ORH Team

ORH is a small company with an emphasis on developing the skills of our employees through exposure to interesting projects that have a real-life impact.

Chris Polden
Managing Director
James Armstrong
Analytical Consultant
JAMES BATCHELOR
Senior Consultant
GUY BICKERTON
Consultant
DR TOM BONESS
Senior Software Engineer
Ryan Cook
Analytical Specialist
ANDREW COOPER
Principal Consultant
Diane Garbutt
Office Manager
TOM GLOESS
Analytical Consultant
ANDREW GREGGAN
Senior Consultant
Ben Jeffrey
Software Engineer
GILL MASON
Analytical Specialist
HANNAH MAYES-FRENETT
Senior Consultant
JON MOBBS
Principal Consultant
Elisa Scagnetto
Analytical Consultant
REBECCA SIMONS
Client Lead Consultant
Tom Thorne
Analyst
JACK WILLETT
Analytical Consultant

Chris Polden

Managing Director
As Managing Director Chris is responsible for overseeing all ORH projects, ensuring that they run to schedule and are of a consistently high standard. During his time as a Senior Consultant Chris gained extensive project management experience across a wide range of studies, varying in both size and sector, which considerably broadened his knowledge base. Prior to that, and in his role as Consultant, Chris was heavily involved in data analysis and modelling of the provision of emergency services, focusing particularly on emergency ambulance cover. Chris’s experience at ORH includes:
  • Managing emergency and non-emergency service reviews
  • Reviewing response strategies for both national and local ambulance services
  • Developing new operational models for ambulance service delivery
  • Specifying developments to ORH’s suite of simulation and optimisation programs, the tools which underpin this work

James Armstrong

Analytical Consultant

With experience on a large array of projects for both UK and overseas clients, James’s core responsibility involves analysis of demand, performance and resource deployment for emergency services.

The results from James’s analysis are crucial inputs when populating and running ORH’s simulation and optimisation models. James has also completed key strategic planning work for UK sports councils.

James’s experience at ORH includes:

  • Detailed analysis of both emergency service CAD and telephony-based workload data
  • Cleaning and manipulating large client datasets to create inputs for ORH’s in-house modelling and optimisation software
  • Simulation of emergency services, observing the response performance impacts of changes to demand, vehicle dispatch policies and other service time components
  • Modelling the provision of sports facilities at local and national levels

JAMES BATCHELOR

Senior Consultant

James has been involved in a range of data analysis and modelling reviews for emergency services, with particular emphasis on contact management. He has lead appraisals of emergency and non-emergency control rooms both in the UK, and overseas.

He works closely with clients to understand their requirements, tailor the use of ORH’s simulation and optimisation software and communicate results to audiences of all levels. James also plays a key role in the development of ORH’s Dynamic Cover Tool (DCT).

James first gained experience in advanced analytical techniques and mathematical modelling through his master’s degree, where he carried out client project work for Virgin Atlantic’s Strategy and Analytics division.

James’s experience at ORH includes:

  • Optimising the configuration and staffing within emergency operations centres to achieve call answering KPIs, reduce dispatch times and improve secondary triage rates
  • Benchmarking service provision, establishing areas for improvement and appraising operational efficiencies
  • Modelling the impacts of demand growth, changing standards, and operational changes across ambulance, police and fire services.
  • Training ambulance and fire service staff in using ORH’s DCT and AmbSim software

GUY BICKERTON

Consultant

Guy has been involved in numerous data analysis and modelling reviews for emergency services, both in the UK and overseas. He works closely with clients to understand their requirements, and tailors the use of ORH’s simulation and optimisation software to solve complex service planning issues.

Guy’s experience at ORH includes:

  • Modelling the impacts on staffing and response performance of increasing demand, changing standards, and operational changes on emergency services.
  • Analysing the impact of increasing and often ageing populations on future incident profiles for emergency services in the UK and abroad.
  • Using ORH’s internal modelling software to identify new response locations and areas for consolidation and rationalisation of estates and crewing requirements.

DR TOM BONESS

Senior Software Engineer

Since joining ORH in 2013 Tom has been developing and supporting simulation models and other software tools used by ORH’s consultants and clients. In recent years he has been responsible for engineering and implementing ORH’s cloud-based applications.

In his previous employment Tom was part of a small team developing medical audit software for use in GP practices in the UK. This provided him with experience of developing fast algorithms and easily deployable software with a clear user interface.

Tom has an academic background in theoretical physics and numerical modelling. This forms a solid foundation for his work on the mathematical models used by ORH.

Tom’s experience at ORH includes:

  • Architecting new cloud-based solutions and migrating legacy applications to the cloud
  • Researching and enhancing the algorithms that power ORH’s simulation models for ambulance and fire services and non-emergency patient transport providers
  • Working with ORH consultants and clients to elicit requirements for applications and tools
  • Deploying reliable applications for clients and assisting with user training and support

Ryan Cook

Analytical Specialist

After completing his degree in graphic design Ryan worked in a number of GIS positions, evolving from a focus on visual presentation of information into data management and process improvement, building user portals, interfaces, and systems to help integrate different applications. By the time he joined ORH in 2022, he had become an expert user of the two leading GIS platforms ArcGIS and MapInfo with fluency in SQL and MapBASIC languages, and a strong understanding of spatial data analysis requirements.

At ORH, Ryan works in process improvement automating GIS tasks in MapBASIC to increase the efficiency of core project procedures and reduce the potential for human error. He has built tools to that create networks and nodesets for projects, manage incident data, help with facility planning and produce maps that are visually appealing, easy to parse and consistent with ORH’s corporate style.

So far Ryan has developed the following at ORH:

  • FACBAT, a tool for batching facilities and population data ready for linking into travel time matrices for use in the Facility Planning Model (FPM) used by SportsEngland.
  • NETFIX, a program that converts raw highway data into ORH network tables that are used to produce journeys between stations and incidents.
  • AGG, a tool for turning project areas into a dot matrix of nodes, integral for modelling
  • MERV, a tool which assigns incident data to locations in these nodesets, helping with the understanding of demand
  • LOCI, a tool for creating SiteSearch plans; heatmap-style visuals that indicate prime locations for new fire or ambulance stations to sustain and improve coverage
  • BASER, a tool for automatically producing a base plan for use in reports to a consistent corporate standard

ANDREW COOPER

Principal Consultant

Andrew has a wealth of experience working with emergency services, with particular emphasis on overseeing ORH’s Dynamic Cover Tool (DCT). He manages implementations of the DCT and is responsible for its continuing development.

Andrew’s previous professional experience and academic background in mathematics provided a good foundation in analysis and mathematical modelling. These skills have been further enhanced at ORH and are applied in solving complex service planning issues where he has also managed many consultancy projects for Fire and Rescue Services.

Andrew’s experience at ORH includes:

  • Overseeing the development of ORH’s DCT
  • Managing implementations of the DCT and maintaining ongoing relationships in an account manager role
  • Optimising potential response locations and deployments in relation to demand coverage and targets
  • Assessing alternative service delivery models in terms of the impacts to response performance and utilisation

Diane Garbutt

Office Manager

Diane has a long association with ORH, having joined the company as a part-time admin assistant in 1996. Her role has expanded over the intervening years into the office manager position where she oversees the day-to-day running of the office, keeps the accounts for the company and provides support to both the managing director and ORH’s growing team of consultants and analysts.

Proof-reading and editing are one of her competencies which Diane particularly enjoys, and this is put to good use during the reporting stages of most ORH projects.

When not at work, Diane loves the outdoor life and spends much of her free time riding her horse in forestry land on the Berkshire/Hampshire border. Cryptic crosswords, jigsaw puzzles and reading are other favourite past times, and she is also an avid follower of Formula 1.

TOM GLOESS

Analytical Consultant

Since joining ORH in 2017, Tom has been involved in a range of projects for all three emergency services in the UK and overseas in Canada and Australia. His involvement in projects typically spans a wide variety of tasks, from data collection and analysis to simulation and optimisation modelling. He also is part of the team that models sports facility locations for Sport England and sportscotland.

Tom’s experience at ORH includes:

  • Analysis of ambulance and fire service CAD workload data for UK and overseas clients.
  • Optimising station locations and shift patterns using ORH’s bespoke software in order to improve emergency response times.
  • Taking part in practitioner workshops to gain insight of inner workings of organisations to feed into modelling.
  • Sports facility modelling, locally and nationally across the UK.
  • Developing internal and external tools and processes and investigating new analysis workflows.

ANDREW GREGGAN

Senior Consultant

Since joining ORH Andrew has been involved in a range of consultancy projects for emergency services, both in the UK and overseas. These have included asset management strategies and demand and capacity reviews, from undertaking analysis and modelling to engaging with stakeholders and presenting outcomes. Andrew has also been involved in ORH’s modelling of sports facility provision.

Andrew’s experience at ORH includes:

  • Modelling changes to ambulance call categorisations and standards driven by the Ambulance Response Programme (ARP), plus Integrated Care System (ICS) impacts on ambulance service operations
  • Devising resourcing profiles required to meet projected future demand
  • Optimising station locations to improve emergency response cover using ORH’s bespoke optimisation software
  • Modelling the provision of sports facilities at national and local level

Ben Jeffrey

Software Engineer

From his time studying Physics at university Ben has experience in modelling physical systems using computer models, which has been used and expanded while enhancing and maintaining ORH’s simulation tools. During his degree Ben worked on optimising algorithms used in particle detectors, ensuring they ran efficiently on a live data stream. He also gained a strong background in mathematics and statistics.

A key part of Ben’s role is collaborating with consultants to ensure that ORH’s models have the necessary functionality to meet evolving modelling requirements. He also works with the analysts and GIS specialists to develop tools that support the modelling work.

Ben’s experience at ORH includes:

  • Working with the consultants and the rest of the development team to improve simulation models and expand their capabilities.
  • Helping to transition legacy applications into the cloud
  • Exploring algorithms used for location optimisation to identify a suitable implementation that best meets stakeholder needs on factors such as quality of solution, complexity of use, and run time
  • Investigating new ways to store and process travel time information to speed up coverage calculations and enable new functionality

GILL MASON

Analytical Specialist

Prior to joining ORH in 2005 Gill spent seven years as a business systems analyst, developing strong skills in both data and systems analysis and becoming proficient in software programs including VBA, SQL, Lotus Script and Microsoft Office.
In her role at ORH, Gill supports consultancy projects for emergency services by managing and analysing CAD data. She regularly takes the leading role in ORH’s analysis of ambulance services, both in the UK and overseas. In addition, Gill is responsible for maintaining a key strategic tool for assessing the provision of sports facilities across the UK.

Gill’s experience at ORH includes:

  • Carrying out detailed analysis of ambulance CAD workload data and resource data for clients
  • Providing analytical support to facility access and patient to hospital allocation studies
  • Modelling the provision of sports facilities at national and local level
  • Developing and maintaining in-house and external software tools, drawing on her background in business system analysis and software development

HANNAH MAYES-FRENETT

Senior Consultant

Hannah has an academic background in mathematics, operational research and statistics, and studied statistical analysis, mathematical modelling and optimisation as part of her degree.

Since joining ORH in 2013, Hannah has been involved in a range of analysis and modelling reviews for UK and overseas ambulance clients, as well as patient transport and aeromedical services. She is an expert user of ORH’s simulation and optimisation programs in solving issues relating to service provision, and delivers high quality outcomes to clients and their stakeholders through consultation.

Hannah’s experience at ORH includes:

  • Projecting future ambulance demand and modelling the implications for resource requirements
  • Driving enhancements of ORH’s models, and providing training and modelling support to clients
  • Communicating results to audiences of all levels from front-line staff to Council members
  • A detailed understanding of patient transport and aeromedical operations, in addition to paramedic services.
  • Involvement as project manager or lead consultant in ORH’s Canadian paramedic projects since 2013, with a focus on establishing 10-year master plans

JON MOBBS

Principal Consultant

Jon is an experienced emergency services planner, responsible for managing ORH projects for emergency services in the UK and around the world. Jon also plays a key role in the development of ORH’s simulation model, AmbSim, for emergency medical services.

On joining ORH, Jon initially focused on data analysis and simulation modelling of emergency medical services, before taking on a consulting and project managing role.

Jon’s experience at ORH includes:

  • Project management for clients around the world, including services in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the Middle East
  • Simulation modelling and optimisation of all elements of emergency medical services, from call taking and dispatch to the deployment of emergency vehicles
  • Provision of planning tools and modelling support, including training for service planning staff

Elisa Scagnetto

Analytical Consultant

Elisa’s experience prior to joining ORH was in the Oil and Gas industry where she has gained extensive experience in statistical analysis of subsurface data and stochastic modelling of hydrocarbon reservoirs.

Whilst at ORH, she was able to transfer her numerical skills and modelling knowledge to solve a variety of operational problems and tasks for the emergency services, with focus on the Fire and Rescue Services.

Elisa’s experience at ORH includes:

  • Analysis of fire services CAD workload data.
  • Optimisation of station locations to improve fire services response time, using in-house software applications.
  • Create and validate simulation models to ensure a good and realistic representation of the actual services.
  • Simulation modelling of emergency services to identify the number and type of station and resource configurations required to meet the proposed targets.
  • Apply data science and machine learning to quantify fire risk and identify the major underlying factors of fire incidents.

REBECCA SIMONS

Client Lead Consultant

Rebecca manages ORH’s work for Sport England and Sport Scotland in supporting the delivery of the Facilities Planning Model (FPM). This involves engaging with stakeholders in local authorities, working with the latest population projections and modelling sports facility provision.

Rebecca has experience in working with sport national governing bodies (NGBs) and turning their requirements into a scope. She is experienced in applying ORH’s optimisation model, OGRE, to help planners at sports bodies make difficult decisions about facility investment priorities based on public access and participation.

Rebecca has used her skills in cartography and GIS to develop ORH’s use of road networks and routing software in the formation of travel time matrices. She has also used public transport travel times to provide a more accurate picture of access to vaccination centres in London when compared to drive times.

To deliver projects for sports bodies, Rebecca has developed the following processes from a variety of large datasets:

  • Demand for different sports calculated from Sports England’s Active Lives survey and the Scottish Health survey from analysis of participation and frequency trends.
  • Sport user profiles, based on sex, age and car ownership data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) data and deprivation from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities index.
  • Parameters for facilities from centre-based surveys of users, such as the National Benchmark Service and Moving Communities (Sport England), for travel times, activity durations, and facility usage by time of day.
  • Bespoke geographical population distributions from local authority housing allocations with proposed access roads.

Tom Thorne

Analyst

Since joining ORH Tom has worked on projects for a range of emergency services in the UK and overseas. His contribution has involved using his proficiency in data analysis, mapping and modelling.

During his degree, he spent time creating inputs for simulation and forecasting models, whilst developing a good understanding of large datasets.

Tom’s experience at ORH includes:

  • Cleaning and manipulation of large datasets
  • Producing inputs for ORH’s in-house simulation and optimisation software
  • Using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to calibrate travel-times

JACK WILLETT

Analytical Consultant

Prior to joining ORH, Jack used the Rural Payment Agency’s bespoke GIS software to evaluate subsidy payments owed to agricultural landowners.

From GIS and data analysis to simulation and optimisation modelling, Jack has been involved in a range of projects for both UK and overseas emergency services since joining ORH in 2018. He has also completed key strategic planning work for UK sports councils.

Jack’s experience at ORH includes:

  • Detailed analysis of emergency service CAD workload data, demand projections and GIS analysis
  • Optimising station locations to improve emergency response cover using ORH’s bespoke optimisation software
  • Simulation modelling of emergency services, including call taking, dispatch and resource deployment, to identify required staffing levels
  • Modelling the provision of sports facilities at national and local levels
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