Rocky Mountain Tracking

By Harriette Halepis

What would you do if someone you love suddenly wandered away from home? While this might not seem like a possibility for some people, for other people it is a daily occurrence. Those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease often wander far from their homes without a trace. Sometimes these loved ones are found…other times, they are never to be seen again.

New GPS tracking technology can change the way that Alzheimer’s patients live. These small devices are imbedded into simple bracelets (and other items) that track and trace every movement a person makes. This kind of technology is crucial and life saving when it comes to a wandering Alzheimer’s patient.

Some of these devices are also equipped with a sort of portable phone that can be activated when a person wanders out of a designated area. For example, if an Alzheimer’s patient wanders away from their neighbourhood, some devices set off an alarm. Once this alarm is activated, authorities are notified. Upon contacting a patient through the GPS tracking device that they are wearing, authorities can determine whether or not a patient is truly lost.

In addition to tracking patients that wander outside of a predetermined area, these GPS personal tracking devices also allow family members a bit of assurance. Since family members will be able to set the parameters that a loved one is allowed to wander inside of, they no longer have to worry about whether or not that person is safe throughout the day. In turn, family members responsible for Alzheimer’s patients can go on with their day without any cause for alarm.

In many ways, these Alzheimer-specific tracking devices allow Alzheimer patients a lot more freedom than they are used to. With the help of these devices, patients are free to roam inside of their designated area without any type of constant supervision. While it is difficult to watch a loved one battle Alzheimer’s disease, it is easier to cope with this situation with the help of a GPS tracker.

GPS trackers have a million different uses, but none of them are quite as important as keeping your loved ones out of harm’s way. Keeping a constant eye upon a loved one can be challenging, but it doesn’t have to be. Using a simple GPS tracking device is the best way to ensure peace of mind at all times. While there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, there is hope that Alzheimer’s patients may be able to live normal lives without wandering into any danger.

By Harriette Halepis

When most of us think about GPS tracking uses, we tend to think of personal ways to use this technology. Uses such as teen tracking, shipment tracking, elderly tracking, and domestic animal tracking may come to mind. Aside from these very practical uses, GPS tracking can be used to record, track, and understand the wildlife that surrounds us.

Biologists, researchers, and scientists use GPS tracking devices in order to follow certain animals in their natural habitats. Thanks to GPS technology, it is now possible to understand and observe various animal habits and patterns. Studying wild animals in this manner helps mankind to understand the world as it moves, but it also serves another very important purpose.

Through GPS wildlife tracking, scientists can determine (and potentially prevent) animal-borne diseases. Diseases such as avian influenza (bird flu) and other transferrable diseases can be kept away from the larger population through Global Positioning System technology. How? If scientists can understand where infected animals have come from, where they are going, and how they are contracting a certain disease, then they may be able to prevent this disease from infecting humans far in advance.

There are various types of GPS tracking devices that can be used to track wild animals. Some larger animals can be tracked using collar devices, while smaller animals can be tracked using devices that are directly attached to their bodies. While this technology is important, it is also crucial that GPS devices do not interfere with natural animal habits.

Thus, scientists have managed to craft specific GPS tracking devices for various animals – including GPS trackers that can be attached to a bird without affecting its flight capabilities. Every day, scientists and biologists are following the animals that live amongst us. Through these studies, we can learn more about those animals that seem so far away from our daily reality.

While it’s true that GPS tracking devices are important when it comes to our own lives, they also play an important part in understanding our world. Most people never come in contact with a wild animal, but these animals are still a large part of our environment. Learning about our entire environment is the best possible way to understand the world in which we live. Thanks to GPS tracking, we can now begin to look into the animal kingdom with understanding and certainty – two things that will lead us closer to comprehending the way that the world truly works.

By Greg Bartlett

Most people never think about it, but airline catering trucks run on a very precise schedule. Schedules are prepared for each driver, which include loading time at the catering kitchen, travel time to the airport, loading time at the airport and return time to the kitchen with the food and beverage carts used on the flight.

At a major airport, one of the drivers of the catering trucks was reported late once or twice a week when he would return to the kitchen after unloading a flight. The driver wasn’t grossly late, just a matter of 15 or 20 minutes. Since it was only once or twice a week, it wasn’t a major issue. When asked about being late, the driver usually gave the excuse of traffic or security; however, this particular driver was the only one late.

The kitchen manager inquired of the security department if there was any way that they could find out where this particular driver was going and why he was going there. The security director decided to install a GPS tracking device into the truck that this particular driver was assigned to. When the truck was removed from service for scheduled maintenance, a GPS tracking system was installed. This installation was completed by a vendor and done after hours when vehicle maintenance personnel were off duty.

The truck now equipped with a GPS tracking system was given back to the driver. The drivers’ movements were monitored for a week. The GPS system showed that the truck was driven to a vacant warehouse that was in close proximity to the kitchen and was parked for 10 - 15 minutes. The question arose as to why the truck was going to that location. This pattern was observed for several weeks and a correlation was established that the aircraft the driver was servicing was always a flight that originated in South America.

When the truck was scheduled for maintenance again, a covert CCTV camera was installed in the truck. When the images produced by the CCTV camera were reviewed it was showed the driver upon parking the truck at the vacant warehouse, was removing a package from the bottom of one of the food carts used on the aircraft flight and passing it on to another person outside the truck.

Determining that something was amiss, the local metropolitan police department was consulted. Due to the fact that something was being removed from the truck that had not passed through customs, the metropolitan police department turned the matter over to U.S. Customs. Customs continued to track the catering truck and established covert surveillance at the vacant warehouse. Customs determined that it was narcotics being smuggled and brought the DEA into the picture.

In a matter of a few weeks a major drug smuggling operation had been broken up and several hundred pounds of narcotics were seized. The utilization of the GPS tracking system allowed the authorities to maintain close surveillance on the truck used without any sign that the surveillance was being maintained.

By Greg Bartlett

Arctic wolves are a mysterious bunch to say the least. Where do they go? How much area do they cover? Are they always alone? Or do they congregate into clans or families? Traditionally this research involved long cold hours of observation. Hard to find and hard to see, the data was scant and incomplete. Conflicting reports were published about exactly what happens to the wolves because it was impossible to know with any empirical certainty exactly what they do.

The help of GPS tracking can be used to find out exactly what happens to these creatures. Once a wolf or wolf family has been found, they can be anaesthetized and collars can be put on them with GPS tracking equipment attached to the collars. They hardly notice the collars and do not realize that they have had a close encounter of the human kind. They are released before they wake up and can be monitored remotely to find out what they get up to.

GPS uses the benefits of circling satellites to discover the locations of any item which has a GPS receiver and transmitter. There are roughly twenty of these satellites available and they circle the Earth at a set distance. They send out signals at synchronized times to receivers down below on the planet surface. Using this technology the position of anything can be determined by calculating the difference between the signals from four of these satellites. Four are used to provide an accurate reading and to cancel out any mistakes which could potentially throw the reading off by hundreds of miles.

With GPS tracking devices attached to their collars, the movements of the wolves have provided a fascinating insight into the lives of these arctic animals. It transpires that only one or two wolves need to be collared in this way because the wolves do travel in large packs. They seem very vicious, but they are family oriented at heart.

When a single wolf’s location has been identified, then the other members of the pack can be counted. Also, it has been found that the wolves do not always stick to their packs. Sometimes, one, two or more wolves can leave a pack at a time. GPS technology has improved the lives of the researchers tremendously and hopefully it can go some way towards preventing these wolves from becoming extinct.

By Greg Bartlett

In the past, car theft was a very profitable business for a lot of people. A car could be taken and hid in a warehouse or garage until it could be stripped of any useful parts then sold as junk iron. Some were shipped overseas and sold whole. The commercial availability of GPS tracking technology has changed this forever.

GPS tracking devices come in a variety of sizes from about the size of a quarter to the size of a pack of cigarettes. They are easy to hide in vehicles in places that are difficult to reach or very unlikely to be searched by thieves who are in hurry to make a clean getaway with the stolen vehicle. Once the theft is noticed, the device can be activated and the location of the vehicle determined very quickly using a computer with an internet connection set up to receive the signal from the GPS vehicle recovery device. Some devices can be programmed to send out an alarm to the computer in the event of unauthorized movement so the theft is noticed immediately.

Once the theft is noticed and the signal obtained, it is possible to notify the police and give them the location of the vehicle. If it is moving, the police can be given the information needed to track the signal using the internet connected computers that are a part of nearly all police cruisers today. This makes it possible for the police to follow the vehicle to its destination in hopes of busting a ring of car thieves or making a traffic stop and arresting the driver of the vehicle at their discretion. Generally, it is preferred to let the thief get where he is going if he is not speeding excessively or acting as if he is joyriding. This reduces the chance that a thief will attempt to flee and wind up wrecking the car or endangering other people with a lot of reckless driving.

A log of the GPS data that tracks the movements of the vehicle and the speeds at which it is traveling is admissible as evidence in court that can be used to prove that the defendant had the vehicle in his possession for a certain amount of time and drove it from where it was stolen to where it was recovered. These GPS logs are leading to many more convictions. The presence of GPS locator devices in vehicles has more than doubled the number of stolen vehicles recovered undamaged compared to those without GPS.

By James Neely

In the realm of vehicle fleet management, asset protection and location ability is no longer an option. No matter how large or small your operations, no monetary value can be placed on a system that allows you to track your assets in real-time.

Additionally, the accountability feature forces those in your organization to play by the rules and provides evidence when they are violated. Those who ignore rules and laws cost your company money.

Adding a GPS satellite tracking system to your fleet management operations affords you the ability to track, report on and recover assets. Some additional benefits are:

Heightened Driver Safety and Responsibility. Real-time tracking provides instantaneous feedback as to the whereabouts of your assets. This data is used in the verification of performance related to job duties. Once drivers know that they are being watched closely, they are more likely to remain inside of acceptable limits and regulations.

Reduces Moving Violations. These systems are like having a constant radar detector on your assets. You will know how fast the vehicles are being driven in order to help maintain compliance with laws and ordinances. Not only does this prevent accidents, but it also saves on moving violations and loss of productivity due to having to separate employees who are in constant violation of these laws.

Provides Proof of Performance. In viewing the history of an asset you can determine the times of deliveries as well as the duration. This feedback provides factual data for the guidance of personnel in the performance of their job functions. Those who are within acceptable limits can be rewarded and those who are not can be re-assigned.

Supplies Accuracy in Accounting. Your billing department can use the data from one of these systems to bill by time and mileage in a very accurate manner. Having this data can be invaluable in a customer service based dispute. Also, a copy can be included with invoicing to demonstrate accuracy in support of services rendered.

Maintains Evidentiary Support. This data can be used in a court of law to provide evidence towards the factual statements concerning execution of contractual agreements. Just having this support can help avoid litigation all together. An open policy towards contractual compliance is a deterrent to false claims. A system can provide that for you.

While you might think that these fleet management systems are cost prohibitive, the opposite is true. The above reasons make these systems a necessity for a growing, thriving business.

By Greg Bartlett

GPS tracking systems have been steadily improved since the technology first became available to the general public in the 1990s. Devices have been created that can be installed in vehicles and are small enough to be hidden well from the prying eyes and tools of thieves looking to steal a vehicle. The use of GPS vehicle tracking has proven to be an aid to businesses for several reasons.

Businesses that have implemented GPS vehicle tracking systems have been able to save millions of dollars collectively through the use of these systems. Dispatchers can locate the vehicle that is closest or is routed to pass closest to a point when a pick up or service call comes in. This has resulted in extensive savings on fuel costs since the implementation of these systems began.

Businesses making use of these vehicle tracking systems are able to manage their employees’ time and solve disputes over the amount of time spent at a particular location quickly and easily by pulling up the data log from the GPS tracking device in the vehicle and checking how long the vehicle was at a particular location. This has resulted in many withdrawals of customer complaints about overbilling for time on the job and saved thousands of dollars for many businesses that, in the past, would have been forced to charge less to keep customers satisfied.

Vehicle tracking allows business to monitor the speeds at which employees drive their company owned vehicles and how much they are used for personal rather than business reasons. Both of these features have resulted in drastic savings on fuel and maintenance as well as a reduction in the number of moving violations charged to employees in company vehicles. If an employee is caught speeding by the GPS data, the employer can contact the employee and order him/her to slow down before the police get involved.

In addition to all of these savings, insurance carriers offer discounts on many policies for vehicles equipped with GPS. This is a direct result of a steep drop in the number of claims for damages received as a result of theft and the decline in moving violations charged against drivers in company owned vehicles that are so equipped.

The growth of GPS vehicle tracking technology has resulted in several different uses for the vehicle tracking systems by businesses to streamline their fleets and save a great deal of money. This makes GPS vehicle tracking an aid to business on several fronts.

By Greg Bartlett

Ever since it became available to the general public in the 1990s, GPS technology has proven its worth in more than one way. In vehicles, GPS tracking systems have become an invaluable asset to businesses and individuals alike. There are many factors that contribute to the value of a GPS tracking system.

A GPS tracking system is an incredible value to businesses. The amount of money that has been saved over the last few years on fuel alone has been enough to pay for every single GPS device sold at least five times over. In addition, GPS tracking systems have been valuable sources of data that could be used to settle customer disputes and claims that employees overbilled for time spent at their location. Dispatchers are able to use GPS tracking systems to monitor the locations of company vehicles and route employees to new locations based on who is closest or will be closest according to the available data.

Individuals have found a wide variety of uses for GPS tracking systems. One of the foremost benefits of having one of these systems for businesses and individuals both is the ability to track a vehicle and have it recovered by police in the event of a theft. A side benefit is an increase in the number of arrests made for car theft when the police are able to follow at a safe distance to avoid spooking the thief into attempting to flee while staying close enough to catch him when the vehicle stops.

Parents are able to follow the movements of their teenage drivers as they begin making excursions away from home. The speed, direction of travel, and location of the teens is easily accessible to the parents if they have a computer with an active internet connection. If the data from GPS tracking devices shows the teens are operating in an area deemed out of bounds or operating at unsafe speeds, they are able to contact the teens via cell phone and warn them that they are breaking the rules and the data can be used to back the parents up when they choose to punish the teens.

Spouses who suspect their mates of infidelity can track the movements of the vehicle and tell if the spouse is really working late as was stated or if the vehicle is across town at a motel.

The value of a GPS tracking system has been proven repeatedly in both business and personal applications since the technology was made available to the public over 10 years ago.

By Greg Bartlett

Since the 1990s when GPS tracking technology first became available to the general public, people have found more ways that GPS tracking can be used every year. One of the most common uses of GPS technology is to incorporate it into GPS vehicle tracking systems. There are several different benefits of such systems.

1. GPS vehicle tracking systems provide an accurate location and speed check on vehicles being driven by employees of a company. These can also be used to track the amount of time employees spend at one location in the event that a customer complains that he is being billed for more time than was actually spent on the job.

These systems are also very useful to company dispatchers who can locate each mobile unit and route the nearest one to any calls that come in, whether for service calls or pick up of packages.

2. A second use of GPS vehicle tracking systems is providing an accurate location of the vehicle to police in the event of car theft. The signal from such systems can be received by any police cruiser with an internet connected computer on board, which is almost all these days. Police can follow the movements of the vehicle and arrest the thief in short order, often catching others at the same time if this is a professional chop shop operation. Recovery of the vehicle in an unharmed state occurs far more frequently when GPS vehicle recovery systems are involved.

3. GPS vehicle tracking systems are also very useful for parents of inexperienced teen drivers. These systems allow the parents to monitor the movements and whereabouts of their teens when away from home in the family car. They have proven useful in reducing accidents and moving violations because the parents can track speed data and call the teen with instructions to slow down before the police get involved or an accident occurs.

4. Finally, GPS vehicle tracking systems make it possible for a spouse who suspects that his/her mate is cheating to follow the movements of the vehicle and catch them in the act if the suspicions are founded. Spouses who prefer not to make a direct confrontation can provide information on the signal from the GPS device to a private investigator who can obtain any evidence of infidelity and turn it over for use in a divorce proceeding.

GPS vehicle tracking systems have proven very useful for a variety of commercial and personal applications when knowledge of where a vehicle is and how fast it is moving is necessary.

A True Account of Life Saving Technology
By Greg Bartlett

I am an avid hunter. Every year, my father and I go out to the woods to try and bag a couple nice deer. The problem I always had was that although I love being outside, I can’t read a map. To compensate for that, I purchased a GPS tracking device two years ago. Using it with the maps has really helped me to get to the good deer runs in our area.

If I hadn’t had my GPS, I know that my father wouldn’t be alive today. Last fall, my father had a heart attack while we were in the bush. Getting to our location took an hour, and then it was another 2 hour drive to the nearest hospital. Carrying him out was obviously not an option, so I called the local ranger station and explained our situation.

I provided the ranger who took my call with my login information for the GPS service I subscribe to, and asked him to relay that information to the Coast Guard. In the normal course of a search and rescue, the Anchorage Coast Guard has to scour a relatively large area in a grid pattern to find lost hunters; in my case, they were able to find us in just over half an hour. One of the guys who worked on the chopper said that this was the easiest rescue he had been on since they had known exactly where we were.

We flew directly to the closest hospital, where there was a doctor waiting for my father. They rushed him through and he was on the operating table less than an hour after his attack. I am immensely thankful for the commitment of helicopter’s crew and the skill of the doctors, but I don’t think any of that would have mattered without the GPS. It was my “darned geek gadget,” as my father used to call it, that saved the day. It would’ve taken too long to find us, had we not pinpointed our exact location for the Coast Guard team.

Fellow outdoors men, I ask you to pick up a GPS tracking device. You may never need it, like I had, but it is a valuable tool in many ways. And if the worst happens, you will be able to get the help that you need as quickly as possible. Just because something is new doesn’t mean you shouldn’t adopt it. After all, once upon a time rifles didn’t have scopes, are you willing to give up that advancement?