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The purpose of the paper is to estimate the effect of rapid intervention vehicles (RIVs)’ impact on fire department (FDs)' response time.

The study employed multivariate regression analysis of changes in response times before and after introducing RIVs into the FD task force, controlling for expected travel time. Response time analysis based on the database of all emergency fire responses in Norway from 2016 to 2021 was carried out.

Introducing RIVs into the FDs' task force reduced response times by 53 s on average for every call where an RIV is being deployed, given an average driving length of an emergency call of 6.4 kilometers. The response time is reduced to approximately 37 s independently of driving length, and this effect increases with 2.5 s per km.

Precise estimation of the expected reduced response time was calculated by introducing the first RIV into the FD's task force based on advanced statistical analysis on complete emergency register data. The analysis shows that RIVs have a positive impact on response time in both urban and rural areas, while particularly strong for urban areas.

With particular reference to the seven airports administered by the British Airports Authority (BAA), the high standard of safety and operational efficiency is maintained wherever possible by monitoring and annual inspections conducted throughout the organisation. A typical example concerns the detailed ground inspections augmented by those undertaken from the air of each airport's visual aids to navigation. A specially equipped Turbo Commander aircraft with a nose mounted camera is used for these which enables photographic inspections to be made of the runway and approach lighting. Another demanding area is the provision of equipment to deal with the most severe weather conditions envisaged. Widespread disruption of services will result unless rapid action is forthcoming. Ice warning and detection system are therefore installed at all the airports (Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Glasgow, Edingburgh, Prestwick and Aberdeen) with the most severe conditions being experienced at Aberdeen where a high standard of equipment and planning has ensured that periods of closure for snow clearance are the shortest possible.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the development and implementation of the first telepsychology initiative in Haiti. Haiti is the world’s first black-led republic. It is also the only nation established by slave revolt and the first independent Caribbean state. In this case study, the development and pilot implementation of the first telepsychology initiative in the country of Haiti is described. The initiative was designed to provide psychoeducational and emotional support to community members and frontline health workers in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic in this under-resourced country.

A multi-stakeholder approach was used and brought together local, national and international partners from governmental and non-governmental organizations as well as the academic community. Program data was collected from May 2020 through November 2021. The initiative was implemented across four regions of Haiti: Nord, Artibonite, Reste-Quest and Sud.

A total of 701 individuals received telepsychology services. More community members participated (n = 508 sessions) than frontline health workers (n = 193 sessions). Service utilization ranged from one to four counseling sessions. Initial data suggest that telepsychology is a potentially acceptable and feasible option to increase access to mental health services in Haiti. Significant logistical and cultural concerns must be taken into consideration to refine services.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the telepsychology initiative is the first of its kind and may serve as an exemplar for other similar countries with limited mental health resources. The authors provide information on successes, barriers and lessons learned as well as recommendations for enhancing services.