Emergency Button Activations - West Midlands

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Andrew Cashmore

Dear West Midlands Police,

I am requesting information regarding emergency button activations over the last 10 years (or earliest date if records don't go back that far).

Could the following information be provided please.

1) Are emergency buttons treated as P1 or is there another classification?

2) Number of activations per month.

3) Average allocation of response (how long it takes from button press to sending a response).

4) Average response time.

5) Average number of attending officers.

Yours faithfully,

Andrew Cashmore

Freedom of Information,

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David Notley,

Dear Mr Cashmore

FOI Request Reference: 6614/17

Thank you for your request for information, received 28 May 2017.

However, I am writing to ask you to clarify your request. This is because we are not certain that we have understood it correctly.

Therefore I should be grateful if you would clarify precisely what you are referring to when you say 'emergency button activations'.

To enable us to proceed with your request I would be grateful if you could provide the clarification outlined above. After receiving your reply, your request will be considered and you will receive a response within the statutory timescale of 20 working days, as defined by the Act, subject to the application of any statutory exemptions. If you choose not to respond then your request will remain unanswered.

For further information and data on West Midlands Police see our publication scheme and disclosure log:

http://foi.west-midlands.police.uk/

If you need any further information please contact me.

Yours sincerely,

David Notley
Freedom of Information Unit
Corporate Communications
West Midlands Police

Tel: 101 (extension: 801 2068)
[mobile number]

[email address]

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show quoted sections

Andrew Cashmore

Dear David Notley,

'emergency button activations' would be when an officer presses the orange/red emergency/panic button on the top of their Airwave radio. The button is normally located between the antenna and the mutli-function rotary knob on the top of the radio (such as on the Motorola MTH800 TETRA Portable Radio).

The button would normally be pressed when emergency assistance is required

Yours sincerely,

Andrew Cashmore

Freedom of Information,

Dear Mr Cashmore

 

FOI Request Reference: 6614/17

 

Thank you for your request for information, received 28 May 2017.

 

REQUEST

 

I am requesting information regarding emergency button activations* over
the last 10 years (or earliest date if records don't go back that far).

 

*Emergency button activations' would be when an officer presses the
orange/red emergency/panic button on the top of their Airwave radio. The
button would normally be pressed when emergency assistance is required.

 

Could the following information be provided please.

 

1) Are emergency buttons treated as P1 or is there another classification?

 

2) Number of activations per month.

 

3) Average allocation of response (how long it takes from button press to
sending a response).

 

4) Average response time.

 

5) Average number of attending officers.

 

 

RESPONSE

 

Although I can confirm that emergency buttons are treated as P1,
unfortunately our data are not organised in such a way as to allow us to
provide information for question 2, without undertaking a manual
examination of all emergency logs, in order to determine which were
emergency activations. Please note that researching each individual log
would exceed the appropriate limit (FOIA, s.12 (1)).

 

Additionally we do not hold ‘averages’ for questions 3, 4 and 5.

 

Therefore, the cost of compliance with your request is above the amount to
which we are legally required to respond, i.e. the cost of locating and
retrieving the information would exceed the appropriate costs limit under
section 12 of the Freedom of information Act 2000. For West Midlands
Police, the appropriate limit is set at £450, as prescribed by the Freedom
of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees)
Regulations 2004, S.I. 3244.

 

A public authority which, in relation to any request for information, is
relying on a claim that section 12 or section 14 applies must, within the
time for complying with Section 1(1), give the applicant a notice stating
that fact. In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000, this
email acts as a refusal notice.

 

Due to the reason outlined above, I am unable to suggest any practical way
in which your request may be modified in order to satisfy your query or
bring it within the 18 hours stipulated by the Regulations. I am however
willing to consider any refinements that you are able to make to your
request.

 

For further information and data on West Midlands Police see our
publication scheme and disclosure log:

 

[1]http://foi.west-midlands.police.uk/

 

Your attention is drawn to your right to request a re-examination of your
case under West Midlands Police review procedure, which can be found at:

 

[2]http://foi.west-midlands.police.uk/revie...

 

Please note that such an appeal must be received within 20 working days of
the date of this correspondence. Any such request received after this time
will only be considered at the discretion of the FOI Unit.

 

If you require any further information, then please do not hesitate to
contact me.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

David Notley

Freedom of Information Unit

Corporate Communications

West Midlands Police

 

Tel: 101 (extension: 801 2068)

[mobile number]

 

[3][email address]

 

Website:    [4]www.west-midlands.police.uk/ 

Twitter:       [5]www.twitter.com/wmpolice 

Facebook:  [6]www.facebook.com/westmidlandspolice

YouTube:    [7]www.youtube.com/westmidlandspolice

Flickr:         [8]www.flickr.com/westmidlandspolice

 

- [9]View all our social media links

 

To report crime or anti-social behaviour which does not require an
emergency response, please call 101. In an emergency, dial 999.

 

Our vision: Preventing crime, protecting the public and helping those in
need

 

This email is intended for the addressee only and may contain privileged
or confidential information. If received in error, please notify the
originator immediately. Any unauthorised use, disclosure, copying or
alteration of this email is strictly forbidden. Views or opinions
expressed in this email do not necessarily represent those of West
Midlands Police. All West Midlands Police email activity is monitored for
virus, racist, obscene, or otherwise inappropriate activity. No
responsibility is accepted by West Midlands Police for any loss or damage
arising in any way from the receipt or use of this email.

References

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1. http://foi.west-midlands.police.uk/
2. http://foi.west-midlands.police.uk/revie...
3. mailto:[email address]
4. http://www.west-midlands.police.uk/
5. http://www.twitter.com/wmpolice
6. http://www.facebook.com/westmidlandspolice
7. http://www.youtube.com/westmidlandspolice
8. http://www.flickr.com/westmidlandspolice
9. http://www.west-midlands.police.uk/conta...

Andrew Cashmore

Dear Freedom of Information,

Thanks for the response.

Also thank you for confirming they are treated as P1 . Since it would require further manual investigation to gather the other data that is an acceptable answer.

Yours sincerely,

Andrew Cashmore