Steve Wilcock explains the thinking behind Marshal Eye, a new fire incident response app

The impact of a fire in an educational setting can be significant and multifaceted, affecting various aspects of the school community, the local area and beyond. First, there is the obvious physical impact on infrastructure such as damage to facilities including classrooms, libraries, laboratories and administrative offices, leading to costly repairs and renovations. There is then displacement of pupils and staff who will require alternative arrangements for classes and activities. The loss of equipment, supplies and educational materials will affect the quality of education. And there is the emotional and psychological impact to pupils, staff, families and the wider community of a sense of loss, particularly if it affects a beloved or historic building.

The financial burden of repairing damages can create a strain on school budgets, potentially diverting funds from educational programmes and services. Navigating insurance claims can be complicated and time-consuming, leading to delays in recovery.

The subsequent investigations, depending on the circumstances of a fire, could lead to legal action and if negligence is involved there could be accountability measures taken against responsible parties.

In summary, a fire at a school can have profound and lasting effects on the physical environment, community dynamics, emotional wellbeing, and educational outcomes. The response to such an incident is critical in mitigating negative impacts and supporting recovery.

Having attended many large-scale fires during my career within Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, I noted that the usual suspects would emerge during investigations – poor fire strategy, preparedness, communications and a lack of training.

While these problems have always been around, one aspect that is on the increase is the loss of resilience due to flexible working arrangements. Response teams will fluctuate throughout the day as staff come and go or roam the site. A fire can happen at any moment, and having the appropriate people in the right place at the right time, with the correct information, is becoming more difficult to plan for.

In early 2023, I was operating a fire training company in the Northwest and conceptualised a solution to this problem: an innovative app is called Marshal Eye. This app reimagines the way staff respond to fire incidents by allowing them to claim specific tasks digitally in real-time, rather than relying on pre-assigned fire marshal duties. This opt-in model simplifies planning and ensures that there is always coverage during emergencies.

One of the app’s key features is that it provides users with essential information for their tasks. The app makes provision for instructions to be loaded up which staff can access during an event. This might include fire panel operation, sweep area plans, and assistance protocols for individuals with mobility challenges.

The blueprint for Marshal Eye also addressed historical communication issues that arise during fire alarms. Traditionally, fire marshals have had to initiate evacuations without any additional information, often leading to confusion and hesitation, particularly when colleagues may resist evacuating due to assumptions that many activations are false alarms.

To counter this, the app includes a live messaging feature, enabling real-time communication among staff to assess the situation within the building. If an evacuation is deemed necessary, all tasks will update using a traffic light system; this creates accountability and importantly coordination.

The app also helps to cancel unnecessary evacuations quickly, minimising disruption from false alarms. An article in the Institute of Fire Safety Managers’ magazine in autumn 2023 estimated that false alarms cost the UK economy nearly £700 million annually. Marshal Eye aims to address this issue by facilitating rapid decision-making through the live chat to get a true picture of what’s happening during any incident.

In schools, where fire response teams may be geographically dispersed, Marshal Eye creates a digital space for them to collaborate more effectively. The app provides real-time updates and alerts, enhancing overall confidence in the system.

Once an incident is resolved, users receive immediate updates to let them know that the building can be repopulated. A detailed PDF report is emailed to designated staff. It will give an exact time for the building to be declared clear and a full chronological log of all messages and timestamps of each task claimed and completed. This previously unavailable data will be invaluable for post-incident debriefing and evaluation of staff responses.

Additionally, Marshal Eye can facilitate fire evacuation drills without triggering alarms, allowing teams to practise evacuation procedures without the disruption of full-scale drills. However, it remains essential to conduct regular fire drills to ensure all staff members are familiar with their roles in the event of a fire.

The app’s task menu allows users to view necessary actions and access important documents, like sweep plans or personal emergency evacuation plans. A recent update now indicates how many individuals are present in the building capable of performing each task. If task coverage is low, the app will issue a warning, highlighting potential vulnerabilities in response capacity.

While it was always the intention to develop an application that would provide resilience to fire response, it became clear that the app could serve a broader range of critical incidents beyond fire emergencies. Features for reporting other incidents, such as medical emergencies or lockdowns, have been integrated, significantly speeding up the response to urgent situations such as needing a defibrillator or EpiPen.

The app is perfectly timed in readiness for the proposed Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill legislation, known as Martyn’s Law. At the time of writing, it has yet to be enacted but was reintroduced by the new Labour government during the King’s Speech in July, setting the stage for its eventual passage into law. Martyn’s Law aims to create a framework that ensures public premises with certain capacities are equipped to prepare for and safeguard against terrorist attacks, thereby mitigating their impact. The primary advocate for this legislation is Figen Murray, whose son Martyn Hett was killed, along with 21 others, in the Manchester Arena terrorist attack in 2017.

This legislation will apply throughout the UK. It will mandate that public premises and events take specific measures based on their capacity, venue size, and the nature of the activities being conducted to ensure better preparedness and protection against potential terrorist incidents. This legislation also extends into education premises including schools, colleges and universities.

The four types of procedures that should be implemented, as deemed appropriate and reasonably practicable, are:

1. Evacuation – the method of safely removing individuals from the premises.
2. Invacuation – the process of guiding people safely into the premises or to secure areas within them.
3. Lockdown – the act of securing the premises to restrict or prevent any intruder’s entry, or movement around a premises such as locking doors, closing shutters or using barriers.
4. Communication – the means of notifying individuals on the premises to help them move away from potential danger.

Marshal Eye is currently being trialled in various organisations and schools. As we embrace the digital era, fire evacuation strategies must evolve to accommodate this.

Steve Wilcock is managing director of fire protection firm Marshal Eye.

Steve Wilcock