London Fire Brigade boosts IT service desk
The solution will be used to automate password management and enforce consistent password policy for the brigade's 7 000 full-time fire fighters and support staff.
The solution is expected to reduce the volume of calls to the Fire Brigade's IT service desk at shift changes, and to reduce the overhead costs of password resets.
CBR Online says the London Fire Brigade has two data centres in Greenwich View Place and Wapping. It operates a thin client, Microsoft and Citrix-based environment in a multi-user, multi-server set-up.
While it makes heavy use of Microsoft Active Directory to set permissions and group policy, it also uses a number of bespoke applications.
The Fire Brigade's head of ICT contracts and support services, Sally Devine, says the brigade has had password management problems in the past, which led to a large volume of support calls.
“Fire fighters who don't access their accounts on a daily basis often forget their passwords, which historically caused a huge volume of calls being logged with the service desk,” says Devine.
The International Business Times reveals the London Fire Brigade received over 5 300 emergency calls between 6 and 10 August during the London riots and that 10 fire fighters were injured.
“During the civil disturbances, London Fire Brigade fire fighters attended more than 100 serious fires,” according to a London Fire Brigade spokesperson.
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