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The Casualty Bureau facility incorporates the following features, with reference to the ACPO task units: Incident Enquiry Unit The primary function of this unit is to log missing person enquiries. The unit is responsible for receiving queries about and cancellations of missing persons from the public. Casualty Information Unit The primary function of this unit is to record casualty information, details of which are received from the scene, hospital, reception centre etc. When the user first records the casualty on the system, not only does HOLMES 2 perform a search to see if that casualty already exists, but a second search is performed to establish whether the record is already registered as a missing person or survivor/evacuee. If this is the case, the possibility of a match between the records is noted. The secondary function of the Casualty Information Unit is to record survivor/evacuee information, details of which are received from the scene, reception centre etc. When the user first records the survivor/evacuee on the system, not only does HOLMES 2 perform a search to see if that record already exists, but a second search is performed to establish whether the survivor/evacuee is already registered as a missing person. If this is the case, the possibility of a match is noted. Collation Unit The primary function of this unit is the matching of casualties and survivors/evacuees to missing persons. This may be performed by way of confirmation of potential matches identified by the Casualty Information Unit, or by the Automatic Record Monitoring facility in HOLMES 2. Identification Commission This unit is responsible for all matters relating to the deceased. The Ante Mortem co-ordinator provides relevant information from the Casualty Bureau to assist in the identification of the deceased. General Message Unit When a casualty has been positively identified as matching an existing missing person, this unit raises an action to inform the next of kin. The actions list is automatically updated to show completed actions.
A new Input Module has been developed which uses web technologies over a secure network. It has the functions of the Enquiry Unit allowing missing people information to be created and updated at any PC that has Internet Explorer. This enables Call Centres to be set up in any Force which receives and logs calls for a disaster located anywhere within the UK. It is being enhanced to allow details of Casualties, Survivors or Evacuees to be logged using any PC located at another site, e.g. a Casualty Unit can be set up at a hospital or mortuary provided access to the secure network is available. Data created via the Input Module is fully integrated into Casualty Bureau and CB records can be viewed and amended via CasWeb. This module allows Forces to provide "mutual aid" to other Forces without using the Mutual Aid facility.
In addition to the features above, it is possible within the HOLMES 2 Casualty Bureau facility to perform any of the following functions:
In the event of a major disaster, HOLMES 2 provides the ability for police forces to pool resources to handle more effectively the initial peak load of missing person calls from the public. This is managed by the Mutual Aid facility in HOLMES 2 Casualty Bureau. Under Mutual Aid control, the missing person and caller information is entered onto an assisting Force's HOLMES 2 system and then transferred electronically to the home Force. The transfer of information from an assisting Force to the home Force is carried out automatically and seamlessly by a transfer program. Once the program has been set up, there is no need for intervention by operators from either Force. The assisting Force is not prevented from creating missing person information if the network links are not operating: the information simply waits until links are established, and is then sent 'en bloc' to the home Force for matching.
Casualty Bureau has a three-tier, client-server architecture. The server layer consists of an Oracle database on a Unix system. The application layer for Casualty Bureau comprises a Windows 2000 server with Citrix, while the web application layer for the Input Module uses BEA WebLogic on a different Windows 2000 server. The client layer is any Windows PC; Casualty Bureau uses a small Citrix client and the Input Module, Internet Explorer. The system is integrated with third party products, such as the Autonomy product suite, which further enhances the functionality of the solution.
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Recognising the many similarities that exist between the investigation of a major incident and a major disaster, HOLMES 2 provides the facilities for disaster management via the Casualty Bureau operations as a natural extension of the crime investigation facilities.
The additional functions required for Casualty Bureau operations are fully integrated into the HOLMES 2 solution with a similar 'look and feel' to incident room functions so that users are able to move smoothly from incident enquiries to Casualty Bureau operations.
In the aftermath of the Hillsborough football stadium disaster in 1989, BT recorded the receipt of some 500,000 calls via the Sheffield exchange. Only a small percentage of these calls actually got through to the police Casualty Bureau.
