7. Hardware support and maintenance

• The Telecommunications Officer and the IT Officer need to keep an inventory of all equipment purchased and to whom it was distributed.
• All equipment should be signed for when it is issued.
• All staff should receive clearance from the Telecommunications and IT Officer to confirm that all equipment issued has been returned before staff departure.
• Equipment should only be transferred between different team members by advising the IT Officer and providing a note signed by the responsible staff.

• Regular maintenance will be organised by the Telecommunications and IT Officer, particularly regarding battery maintenance. Equipment failures and unplanned maintenance will be carried out by the Telecommunications and IT Officer, depending on the equipment.

• Good quality equipment will reduce the risk of failure and will greatly help emergency staff in their jobs.
• Staff must be made aware of potential risks of losing equipment and the need to be careful with using and leaving their equipment at potentially unsafe places.
• Data back-ups need to be regularly taken and stored. A copy in the office and another copy need to be stored at another location in case of burglary or fire.

• The Telecommunications and Officer are responsible for ensuring that sufficient equipment is available for new emergency staff members as they arrive at the emergency.
• Purchase arrangements of PCs, radios, telephones and back-up devices such as USB flash drives need to be pre-planned to minimise delays when staff arrive.

Make a record of all equipment distributed to staff. See section 7.1: Asset management and control