This evening, at the annual British APCO dinner, we were delighted to announce the recipients of the 2024 Ian Thompson Bursary. The winners were presented with a commemorative trophy by Amanda Thompson.
Now in its second year, we were hugely impressed with the high calibre of entries for the bursary inspired by our former Chief Executive Ian Thompson; a true advocate for education and developing young talent within the public safety industry.
The bursary is open to applicants of all ages in the early years of working or studying in the field of critical communications in public safety within the UK and Ireland. With several very strong submissions again this year, the judging panel decided it appropriate to nominate three recipients, who collectively come from a wide range of public safety and IT backgrounds and interests, which has resulted in a broad-ranging cohort aligned with our strategic aims here at British APCO.
Ahead of the award presentations, Chris Lucas, British APCO Chair, commented, “It is an honour to present the awards in recognition of the Ian Thompson Bursary. Having now seen the positive impact made by the recipients of the inaugural awards last year, both for the public safety sector and for the recipient’s own knowledgebase, we are delighted to be able to build on the success this year.”
Learn a little more about our well deserving 2024 Ian Thompson Bursary winners in the following pen-pictures.
Georgie Green
As PMO Analyst supporting the Mobile Data & Vehicle Solution (MDVS) Programme, Georgie provides support to all the English & Welsh NHS Ambulance Service Trusts. She also oversees the delivery of 40+ Mental Health Response Vehicles into several English Ambulance Trusts ensuring they are fully kitted out with Comms equipment before being put into service.
Georgie wants to use the bursary to find out how other parts of the world utilise technology across their emergency services and increase her technical knowledge. She then plans to use this to strengthen her support and input back into the ARP Team. She is also excited to share the knowledge and information from this opportunity with newer members of the ARP Team as they start their careers with the Programme.
“I’m absolutely thrilled, and very overwhelmed to be a recipient of the Ian Thompson Bursary Award for 2024. I’m 6 years into my career in the NHS with the Ambulance Radio Programme so as I continue to find my feet and develop in my PMO Analyst role, this opportunity comes at a great time. I’m incredibly excited and want to thank all who considered my application at BAPCO.”
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Thomas Morgan
Tom, a Customer Support Manager working at Motorola Solutions has responsibility for the end-to-end customer relationship between Motorola, Police Scotland and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in relation to their use of the Airwave network. He plans to use the bursary to develop his knowledge in the critical communications sector, particularly in regard to a subject close to his heart, multi-agency communication during critical incidents. As a former Police Firearms Officer on Merseyside, he has an operational understanding of how UK police services communicate with partner agencies during critical incidents. The bursary will allow him to research and understand the challenges agencies in other jurisdictions face when communicating with each other - with the hope of sharing his findings and proven best practices to help drive improvement in multi-agency communication here in the UK.
“I’m honoured to have been selected as one of this year’s recipients of the Ian Thompson Bursary. The opportunity to develop my knowledge of the mission-critical communications sector will be invaluable to my development within my current role and my future career.”
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Jonathan Sinclair - Inclutech
Jonny leads the design and development teams within Belfast SME, Inclutech, which research citizen-centric needs and emerging technologies to deliver next-generation critical communications solutions. He works closely with public safety agencies to transform how mission-critical data is exchanged during high-risk, time-sensitive incidents involving multiple responding organisations.
He plans to use the bursary to study innovations in public safety communication technology that will help remove barriers and accelerate emergency response.
Jonny’s key focus is on advancing non-verbal and digital communication technologies to aid emergency services and he proposes exploring the integration of automation, AI, and advanced data analytics to refine emergency call triage and dispatch processes.
He aims to provide actionable insights and recommendations for UK agencies to enhance their communication infrastructure, prioritising efficiency, accessibility, and swift emergency responses for the wider community."
"Being honoured with the Ian Thompson Bursary Award 2024 is both an honour and a privilege. It reflects my dedication to the field of critical communications and aligns with Ian Thompson's legacy of fostering education and talent. This award offers a unique opportunity to learn and share insights at an international level, thanks to the support for attending significant events. The chance to present findings, contribute to the BAPCO Journal, and engage in mentorship underlines the commitment to professional growth and community engagement within British APCO. I am deeply grateful for this recognition and excited to use this opportunity to further our collective mission in public safety communications, honouring Ian Thompson's enduring impact on the field."
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