Digital, Data and Technology

The DDaT Function

Digital, data and technology underpin all areas of fire and rescue service business from front-line response to the targeting of our interventions; from how we manage risk to how we look after our most important asset, our people.

The DDaT function has been established to develop and support national and local solutions that help with day-to-day activity, enabling services to improve the way they collect, store, use and present data, manage information and make best use of digital technology.

The team supports the DDaT Committee structure, defining and delivering on the priorities determined by the Committee and its underlying Data Board and Digital, Technology and Cyber Board.

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Where we are now

The work of the DDaT team can generally be split across 6 focus areas:

Strategy:

We have developed in partnership with stakeholders a national DDaT Strategy and Roadmap that establishes priorities and outlines the vision for improvement. This roadmap can be viewed on our Strategy Page, and delivery officially commenced in April 2024.

Governance:

We have established the DDaT governance model that oversees and supports the delivery of our roadmap. This not only includes the DDaT Committee, its supporting Boards, and the

subject-matter expert forums, but also wider partners across government, blue light, academia and the tech sector.

Standards:

We’re working with the Fire Standards Board to develop and maintain national Fire Standards for DDaT. The Data Management Fire Standard was published in 2022 and the Digital and Cyber Fire Standard was published in September 2024. We are also working with subject-matter experts to identify, develop and maintain the supporting guidance and tools that are needed by services to implement these standards.

Data collection and analysis:

We’re working with the Home Office to support the development of the new National Fire Data Collection System, which will replace the current IRS platform. We have designed the requirements for a national data analytics capability, which is being rolled out and developed within the NFCC Analysis and Insight team. We work with fire services to improve their data maturity and provide support to enhance data literacy for all roles within the sector.

Promote, engage, motivate and collaborate:

We’re delivering a schedule of regular CPD opportunities across DDaT for practitioners and non-practitioners alike. We host an annual conference which provides a platform for the fire sector, academia, and wider tech industry to share challenges, inspire innovation and encourage collaboration and networking.

Cyber:

The sector faces an ever-more complex battle to keep its people, technology, and data safe from cyber threats to critical national infrastructure. We are working with industry leads, including the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and National Protective Security Authority (NPSA), to support services in improving their resilience and response arrangements.

Where we’re going next

The DDaT Strategy and Roadmap will outline our plans in more detail, but our emerging priorities can be summarised under five key themes:

• We will have a digitally and data literate workforce
• We will transform FRS use of data to drive literacy and improvement
• We will be a digitally resilient sector
• We will unlock digital transformation and innovation to multiply productivity
• We will provide clear and effective guidance to the sector