consist of 21 different categories and are designed to celebrate the best in British business.

One exciting application of GIS on Teesside has been the creation of a Vehicle Mounted Display System (VMDS) in some emergency response vehicles.

VMDS is a computer-based tracking system that allows emergency response teams – such as those working for SembCorp on the near 2000-acre Wilton International site - to tap into critical information from the cab en route to a callout.

That information includes not only the fastest route to the location, but also pinpoint references to the location of fire hydrants, pipelines and other key installations. It also gives firefighters details of the precise layout of plants and buildings – saving them critical minutes and possibly saving lives.

Now, GIS is being marketed to other organisations around the country and it is thought that local authority fire brigades in particular could capitalise on the VMDS potential.

Jon Rokk, SembCorp’s Commercial Manager, said: “We are delighted to have had the innovation and creativity of our employees recognised at such a prestigious ceremony. We’re naturally extremely proud of the team that has built upon the GIS potential and we’re keen to explore the possibilities of this technology on a wider basis.”

Anyone interested in knowing more about the potential uses of GIS can contact Ross Coulman on 01642-212413 or e-mail him at [email protected]
 

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Media inquiries – Terry Waldron 01642-212385