Rocky Mountain Tracking » Emergency Response

GPS in Partnership with 911

Hillary Mayfield — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:00:11 +0000

“This is 911. Please state your emergency.” Familiar words to every American, but if you have ever actually had to make a call to 911, you know the urgency of wanting responders to get to you as soon as possible. GPS technology, based on actual satellite longitude and latitude coordinates, has made getting emergency vehicles to a scene easier and more efficient. However, that GPS data must be linked to 911 address records.

In Wilkes County, North Carolina, commissioners agreed in 2009 to implement a GPS-based 911 addressing system, such as was made the universal standard in 1995, throughout its cities; however, officials hit a snag when they discovered that 300 roads in the county had no name connected to 911 records. GPS coordinates were established for existing addresses in 2010, but what to do with those 300 roads poses a problem for the county. The system that commissioners and emergency personnel hoped would be up and running in 2012 may not be used at all.

Although the commission had already signed a $145,000 contract with Kimball to establish the GPS coordinates for the county, officials believe the benefits of connecting them to the 911 address system would be far too costly. They argue that because the state requires each road to be named through individual public hearings and because there is a $30,000-$40,000 cost for providing new road signs, the GPS-based 911 addressing system is not justified.

Advocates of the system argue that the ability to get to a precise location in less time more than pays for the system. Also, the system would be funded by a 911 surcharge of $0.80 placed on each wireless and land line user; telecommunications providers collect the fees and send them on to the county for distribution. Since over one-third of all 911 calls are from wireless callers and since the FCC already mandates that wireless carriers provide coordinates of latitude and longitude for wireless calls coming into the 911 call centers, it seems logical to link GPS technology to 911 address records. Lack of this technology not only hinders emergency officials, but it also keeps emergency services from utilizing certain software applications that are designed to be used in conjunction with the GPS-based system.

With more than 240 million 911 calls a year, using modern GPS technology to aid emergency personnel only makes sense. EMS, police, and fire departments all need a trustworthy system in place to do their job effectively. If they are hindered by wrong directions or lack of an address, lives could be lost. Who can put a price on a life saved?

Immediate Emergency Response

RMT GPS News — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:54:50 +0000

By Greg Bartlett

When you call 911, it’s because you need help now. You don’t need assistance in two hours, or even fifteen minutes, you need it immediately, because sometimes just a few minutes can make a huge difference in whether or not you’re alive.

So what happens when you call 911, and the dispatcher has to find out which emergency vehicle is closest to you? What if the dispatcher doesn’t realize there is an ambulance just around the corner, for instance, and instead sends one that’s ten minutes away? Ten minutes might mean that your grandmother’s stroke turns deadly or causes permanent damage. You need help immediately, and the best way for that to occur is if the dispatcher knows exactly where each emergency vehicle is and can send the one closest to you by the fastest route. Cutting off a couple minutes or even thirty seconds can make a huge difference in an emergency call.

GPS monitoring of emergency vehicles would allow dispatchers to be able to know where emergency vehicles – ambulances, fire trucks, or police cars – are before a call is made. With a glance at the screen, the dispatcher can confirm which vehicle is closest and send it to you at once.

Furthermore, GPS monitoring can aid dispatchers and drivers in finding the fastest and most efficient route to an emergency call. Not only will it save fuel, but more efficient driving because of GPS monitoring will also save lives. Every second, every minute is precious in an emergency call, and the shorter the response time, the more likely a life will be saved.

One city which is using GPS tracking to monitor its emergency vehicles is able to see where each vehicle is, whether or not it is turned on, and how fast it is traveling. While the data GPS tracking provides can also be a helpful management tool by allowing the city to see if drivers are wasting time and resources, even more importantly the data permits dispatchers to find the closest appropriate vehicle and monitor it as it responds to the call. In an emergency, you need help at once.

In a city where emergency vehicles are equipped with GPS monitoring, the response time should be almost instant, saving valuable moments in an effort to get aid to you as quickly as possible. GPS allows for immediate emergency response, which can mean the difference between life and death.

Dispatching Emergency Response with GPS Monitoring

RMT GPS News — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 10:41:13 +0000

By Greg Bartlett

The 911 dispatchers just received a call. There’s a fire on the outskirts of town. Now the dispatchers have to determine which fire truck is closest to the fire and alert it to head out immediately. But there’s another call, this time an accident that requires a least one ambulance. Dispatchers must locate the nearest ambulance and get it there right away if the victim’s life is to be saved. And yet another call, a bank robbery. Which police officers are closest to the bank and could arrive in time to stop the robbers?

In emergency calls, a minute could mean the difference between life and death. So every minute between a 911 call and the time the emergency vehicle arrives on scene is vital. With GPS monitoring, dispatchers no longer have to guess about which vehicle is closest – they can know.

And emergency response personnel no longer have to rely on memory to find the fastest route to an emergency site – the GPS device will find it for them.

A number of cities are beginning to use GPS monitoring to keep track of emergency vehicles so that dispatchers can send the closest vehicle, cutting down on response time and thus saving lives. Dispatchers can monitor emergency vehicles in real time, and when a call comes in, it only takes a moment to locate the nearest appropriate vehicle. Knowing the precise location of each emergency vehicle also allows dispatchers and drivers to find the fastest way to the emergency site.

GPS tracking has become popular with police departments, who recognize that GPS can provide safety for their officers, monitoring them even while they are in dangerous situations, and also help decrease response time to emergency calls.

One fire department in Georgia uses GPS monitoring on their vehicles and on their fire hydrants. When a fire is reported, fire fighters can find the fastest way to the site, but they can also know exactly where the nearest active hydrant is before they arrive.

Using the GPS devices has already increased efficiency and cut down on response time and the time it takes to hook up to a hydrant.

Decreasing the response time to a 911 call is critical and can save lives. If emergency vehicles are equipped with GPS monitoring, dispatchers can help fire trucks reach the fire faster, ambulances to arrive at the accident scene within minutes, and patrol cars to show up in time to capture the bank robbers.