Rocky Mountain Tracking

By Greg Bartlett

Is there someone in your family who struggles with mental capabilities? Perhaps you have an aging parent who suffers with Alzheimer’s disease, or you know someone whose forgetfulness has reached the point of becoming dangerous. If so, you may not realize that a GPS tracking device can provide you with the help you need to keep them safe and prevent them from becoming lost.

GPS Tracking & Mental Health

Most Alzheimer patients will wander away from home and become lost at least once during the course of the disease. You can prepare yourself ahead of time and save yourself a great deal of panic by equipping your loved one with a GPS tracking device. The transmitter can be clipped on to a belt, purse, or pocket. There are even some companies that are working on creating special shoes containing a GPS device built into the soles especially for Alzheimer patients. Since these patients can generally retain their ability to dress themselves well into the advanced stages of the disease, a built-in GPS device could keep them safe even when they no longer carry a purse or like having things clipped to their clothing.

Once you’ve placed the transmitter in a place where your loved one can’t or won’t leave it behind, you’ll have the ability to monitor his or her whereabouts at any time. If you arrive at your elderly mother’s house to find the door open and the house empty, you can log on to your computer, check the GPS log and immediately know where to find her.

We all like to think that other people will be as understanding with the mentally disabled as we ourselves would be with our own parents, but the truth is that many people become frustrated or irritable with someone who can’t remember how to get home or how they got to a certain location in the first place. With a GPS tracking device, you’ll never have to worry about your loved one’s safety again. You can know immediately whether they are down the street at the neighbor’s house or whether they’ve wandered into a dangerous area.

It’s painful to watch a dear family member development Alzheimer’s disease. The gradual loss of memory regarding family, friends, and familiar things and places can open new doors of heartache for those closest to the patient. While no one can erase that sense of loss, your GPS tracking device can take some of the worry off your hands by giving you the knowledge you need to keep your loved ones safe, no matter what life brings.

By Greg Bartlett

This is the time of year when everyone is just a tad more conscious of the weather. Cold fronts and ice storms serve as a little reminder of how beholden we are to nature. What truly is frightening however are the natural disasters that strike suddenly without warning. Hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, and even volcanic eruptions still make their impact on populations around the globe, but clever implementations of GPS trackers are starting to give officials the warning they need to save lives.

GPS Tracking & Weather

In 2002, researchers at the University of Nevada developed one of the first practical “GPS displacement” systems – a set of ocean buoys mounted with GPS trackers that could successfully detect the signs of an underwater earthquake and its accompanying tsunami. GPS trackers on the ocean’s surface and similar probes within the ocean floor could detect minute dips in elevation as well as transmit data regarding sea and atmospheric pressure. By late 2008, scientists at NASA and NOAA came up with models for reading, processing, and interpreting the data from the GPS trackers quickly.

Under the old seismographic system of detection, underwater earthquakes were detected indirectly by sensing the upheaval in the ocean floor over a series of shockwaves. Scientists would then need to triangulate the velocity of the waves before being sure of an impending disaster. Seismographs also have the propensity to give false warnings, which have reduced their credibility in developing countries where disaster preparedness is almost nonexistent. However, GPS trackers can transmit the same data much more quickly by measuring the simple displacement of the ocean floor and relaying the information directly to officials via satellite. Better yet, scientists can use the same basic technology to track hurricanes and even measure the ground displacement caused by active volcanoes.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. The 2004 earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia took the lives of some quarter of a million people across Southeast Asia and the South Pacific Islands. Several earthquakes since then have failed to produce major tsunamis, but the danger is still very real to all coastlines facing the Pacific. USAID has donated a number of GPS tracker buoys to Thailand and others, and local officials have used the gifts to double as small radio towers for community broadcasts. This reduces the possibility of vandalism and theft.

GPS tracking technology has greatly advanced the ability of scientists and researchers to track the motions of nature. Thankfully the most immediate and practical uses aren’t being ignored.

by James Neely, freelance writer: click | HERE | to check out GPS products from Rocky Mountain Tracking

On Christmas Day, 2009, a couple almost lost their lives because of their dependence on a GPS-enabled cell phone.  This Nevada couple allowed their GPS-enabled cell phone to direct them into a remote area of east Oregon and they encountered deep snow on a back road in a forest in which their SUV got stuck.  Fortunately, after a few days, atmospheric conditions improved so that their cell phone could get a better signal which allowed authorities to pin-point their location, pull their vehicle out and lead them to safety.

Stuck with GPS Tracking?

Now, while these GPS-enabled cell phones are easy targets in pointing out their flaws, there is another underlying issue which we will address later.  But, first it is important that we note the differences between GPS Navigation, GPS-enabled cell phones and GPS Tracking devices.

GPS Navigation

Some auto manufacturers include this option on their vehicles which is not dependent on cell phone towers and signals.  This is a good thing.  Not only do they provide turn-by-turn directions, but also a smorgasbord of features that are helpful and do enhance the ownership experience.  The problem is that you cannot purchase this OEM product on any vehicle - just the ones that are manufactured by the name-sake company.  Maybe that will change in the future.  The second pitfall with these systems is that the end user is not able to take control of the tracking and use it for their own purposes.  It is solely reliant upon the provider.  And, in addition to this, it takes extra time to engage those who monitor the system to provide services that are needed instantly, for example, theft recovery.

There is another after-market company that makes a device that helps locate a stolen vehicle but again, it is not owner-enabled.  Only police can ‘find’ these vehicles with these devices and currently only 5% of police vehicles have the ability and equipment to allow them to find these stolen vehicles.

Navigation units are also available as an after-market addition to your vehicle.  These provide turn-by-turn directions and a few other features, but no return information to a service provider about location information, etc.  They are limited and therefore are not effective from a safety and security standpoint.

GPS-enabled Cell Phones

These devices use cell phone signals and towers to send coordinates to authorities should you need assistance.  The problem with these devices is that as is pointed out in the above story, cell phone signals are subject to spotty coverage for a variety of reasons.  Added to this is the fact that battery life on cell phones is not that great compared to other dedicated GPS Tracking devices.  It just happens that this is what ultimately saved this couple.  But, the results could have been far more disastrous if they had not gotten that little bit of cell signal after three days.  GPS-enabled cell phones are not your best choice for devices of this type and purpose.

GPS Tracking Devices

We’ve been championing the use of GPS Tracking systems for months on this blog site and for good reason.  These units are the best choice from a safety standpoint for these reasons:

Any Vehicle Any Time - You can outfit any vehicle with a GPS Tracking device for tracking purposes.  And, you can also use these devices on other pieces of equipment that are used for other purposes.  Imagine any type of outdoor equipment that would benefit from this technology and there is a device available for it.

Always on Always Available - GPS Tracking devices, when properly installed, are direct connected to the vehicle’s battery and they have their OWN internal battery which means that if this couple above had lost battery power on their vehicle, the GPS Tracking device would still have been emitting a signal for DAYS after the primary power had gone away.  Try that with a GPS-enabled cell phone, or even an on-board Navigation system.

The bottom line and underlying message in this story is that common sense has to trump dependence on technology.  Face it, when your life is on the line, you need more to depend upon besides a voice emanating from cell phone telling you where to turn.  You need to prepare in advance for your trip and map out your route just to make sure that you do not take any out-of-the-way routes which are less travelled and can pose hazards because of your unfamiliarity and the weather conditions at the time of your trip.  This couple was lucky.  Maybe next time the outcome will not be so good.

Also, choose GPS Tracking devices that do not depend on cell signals.  The best GPS devices are either completely independent of your vehicle, or are integrated within it which provides always on and always available capabilities.  And, independent battery power helps insure that your device is sending out signals with the maximum amount of time possible.

In our humble opinion, GPS Tracking devices remain the best option for safety and security.  Rocking Mountain Tracking has the best line-up of GPS Tracking devices to meet any need.  Take a look at their products and options for the best fit for your business.  You will find knowledgeable sales persons in helping you get the best unit to meet your requirements.

By Greg Bartlett

For family and caretakers, elderly individuals can create a lot of worry since they may wander off and become injured or killed. Individuals with Alzheimer’s, for instance, frequently wander off and become lost. Some, attracted to water, end up drowning while others can even freeze to death on cold nights if they can’t remember the way home.

GPS Tracking & Elderly

You naturally want to be sure that your elderly relative is safe. Sure, you can do that by practically locking the relative up and making sure he or she is always personally supervised, but that’s not much fun for the patient or the family and caretakers. You may not want to send your elderly grandmother to a nursing home or some facility that can care for her, but you aren’t able to be home and constantly supervise her. So what can you do?

GPS technology has recently been adapted to be used for tracking people, including children and elderly individuals who tend to wander and get lost. A GPS tracking device is typically small and can easily be attached to an individual - or they can even be made to go in clothing or shoes so that your grandmother won’t forget to put hers on in the morning.

Once you are monitoring someone with a GPS tracking device, you’ll be able to find out exactly where the individual is at any time. GPS is accurate to within a few feet, so if your grandmother wanders through your neighborhood, you can find out exactly where she is almost instantly. Furthermore, a GPS tracking device can be set up with geofences, or boundaries, so that if your grandmother crosses those invisible boundaries you’ll be alerted at once. If your geofence just includes your house and yard, for instance, and your grandmother manages to slip out the back gate, you’ll receive a text message, phone call, or email informing you that the geofence had been crossed. Of course the geofence won’t actually stop your grandmother, but it will alert you if she leaves the safe boundaries of your house and yard. Some GPS units can even set up particular paths and secondary areas, such as another relative’s house, which are still included in the ’safe’ zones.

Worrying about your elderly relative is natural, considering how much danger he or she can get in if lost. But with a GPS tracking device, you’ll be able to monitor your relative and help ensure his or her safety.

By Greg Bartlett

With the development of GPS technology over the past decade, many people are seeing the great benefits of a GPS tracking device in everyday life. However, some people want to have the benefits in the easiest way possible.

GPS Tracking & Outdoors

People know that cutting corners does not work, but often they still try it anyway. This is true in the area of GPS tracking. Real time tracking systems may seem a bit pricy to people who are just getting into the world of GPS tracking. They might think that they could save a bit of cash and just use their cell phone instead. However, people cannot expect the GPS capabilities of their cell phone to be as effective as a real time GPS tracking device.

Diana Haley discovered this first hand. She was recently stranded for an entire night after she got lost hiking in a nature preserve in Wisconsin. Although she called 911, her cell phone battery was dying and her signal was poor. The police department tried in vain to locate her using the GPS tracking device on her cell phone.The woman was rescued the next morning, but it took a helicopter, an airplane, tracking dogs, and many people to locate her.

Although your cell phone might seem to be a more convenient and cheaper option than a real time GPS tracking device, it is certainly not the most accurate and reliable option.

Real time GPS trackers have the reputation of accuracy and reliability that a cell phone with GPS capabilities cannot touch. Cell phone GPS is dependent on the signal of the cell phone as well as the battery life, both of which are not very reliable. Also, cell phones cannot pinpoint the exact location of the signal, whereas a GPS tracking device can put you within a few feet of the signal.

Even the argument that a cell phone is more convenient is not as strong as it has been in the past. Every year, GPS trackers are getting smaller and lighter, but the battery life and strong, reliable signal are remaining consistent.

The moral of the story is that if you plan on relying on GPS tracking to rescue you from any sort of peril, you need to be putting your trust in a real time GPS tracking system instead of your cell phone. It may cost you a little bit more each month, but it will be worth it in the long run.

By Greg Bartlett

Personal safety is an issue that should be top priority for all of us. Many of us, however, don’t know how to spot danger or how to protect ourselves and our families. Statistics for missing persons, abducted children, and lost or injured elderly people are heart-wrenchingly high. One way we can proactively protect ourselves and our loved ones from harm is to purchase a GPS tracking device for personal safety.

Personal Safety

GPS tracking devices come in many forms. Some can be worn as a wristwatch that also monitors heart rate and route information. These are popular among walkers, runners and hikers who use the devices to keep track of their exercise routines. They provide individuals with the ability to keep family members informed as to their safety and whereabouts while still being able to get away from the hustle and bustle of cell phones and computers.

Children can carry a GPS tracking device transmitter in a pocket or backpack so that their parents can stay up to date on where they’ve gone after school and whether they are safe. Parents who work need to know that their kids are safe at home, school, or a friend’s house. By equipping children with a GPS tracking device parents can rest assured that when a child forgets to call when he gets home from school, he hasn’t been picked up by an angry ex-husband or gotten into the car with a stranger.

Children of elderly people with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia understand the worry that becomes part of every day as they wonder whether their unanswered phone call means a parent has wandered from home and gotten lost or simply stopped off to chat at a neighbor’s house. Alzheimer’s patients can wear a GPS tracking device on a necklace or bracelet that enables loved ones to check up on them from time to time throughout the day.

No one likes to think about all the things that could go wrong as we progress through each day, but statistics constantly remind us that danger can rear its head anywhere at any time. While it’s not necessary to live in constant fear, it is important that we take steps to protect ourselves whenever possible. Considering that in dangerous situations minutes can make all the difference in saving a life, purchasing a GPS tracking device for personal safety reasons may be the best investment you’ll ever make.

By Harriette Halepis

When men abuse women, most women hardly ever call the police. When the police are called, most women never press charges. Those women that do press charges often watch as their abuser is sentenced to minimal jail time. These abusers often find their victims once they have been released from jail, and many of them become repeat offenders.

Domestic Abuse

Eight states have decided to stop this vicious cycle by requiring abusers to wear GPS tracking bracelets. These bracelets are connected to law enforcement monitors. When an abuser enters the neighbourhood or backyard of a victim, police are notified right away. These trackers can, and do, save many lives.

The state of Massachusetts (a state that demands abusers wear trackers) has found that criminals on parole do not attempt to hunt down previous victims thanks to GPS trackers. For these offenders, simply wearing a GPS tracking bracelet is enough to keep them away from their victims.

If abusers can be tracked, lives can be saved, and women can step outside without fearing an attack, why aren’t more states purchasing GPS trackers? Some states claim that purchasing this equipment is simply too expensive, while others insist that tracking abusers is not necessary.

No matter what the monetary, or other, reason may be, GPS trackers have been proven to prevent repeat abuse – isn’t that enough of a reason to force abusers to wear a simple tracking bracelet?

By Greg Bartlett

The Alzheimer’s Association believes that there are around 5.3 million Americans with Alzheimer’s, 60-70% of which will get lost at some point in time. And unfortunately, getting lost could mean injury or death. If the family is not aware that the elderly patient has wandered off, they may not be able to locate and protect the patient before he or she gets very far and is injured or even killed.

For instance, a 77-year-old Alzheimer’s patient in Maine wandered off in his car. His family alerted police and friends, and eventually a statewide alert was put out for him, but five days later they found his car in a bay. The next day, they found his body. In West Virginia, an 89-year-old man wandered off and was found, still alive but dehydrated, two days later.

When an Alzheimer’s patient is lost, it is a frightening time for both the patient and the family. Friends and community members may join in the search for the missing patient, but if the patient isn’t found quickly, he or she may die. GPS monitoring can help family members keep track of loved ones with Alzheimer’s and protect them from danger.
For instance, say your grandfather has Alzheimer’s and lives in a retirement community. You have a GPS tracking device in his car as well as one that he wears, just in case he wanders off on foot. If he does start wandering, you’d be alerted by a text message or phone call the moment he leaves the predetermined boundaries you set, probably the area of the retirement community.

The GPS monitoring device will continue to pinpoint your grandfather’s precise location, permitting you to find him quickly before he is injured or falls into the lake near the retirement community. You’ll be able to follow every movement your grandfather takes. Instead of having to organize a neighborhood-wide or state-wide search, you can know precisely where your grandfather is.

GPS monitoring can save the lives of Alzheimer’s patients by allowing family and friends to monitor their whereabouts and be alerted if the patient starts wandering. Rather than looking for the patient for days, you’ll be able to find your missing loved one within minutes and return him or her to safety. Quickly locating an Alzheimer’s patient can save a life, and with GPS monitoring, it’s possible to do without a search party.

By Greg Bartlett

Both children and adults having autism tend to wander at will. This can put these people in very dangerous situations. Though an autistic individual’s family may be able to watch him or her most of the time, it is impossible for the family to guard them every minute of the day. As of July 2009, recent research suggested that about 92% of autistic young people have a tendency to wander. This is an extremely high rate.

A family ought to have a game plan in place for when such situations develop. The family of the autistic person can prepare by having contact information and a photo identifying the autistic person prepared and distributed to their neighbors and the local police. Another excellent option is to set up a GPS device on the autistic child or adult that will be able to track and monitor the person’s location at all times.

The technology behind GPS devices grew out of World War II technology and was made available to civilians in the 1980’s – due to a United States passenger airplane tragically, though unwittingly, crossing into enemy airspace due to defects in the navigational equipment available to the pilot of the plane and his team.

Out of this tragedy has grown a convenience that is practically taken for granted by many families today. As research is suggesting, a GPS tracking device attached to a child or adult with autism can help save that person’s life. GPS tracking has become a wonderful asset to many different people in the twenty-first century.

By Greg Bartlett

Do you have a relative, friend, or loved one who suffers from Alzheimer’s? You’re not the only one who worries about the location of the Alzheimer’s patient – about 26 million people today have Alzheimer’s. According to one expert, about 60% of Alzheimer’s patients wander off and get lost at least once, and if not located within approximately 24 hours, nearly half of them could die since they rarely ask for or accept assistance or directions.

An Alzheimer’s patient becoming lost is frightening for both the family and the patient, and many caregivers are seeking ways to protect the patient from getting lost.

Concerned caregivers have tried different ways of tracking Alzheimer’s patients. One popular way is with GPS tracking devices, often some form of bracelet or ankle device.
These, however, can be uncomfortable and awkward. So researchers recently came up with a new option – GPS tracking enabled shoes.

With GPS tracking devices unobtrusively hidden inside shoes, Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers can have greater peace of mind.

Medical personnel and researchers claim that Alzheimer’s patients are unlikely to forget to put on their shoes, and once they have them on, the caregiver can track every movement. If the patient does wander off and become lost, the tracking devices can lead the caregiver within 30 feet of the patient very quickly, speeding up rescue efforts.

With the shoes and GPS tracking, many families may be able to keep their loved ones at home instead of putting them in a nursing home or assisted living facility. The fear of the Alzheimer’s patient wandering off, getting lost, and possibly dying can be eliminated and the family reassured that they can safely take care of the patient.

The shoes also allow the caregiver to be alerted if the patient wanders outside predetermined boundaries, even sending the caregiver a map with the patient’s location and directions to reach the patient if the boundaries are crossed.

With the increased ability to locate and rescue wandering Alzheimer’s patients, one researcher believes the GPS tracking devices in shoes have potential to save billions of government dollars in search and rescue efforts. Even more importantly, he believes the shoes will save lives.

If your loved one suffers from Alzheimer’s, give both yourself and the patient peace of mind. Tracking patients can eliminate the stress and worry of patients becoming lost and can even save their lives. All it takes is a pair of shoes with GPS tracking devices.