Fueltek case study · Emergency services
Lancashire & Merseyside Fire & Rescue
Shared emergency-service fuelling infrastructure across a fifteen-site programme.
The two fire authorities developed a shared specification for resilient onsite fuel storage, dispensing and reporting. The system also needed to support fuel supplied to other public-sector organisations while keeping usage attributable.
Sector context image
Project approach
From operational problem to working system.
Two fire authorities used a shared specification across fifteen sites, combining fuel resilience with records for shared use.
Support resilience, shared use and accurate attribution
- Emergency-service fuel had to remain available as part of contingency planning.
- The shared arrangement needed reporting detailed enough to attribute fuel used by different authorities.
- Existing underground tanks and dispensing equipment had to be decommissioned as part of a wider multi-site programme.
Deliver a complete managed system across fifteen sites
- Supplied FT4000AP managed dispensing, TankWatch monitoring and Fueltek FMO reporting.
- Structured the system so stock and transaction information could support shared use and charging between participating organisations.
- Included decommissioning, disposal and groundwork associated with the new tank and dispensing installations.
Project in context
The brief, explained in more detail.
The project brought together the equipment and operating processes described below. Explore how the installation worked and the considerations for a similar system at your site.
Shared infrastructure with attributable fuel records.
Lancashire and Merseyside Fire & Rescue required a shared fuel infrastructure specification across a fifteen-site programme. Storage and dispensing formed part of contingency planning, while the system also needed to account for fuel supplied to other public-sector organisations.
The Fueltek solution combined FT4000AP managed dispensing, TankWatch monitoring and FMO reporting. Stock and transaction information supported the attribution of fuel to participating organisations. The wider installation programme included decommissioning existing underground tanks and dispensing equipment, disposal and associated groundwork.
The installation connected shared fuelling infrastructure with clear records of use across the two fire authorities. Both services needed dependable fuel access and transactions attributable to the organisation using it.
System architecture
How the Fueltek layers worked together.
A fuel-management project normally has several distinct jobs to do: physically store or dispense product, decide who is allowed to use it, measure what is held in storage, and turn activity into information that managers can review. The cards below show the roles of the systems connected with this case study.
FT4000AP
Integrated pump and fuel-management control
The FT4000AP combines dispensing hardware with Fueltek fuel-management control in one integrated unit. For a site project this reduces the separation between the physical pump and the transaction system: authorisation, dispensing and transaction capture are designed as one workflow. The exact pump, hose, nozzle and flow specification can then be selected around the vehicles and operating pattern at the site.
Explore FT4000AP →TankWatch
Independent tank-level and stock monitoring
TankWatch measures what is physically held in the storage tank using tank probes and a local control layer. That gives the operator information such as current stock, available capacity, deliveries, stock movements and throughputs. It complements pump transaction data because it answers a different question: the pump records what the system says was dispensed, while tank monitoring measures what is actually happening in storage.
Explore TankWatch →FMO software
Browser-based reporting and multi-site visibility
Fueltek FMO provides the reporting and management layer above the field equipment. Depending on the installed configuration, authorised users can review fuel activity, run reports and manage information across users, vehicles, pumps or depots. On multi-site projects this is particularly important because it allows several physical locations to be viewed through one consistent reporting structure rather than as isolated fuel stations.
Explore FMO software →Operational workflow
From fuel on site to usable information.
The steps below explain the roles of the technologies discussed in this project. The exact operating sequence depends on the equipment and identification process specified for the installation.
Store & receive
Bulk product is received into the site storage arrangement. Tank capacity, product compatibility and delivery access are part of the physical specification before the management system can add useful control.
Authorise
The managed dispensing layer checks that the user or vehicle is permitted to draw fuel before the transaction proceeds. The exact identification method depends on the project configuration.
Dispense & record
Fuel is dispensed through the managed pump or controller. The quantity dispensed becomes a transaction record rather than remaining only as a mechanical pump total.
Measure stock independently
TankWatch measures the physical tank level. This gives the operator a second information source for stock, deliveries and movements alongside the pump transaction record.
Review & report
The reporting layer brings field data into a browser-accessible management view so authorised users can review activity without standing at the pump.
Planning a similar project
What should be defined before specification.
The case-study equipment should not be copied blindly. A new installation needs to be sized and configured around the actual operation. These are the main questions We need to understand before choosing the appropriate hardware and software.
Fuel & storage
Which products are stored? What is the expected daily usage, peak usage, delivery frequency and reserve requirement? These answers influence tank capacity and whether multiple compartments are appropriate.
Vehicles & dispensing
Vehicle type, fill-point position, desired flow rate, hose reach and simultaneous fuelling demand determine the practical pump, hose and nozzle arrangement.
Access & accountability
Define whether authorisation should be tied to a driver, vehicle, department, contractor or another operational identity, and what information needs to be captured with each transaction.
Tank visibility
Decide what the site needs to know about physical stock: current level, ullage, deliveries, movement, alarms and how that information should be reconciled with pump transactions.
Reporting & users
Identify who needs reports, whether the organisation is single-site or multi-site, which managers need local or central access and what exceptions should be easy to investigate.
Installation & handover
Existing equipment, electrical and data connections, vehicle movements, groundwork, commissioning windows, staff training and any fixed go-live date all affect the delivery plan.
Apply the learning
What to take into your own project.
For shared emergency-service infrastructure, define authorised users, participating organisations and reporting responsibilities alongside storage and dispensing. Site contingency procedures and the required support arrangements must be agreed for the actual operation.
Read the project outcome →Case-study FAQ
Project detail and specification questions.
These answers separate the recorded facts of this case study from the decisions that would need to be made for a new installation.
What was the main issue this emergency services project needed to solve?
Support resilience, shared use and accurate attribution. Emergency-service fuel had to remain available as part of contingency planning. The shared arrangement needed reporting detailed enough to attribute fuel used by different authorities.
Which Fueltek systems are connected with this case study?
This project brought together FT4000AP, TankWatch and FMO software. Each system has a distinct role in fuel control, storage, monitoring or reporting.
Why use both pump records and tank monitoring where both are installed?
They measure different parts of the operation. Managed dispensing records the authorised transaction at the pump, while tank monitoring measures physical stock and movements in storage. Reviewing both gives the operator more context than either source on its own.
Would a new project use exactly the same specification?
Not automatically. A similar project should be specified around fuel type, storage capacity, peak dispensing demand, hose reach, user and vehicle access, communications, reporting requirements, installation constraints and any existing equipment that is suitable to retain.
What should be defined before a site survey or quotation?
Useful starting information includes the products to be stored, approximate daily and peak usage, current tank and pump details, vehicle types, required flow rate, number of users or vehicles, preferred access method, reporting expectations, communications available at the site and any installation or handover deadline.
Project outcome
What changed.
The programme created a resilient shared fuelling structure with controlled access, stock visibility and transaction reporting across both services.
Relevant Fueltek systems
Explore the technology used.
Equipment is specified around the site, fuels, users, reporting requirements and existing infrastructure. The links below show the closest current Fueltek product areas connected with this project.
Plan your own system
Have a similar operational challenge?
Fueltek can review your tanks, pumps, vehicles, users, reporting requirements and existing equipment before recommending the most practical route forward.
