Faced with a choice between building and staffing a new control room or outsourcing the responsibility to a third party, St Edmundsbury Borough Council opted for the in-house solution. The key to this decision was the desire to streamline operations while generating income to offset monitoring costs. Partnering with ShopSafe, the Council transformed its communications infrastructure, improving efficiency and ensuring long-term financial sustainability.
About St Edmundsbury Borough Council
St Edmundsbury Borough Council and Forest Heath District Council have worked together for over eight years, delivering significant savings and service improvements. Serving a combined population of 175,000 with a £100M revenue budget, the councils are now exploring the potential benefits of merging to form a single West Suffolk Council. This proposal aims to deliver greater value for local businesses and communities through cost savings, improved services, and increased resilience.
The Challenges
Fragmented Systems
St Edmundsbury’s journey began with the integration of multiple CCTV control rooms into a single centre. With CCTV and town link radio systems from various manufacturers, the transition was operationally challenging. The disparate systems created inefficiencies and made it difficult to plan for future technology migrations.
Limited Functionality
While ShopSafe migrated the existing analogue radio system to digital in Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket, Newmarket was handled by another company. The lack of a unified control system meant limited functionality and inflexibility, with operators facing different operating procedures and training requirements.
Income Generation
A core consideration in the Council’s business plan was generating income to offset the running costs of their new control room. To achieve this, they needed a common, flexible system that could support both operational needs and generate revenue through monitoring services.
The Solution
After a careful review of options, St Edmundsbury Borough Council decided to invest in a completely new CCTV control room and upgrade its camera and recording systems to the latest specifications. A critical part of the plan was to find a common supplier for the radio network to create operational efficiencies and drive income generation.
ShopSafe was selected to deliver a unified digital radio network across all the towns, using a DMR digital system over the same IP network as the CCTV cameras. This would allow CCTV operators and their managers to access and monitor all the towns where cameras were deployed. The radio system would be seamlessly integrated with the control room, making it easier to manage operations and billing.
ShopSafe was entrusted with the responsibility of migrating the radio systems, supporting the control room, and ensuring the income generation goals were met through accurate billing.
The Results
Integrated Communication Across Towns
ShopSafe successfully implemented a fully integrated radio network spanning Bury St Edmunds, Newmarket, Haverhill, Stowmarket, and Mildenhall, with plans for further expansion. This system allows for seamless communication across multiple towns, all managed from a central control room.
Comprehensive Control Room Capabilities
In the control room, CCTV operators can monitor any combination of towns through an extensive suite of software. Calls are recorded, operators can send text messages, stun or revive radios, monitor alarms, and automatically track lone workers for enhanced safety.
Income-Generating System
ShopSafe’s solution enabled the Council to meet its goal of income generation. By integrating the radio network with CCTV monitoring, the Council can charge for its monitoring services, offsetting the operational costs. ShopSafe guarantees the proper billing procedures to ensure the revenue streams remain consistent.
Ongoing Support and Training
ShopSafe provides ongoing support through their Service Exchange programme and Batteries for Life initiative, ensuring the system runs smoothly. The company’s extensive experience in public sector procurement ensures that the Council’s income from monitoring services is secure. Additionally, ShopSafe delivers comprehensive training through both traditional and digital media, ensuring all staff are fully equipped to operate the system efficiently.
