Rocky Mountain Tracking » Personal Safety

GPS Tracking Device Ensures Rescue for Boat Accident Survivors

Lynetta Bowen — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 17:00:32 +0000

GPS tracking devices have been responsible for scores of happy endings, from lost dogs being returned to their owners, to stolen possessions being recovered, to Alzheimer’s patients being found after wandering away from home. Perhaps one of the most exciting of these stories occurred off the coast of Sydney, Australia when a GPS-equipped EPIRB beacon saved the lives of four people after their fishing boat sank.

Two boys and their dads were out on a fishing excursion when, for unknown reasons, the boat was compromised and began sinking rapidly. In less than a minute, the four passengers were left floating in icy water, kept afloat by their life jackets and a cooler. Scott Smiles, one of the dads, also grabbed an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) which alerted rescuers that they needed help. The beacon sent a signal to the NSW Police marine area personnel, pinpointing the group’s location and ensuring their rescue in less than an hour.

EPIRB beacons are safety beacons which, when activated, broadcast the beacon’s location to search and rescue teams. They are commonly installed on boats, with many countries requiring commercial ships to carry them. Owners of pleasure boats and yachts often take advantage of the safety reassurance offered by the devices as well. While not all EPIRBs have GPS tracking devices installed, those that do can broadcast an exact location to a network of search and rescue satellites, enabling rescuers to identify the position of the beacon and send help immediately. This information often proves vital in reducing the amount of time needed to find survivors and increasing the chances of survival. Without the technology, a rescue such as the one near the Australian coastline could take days.

Search and rescue teams credit GPS-equipped EPIRBs for enabling them to perform their jobs more efficiently. By pinpointing the location of the carrier, the beacon can give rescuers the information they need to save lives while reducing search time by hours or days.

The remarkable rescue in Australia can be attributed both to the forethought of the boat owner in equipping the craft with the safety beacon and the quick thinking of Mr. Smiles in grabbing and activating the beacon before the boat went down. With the aid of the EPIRB, a story that could have ended tragically resulted in another happy ending that can be added to the accomplishments of GPS tracking devices.

Microsoft Gets “Avoid Ghetto” Patent for GPS Navigation

Marisa O'Connor — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:00:53 +0000

GPS navigation is constantly improving. The GPS satellite technology, itself, is being developed for more accurate location data. More and more websites and services offer GPS navigation features. A technology that once merely mapped out the possible routes from one point to another, can now signal emergency response teams in the event of an accident, find the nearest gas station or bank, play your favorite media and update your Facebook status. It is truly incredible how many functions the technology can serve.

Pedestrians have also seen many advancements in GPS navigation technology. Vehicles aren’t the only mobile technology equipped with GPS features. Most smart phones and tablet PCs come with built-in location features, making it easy to map out your route on the go. Many of the apps and features developed around this technology involve finding a destination, like a restaurant or a national forest. Microsoft’s latest patent points towards a new direction, helping users avoid dangerous areas.

The patent has already raised significant controversy, being called the “Avoid Ghetto” feature. There is some concern that the feature would fuel the fear associated with poor neighborhoods. However, if you’re using an app with “avoid ghetto” technology, it is also likely you are carrying expensive, easily resold merchandise. In that case, it makes sense to avoid areas where you are more likely to be mugged.

The controversial feature is said to pull from a wide variety of information. Instead of providing information about local businesses, Microsofts patent would also provide crime statistics and weather information along the route. The user will not only be able to avoid a possible mugging, but also avoid being too cold or warm along the way. Microsoft claims that the feature will better prepare travelers for their journeys.

GPS Tracking Device Critical in Boat Accident Rescue

RMT GPS News — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:00:31 +0000

GPS tracking devices have been responsible for scores of happy endings, from lost dogs being returned to their owners to stolen possessions being recovered to Alzheimer’s patients being found after wandering away from home. Perhaps one of the most exciting of these stories occurred off the coast of Sydney, Australia when a GPS-equipped EPIRB beacon saved the lives of four people after their fishing boat sank.

Search and rescue teams credit GPS-equipped EPIRBs with enabling them to perform their jobs more efficiently. By pinpointing the location of the carrier, the beacon can give rescuers the information they need to save lives while reducing search time by hours or days.

Pair of Hunters Rescued Using GPS

Khristen Foss — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:00:23 +0000

Levi Matthews and David Smith of Spanish Fort, Alabama headed out for an evening of hog hunting on January 7^th around Canal Island, located in the north-central portion of the Mobile River Delta. The two went separate ways; Smith heading into the woods and Matthews remaining with the boat. It was at this point Matthews realized the motor of his boat was non-functional, and at 8:30 that night, he placed a call for help on his cell phone to Daphne Search and Rescue’s Ronnie Champion. Three hours later, the men were located thanks to the handheld GPS tracking device Matthews carries specifically for hunting.

Champion immediately involved North Baldwin Search and Rescue and the Alabama Marine Police in finding the pair. When all was said and done, a total of 16 rescuers in five boats aided in the search. Champion notes, “Our group and North Baldwin consist only of volunteers.”

Rescuers didn’t have to work very hard, as Matthews’ actual GPS coordinates led them directly to the location the boat was broken down. However, Smith was still out in the woods somewhere, clueless to the boat’s plight. As Smith was not carrying a GPS tracking unit or cell phone, Matthews relied on old-fashioned hunter techniques for communication.

He fired a round into the air, hoping Smith would hear it, and sure enough Smith fired a shot in response. Matthews led rescuers to the exact spot he left Smith, and they headed out on foot to find him using flashlights and calling his name. They located him roughly a mile away from the boat.

“They were a little cold and damp, but they did not need medical attention,” said Champion. Rescuers helped repair the boat, allowing the men to follow rescuers out of the delta. All six boats traveled the six mile journey down Big Beaver Creek and Tensaw Lake to their final destination, Hubbard Landing. They were likely glad to be rescued with conditions reported by the National Weather Service that night as temperatures in the low 50s with winds of 3 mph, not to mention fog blanketing the area.

Handheld GPS tracking devices, used by hunters normally to trace their route through the woods in an effort to make it back safely to the starting point, in this case saved two men from a cold and wet night out on the delta. Unfortunately, it didn’t save them from disappointment. In the words of Champion, “They didn’t get any hogs.”

New In-Dash GPS Device Does More Than Just Navigate

Mark Rummel — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:00:14 +0000

The technology placed in new cars is becoming more and more advanced all the time. We’ve seen the inclusion of devices like DVD players, camera-based parking assistance, voice recognition for temperature and radio control, and GPS navigation systems. The explosion of auto technology has inevitably led to questions about just how far it will go—will drivers someday be so distracted by their options that actually driving will be a forgotten task?

One company in India is taking a step that pushes the boundaries of in-car convenience. At the Auto Expo 2012, the company MapmyIndia will show the world its newest device, a GPS navigator that is built into a car’s dashboard. Featuring a touch screen and unprecedented accuracy and detail, the system will give India’s drivers more effective service than they have ever enjoyed from a GPS navigation system. Aura is the program developed by MapmyIndia to allow drivers to enjoy street-level and even house-level views of their destinations on the device’s screen. 3D adds to the “wow factor” of the navigator’s detail.

Navigation is only a small part of what this integrated device can do, however. It’s virtually a built-in computer, with a wireless network connection, an Android-based operating system just like those found on tablets, and full Internet browsing capability. A huge variety of apps are available for download, and passengers (as well as drivers, while they aren’t driving) can even watch live television on the touch screen. Customers have rarely seen this level of technological convenience offered within a vehicle’s construction.

Officials at MapmyIndia are very excited and positive about offering this new device to auto owners. Given the novelty of the product and the fact that India has never had anything comparable to it, it remains to be seen how everyday buyers will respond, and what affect it might have on safe driving. After all, some of us have a hard time keeping track of the traffic around us while we adjust the air conditioning. How well would we really drive if we were tempted to check our email too?

MapmyIndia is also presenting a number of other advanced products at the Auto Expo 2012. A mobile device carries many of the same features as the in-dash system, and its highly detailed maps application (included on the GPS navigation system) now includes 3D images and house-level views of major cities.

Motorola Pulls E911 Patent from Suit

Khristen Foss — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:00:32 +0000

In December 2011, Motorola filed a complaint with the International Trade Commission (ITC) against Apple over six patents. One of the patents in question was removed from the complaint a few weeks prior to this hearing, and on January 5^th, Motorola removed yet another, US Patent No. 7,751,826. The patent would help users more easily make the important decision of whether they should leave the location feature that relies on the GPS device built into their smartphones on, or turn it off.

A significant portion of the population chooses to turn this feature off, not wanting to broadcast their location for a host of privacy-related reasons. For some of them, it is an easy decision. There are those, however, that are torn between the two. If the user turns off the location feature which uses your GPS coordinates to pinpoint your exact location, the E911 system wouldn’t be able to do the same in the case of an emergency. This information is crucial to first responders, especially if you are incoherent and unable to tell them where you are, or if you are lost and really don’t know the name of the intersection or highway you are traveling on.

This patent describes many different ways phones could temporarily allow GPS tracking, sending their location to first responders without having to go through a host of menus in attempts to reactivate the feature manually. Let’s face it, in most emergency situations, you normally don’t have the time to go through that process. One of the ways covered in the patent: the number sequence “9-1-1” triggers the GPS device to automatically turn itself on. Another method covered is a special button. When pressed, it activates the GPS device to begin tracking your location.

Dropping this patent from the lawsuit seems to make sense. Would the ITC even allow Motorola to exclusively offer the option to turn off location tracking without compromising the ability for emergency responders to find you when calling 911? Probably not. Florian Mueller of Foss Patents agrees. “If Motorola won an ITC import ban over devices implementing that feature, it’s quite possible that the ITC would deny or delay such a ban for public interest considerations.”

While the E911 patent was removed from this complaint filed with the ITC, it interestingly remains in another lawsuit filed in Wisconsin by Motorola, also against Apple. Motorola is claiming the iPhone infringes upon Motorola-held patents, while Apple has its own lawsuit in motion, scheduled to go to trial November 25, 2012, against Motorola. Apple feels this is a FRAND issue (Fair, Reasonable And Non-Discriminatory terms) and as such, they should be granted access to these patents. Stay tuned, we’ll keep you updated here at the RMT blog as new details emerge and hearings are scheduled.

Chicago Implements GPS Tracking to Help Residents Cope With Winter

Khristen Foss — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:42:13 +0000

Last year, winter hit the U.S. hard. Countless areas received record snowfall in just one storm which shut cities down for days and stranded numerous motorists; Chicago being one of them. In the hopes of preventing last year’s disasters from occurring this year, the city has developed ChicagoShovels.org which relies on GPS tracking devices affixed to the city’s 300 plow trucks.

Residents will be able to log onto the site and see in real-time the location of each and every snow plow at any point during the storm. As soon as the storm begins, the devices on each vehicle in the fleet will be activated, their location instantly mapped using their GPS tracking coordinates. This will allow residents to see how likely making it to work on time would be, and save the panicked person whose car is parked on the street, showing them exactly how close the plow is to their location and help guide the decision to dig it out before it gets towed away.

Didn’t make it to your car fast enough? Save yourself from the shock of walking outside to an empty parking space by installing one of the many apps also offered by the city which alerts you when your car is towed. Another useful app leads those who may have lost power during the storm to the closest location for shelter, food, or medical attention.

The website will also offer an “Adopt-a-Sidewalk” section where residents can volunteer to help maintain a sidewalk after a storm, along with a “Snow Corps” section to recruit people to aid in moving large piles of snow on a volunteer basis.

Other cities have used GPS tracking for snow plows as well, such as New York, which was hit hard by a storm last year that kept some neighborhoods inaccessible for days and caused massive headaches for administration. New Jersey and Lake County, IL have also begun tracking plows. However, Chicago is offering the first program that lets residents in on the action.

It sounds as if Chicago is taking winter very seriously this year, and you can’t really blame them after the hard hitting storms of 2011. And to those who point out it’s been a mild winter thus far, implying that it’s a bit overboard to set up this program, it’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to the unpredictable white stuff. John Tolva works for the Mayor of Chicago, and knowing winter has just begun, wisely commented “I’m not calling this a mild winter yet.”

AmberAlert.com: Bought by Amber Alert GPS

Khristen Foss — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:00:15 +0000

The company that introduced the Amber Alert GPS V3 to the market, designed to keep children safe by allowing their parents to track them, recently acquired AmberAlert.com. AmberAlert.com is a website that makes it easy for authorities of one city to alert authorities nationwide in the event of a missing child. “By adding the capabilities of AmberAlert.com to the Amber Alert GPS family, we now address the needs of law enforcement and parents,” said Carol Colombo, CEO of Amber Alert GPS.

The company has also recently made an agreement with AT&T, who is providing the connectivity for the V3 GPS tracking units. The V3 is said to be among the smallest devices currently offered to consumers, and is touted for how easy it is for any parent to use, and how secure the information gathered by this device is. The company believes that this acquisition will help them surge ahead in the arena of child safety and parent peace of mind.

“The company is honored to provide this essential service to participating states free of charge,” Columbo said. “Our stewardship of this service is consistent with our company’s commitment to child safety and security.”

Harlan Lyons, former AmberAlert.com CEO agrees that GPS tracking is the right move for all parties involved. “The goal of AmberAlert.com was to develop and refine the LEAP (Law Enforcement Alerting Portal) technology along with My Child ID and turn them over to a company that shared our commitment to helping save children’s lives …We are confident that Amber Alert GPS will take our vision to even greater heights and continue to serve the AMBER Alert Program and families everywhere.” Creators and developers of AmberAlert.com have moved to Amber Alert GPS tracking as part of the deal to assure that the transition goes smoothly.

Amber Alert GPS , founded in 2007 by Russ Thornton, began after his son disappeared for 45 minutes at a local amusement park. The panic he felt during those 45 minutes led him to develop the technology in the hopes that this terrifying situation didn’t happen to other parents. If it did, he wanted to ensure the parent had the upper hand in getting their child returned home safe and sound. With both AmberAlert.com and their agreement with AT&T, it appears they are on the right track to just about guarantee it.

Sentrix Tracking Unit: First Responders’ Best Friend

Khristen Foss — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 16:00:27 +0000

It is safe to say that being a firefighter is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. Whether a rookie or seasoned veteran, the risk is always there that you might not come out of a burning building alive. New technology was recently tested at the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute, and this device, reliant on GPS technology by TRX Systems, could save countless lives of firefighters.

Despite all of their gear when entering a building engulfed in flames, it is virtually impossible to see anything around them in all of the thick, black smoke which can make a firefighter disoriented and lost. “We’ve had instances where we’ve lost firefighters in a building and had a hard time finding them. It’s very frustrating,” says 44 year veteran firefighter Roy Hodgeson. Matt Leonard, DC and MD firefighter, agrees: “When you go into a burning building, you don’t really see anything. You can’t see your hand in front of your face; you’re going on instinct.”

TRX Systems realized the need existed for some sort of device able to help firefighters locate those who may be lost inside after the events on 9/11, and with the financial support of the National Science Foundation, they created the Sentrix Tracking Unit. It is essentially a host of sensors worn around your waist like a belt.

Carol Politi, TRX CEO, explains this sophisticated technology, operating off a mix of GPS, RF signals, and WiFi: “The sensors include accelerometers and gyroscopes. Those are sensors similar to what you have in your Wii for example…It allows us to create a picture of what a user has done.” The sensors follow your movements and send the data collected to a receiver, such as a computer, pinpointing the lost firefighter’s location and saving his life.

During testing, the unit worked incredibly well and impressed Hodgson: “I think this is tremendous for the fire service. If my firefighter’s get in trouble and need help, it’s going to cut my time down to about a tenth of what it takes right now to go in there and do a blind search.”

TRX Systems sees this technology benefiting not only firefighters, but Red Cross workers, police, members of the military, miners, and even FEMA workers. However, before they bring the technology to such dangerous environments, they are assuring it is ready by using it in less life-threatening situations. “These early adopters are helping to mature the system and ready it for more critical life safety applications,” says Politi.

GPS Now Protects Domestic Violence Victims in Richmond, NY

Lynetta Bowen — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 16:00:42 +0000

Under the guidance of District Attorney Daniel M. Donovan, Jr., GPS tracking will become an essential part of protecting victims of domestic violence from further offenses in Richmond County, NY. The county will implement G4S SafeZone devices, developed by G4S Justice Services, in conjunction with a written order of protection to prevent abusers from gaining access to their victims.
While an Order of Protection stipulates areas the abuser must avoid (such as a victim’s home, school, or workplace), the GPS program will provide a more effective way for law officers to enforce the terms of the order.

A written order cannot actually prevent an offender from entering a restricted area, but the GPS devices can and will notify law enforcement if the terms of the order are violated, enabling them to take immediate action with the goal of preventing further violence.

Under the new program, a judge can order a domestic violence offender to wear a GPS tracking device, usually around the ankle, for a specified period of time. Law enforcement officials can set up perimeter zones that, when crossed, will signal the device to notify officers as well as send a message to the victim’s cell phone. So-called “exclusionary zones” generally encompass a 1000-foot radius around places frequented by the victim, such as a home, business, or school.

By giving early warnings to both victims and police officers and enabling earlier response to threats, the D.A. hopes that the SafeZone devices will significantly reduce the number of repeat offenses.
Because nearly half of the instances of domestic abuse are perpetrated by repeat offenders, the potential for reduction does seem promising. With law enforcement departments seeking ways to increase efficiency even in the face of budget cuts, GPS tracking provides an effective solution to the problem of offenders who refuse to be deterred by a written restraining order.

D.A. Donovan holds high hopes for the effective use of GPS tracking to aid law enforcement in protecting abuse victims from their attackers. According to G4S president Darryl Martin, the notification systems offer the best option available for prevention and early warning of domestic abuse. As Richmond County prepares to implement the new program, Staten Island residents can breathe a little easier knowing that every possible measure is being taken by the county’s law enforcement officials to protect the health and safety of domestic violence victims.

Photo By B.S.Wise through Flickr Creative Commons