Disaster Averted
How CiContinuity Rapidly Restored a UK Police Force’s IT Operations
Maintaining a resilient IT infrastructure for blue-light services is not just best practice—it’s a critical component of operational readiness. From dispatch systems to communications networks, a police force’s IT backbone must remain uninterrupted. That’s why multiple UK police forces turn to CiContinuity for expert business continuity planning, disaster recovery solutions, and dependable support.
This case study details how one major UK police force overcame a severe data centre failure and successfully restored operations with the help of CiContinuity, turning a potential disaster into a demonstration of IT resilience and effective public sector disaster recovery.
The Incident: A Data Centre Failure Threatening Critical Services
In early 2024, the police force experienced a significant infrastructure disruption. An air conditioning unit at their primary data centre failed unexpectedly, causing a sharp temperature rise that threatened the integrity of the physical hardware.
Several core systems began showing signs of instability. The most critical issue involved a physical server hosting essential law enforcement services, which suffered degraded performance and multiple disk failures within its RAID configuration. The server housed critical applications related to public safety, call handling, and internal communications—services that needed to be online 24/7.
Without a swift and effective recovery strategy, this could have escalated into a full-scale operational crisis.
Engaging CiContinuity’s Out-of-Hours Recovery Services
Thanks to a pre-existing continuity agreement, the force had access to CiContinuity’s 24/7 out-of-hours disaster recovery support line. Recognising the severity of the situation, they immediately initiated recovery protocols.
Our expert Recovery Team was mobilised within minutes. CiContinuity specialists worked with the police force’s internal IT department to rapidly assess the damage, prioritise systems based on operational criticality, and coordinate the next steps.
Dual-Track Recovery Strategy: Facilities + Technology
While the force’s facilities management team focused on resolving the air conditioning failure, CiContinuity’s engineers tackled the technology side. Their first step was to identify the full scope of the disk errors and determine the viability of recovery from the RAID array.
The diagnosis revealed that the RAID set had suffered multiple concurrent disk failures, leading to a compromised and unstable environment. Time was of the essence, as continuing to run on failing hardware could have resulted in data loss and further system degradation.
Hardware Deployment and Environment Restoration
Drawing from our recovery hardware pool, we provisioned and deployed a like-for-like replacement physical server. This avoided any need for software reconfiguration or compatibility checks—an approach that significantly sped up the recovery timeline.
We then leveraged the force’s secure local backup infrastructure to restore services onto the new server. All data, configurations, and critical application environments were fully replicated, ensuring a seamless return to operational normalcy.
Within hours, core IT systems were functional again, enabling the force to continue serving the public with minimal disruption.
Disaster Averted from Temporary Fix to Long-Term Resilience
What began as an emergency recovery effort soon evolved into a strategic improvement. Pleased with the performance and stability of the new hardware, the police force decided to retain the CiContinuity-supplied server.
By opting to keep the new infrastructure in place, they resolved the immediate crisis and removed the risk of additional downtime from another hardware migration. This practical decision transformed a short-term disaster recovery response into a long-term infrastructure upgrade—a testament to the flexible, client-centric nature of CiContinuity’s service model.
Why Every Second Counts in Emergency Services
The stakes are uniquely high regarding IT continuity for emergency services. In sectors where response times can mean the difference between life and death, prolonged outages are more than just inconvenient; they’re dangerous.
Had recovery been delayed, the force could have faced:
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Interrupted communications between officers and control rooms
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Delays in emergency response dispatching
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Compromised access to time-sensitive intelligence
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Increased public risk and potential reputational damage
With CiContinuity’s rapid response, the worst was avoided. The force restored operations swiftly, maintained public safety, and protected its reputation.
Lessons for Other Public Sector Organisations
This real-world scenario underscores the importance of proactive continuity planning in public services. Whether you’re a police force, fire brigade, NHS trust, or local council, having a reliable disaster recovery partner in place is essential.
Key takeaways include:
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Ensure your backup systems are tested and easily accessible.
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Maintain redundancy in hardware to enable fast replacement when necessary.
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Partner with a provider like CiContinuity that offers 24/7 support and understands the unique demands of public sector operations.
Aligning with Business Continuity and Resilience Awareness Week
This story arrives at a fitting time: Business Continuity and Resilience Awareness Week. It serves as a timely reminder for all organisations—especially those in critical infrastructure sectors—to evaluate their readiness for unforeseen disruptions.
Is your organisation prepared to withstand a major system failure? Do you have the right people, plans, and partners to recover quickly?
Disaster Averted: Don’t Wait for a Crisis to Act
As this case demonstrates, continuity starts before the crisis hits. It’s about preparing today for tomorrow’s unknowns.
At CiContinuity, we deliver more than backup and restore services. We offer peace of mind, knowing that your systems—and your mission—can endure unexpected challenges.
Whether updating an ageing data centre, refreshing your recovery strategy, or needing expert insight into infrastructure risks, CiContinuity is here to help.
Continuity starts here.
When infrastructure failure threatens public service, you need a partner who delivers more than just a backup.
Contact CiContinuity to review your recovery strategy and keep your operations running, whatever happens.