Vehicle GPS Tracking

[MMiz]

We have units in our vehicles that will soon allow dispatch to track our positions. This isn't unique, but I'm wondering how people feel about this.

I understand they can track our speed and location with just a click.

I guess it's just one of those things that is part of the job.

 

[ffemt8978]

I'm guessing that they're doing it to "improve call response and resource usage"?

All our ambulances are equiped with a handheld GPS unit, so that we can give coordinates to the helicopters. We tend to run a lot of calls where the directions include, "Turn off the paved road and go..." so GPS is literally a lifesaver for us. Fortunately, our units can't be converted to the type of system where we could be tracked.

The next county over has a similar system to yours, which is advantageous to us. When we need a ALS unit from there, we just tell the comm center to send us the closest unit (regardless of which company they work for). It cuts down our intercept time by 10 minutes, on the average.

 

[rescuecpt]

EMS at the State Hospital (they run critical care transfers and some emergencies) have the GPS with a map on the wall where you can see where each ambulance is, and if you click a particular ambulance get specific info like speed and how long they've been running at that speed (so you can determine sustained speeding vs speeding up to pass someone. My friend works there and I've done some ride-alongs with them - they don't seem to mind the system.

 

[SafetyPro2]

Not sure about EMS, but it's becoming fairly common amongst large delivery fleets.

Back when I worked for the newspaper, we had an older-generation system on our delivery trucks. It was basically a "black box" type recorder that capture time and speed data. Could be used to see how fast the driver went, how long he sat in one location, etc.

 

[rescuemedic7306]

We had GPS installed last year on all rigs, fire/police/rescue/ems across the county. The idea was that (as we are very rural) the Dispatcher would be able to see us on the map in the dispatch center and tell us how to get to the calls if we got lost instead of the normal '1/2 mile west, 3/4 mile east, 2 miles on the gravel and it's the white house in the south 40'. Unfortunately, it works ok for the cops since their squads are always out, but for the rest of us, by the time the widget has 'acquired' the satellite, we are already at the call...so it was 40k they wasted that we could've used for something that actually worked.

 

[TTLWHKR]

We use Star Com on a Motorola Data Terminal, we can log enroute, and switch screens to a map from the dispatcher so we only have to drive along the selected route.

 

[Jon]

I worked for a company thiat had this in their trucks. We didn't like it, beacause it was impossible to B.S. a lunch break between dialysis patients. So we quickly figured out how to un-screw the antenna. That worked for 6 months, then they realized what was happening. Then we resorted to covering the antenna with the tin foil from our breakfast sandwitches. That worked.

The co. I'm woking for now has a system with thier Nextels (GPS enabled) to track us. I prefer to disable it, because my dispatcher is a 19y/o female ona power trip with no training. I will get to the call when I get there (as soon as possible). I will post "near" wherever she sends me. And if I stop on my way between the office and a posting location to get dinner, tough darts. I'm the only crew on, and I'm honest when she asks where I am.


My county had the GPS about 5 or 10 years ago, many people complained, it isn't there anymore. I would like the county to have it - they should be able to send THE CLOSEST availible unit, and if my co. is on the other side of the township getting dinner, the call covering the next squad 2 townships over might be better handled by someone else. In turn, If I'm returning from an outlying hospital, I should be grabed for anything near where I am, espically as second or 3rd unit.


Jon

 

[KEVD18]

my viewpoint is that if you dont have anyhting to hide, active gps in the rigs is a non issue. if you are trying to hide something, well thats between you and whoever is in charge of your unit/co/whatever

i dont give my dispatchers a choice as to whether i get a lunch/dinner break. being a diabetic, i can tell them to sit on it and rotate and get away with it. if i need a call(p3, non emergency transfer) delayed 15 so i can get food and not crash, i tell them that. i dont lie, but i dont take no either

 

[ECC]

I used to hate dispatchers on a power trip...another reason I do not work for the privates anymore...ever part time.

GPS is goos...except if they (the powers that be) try to screw you with it. It should be used for resource management for dispatching.

 

[Jon]

That is something great in the county I run in... Most sqauds are all paid, all ALS... maybe with a BLS rig up on a power-shift during the day. I've twice been returning from hospitals and covered other calls. Also, we are based next to a hospital, and I've heard a sqaud called to take another call in our district, from the ED... Great to be in a system where HELPING PEOPLE is #1, and noone gets into the "He's playing in my sandbox"

Jon

 

[ECC]

Originally posted by ECC@Jun 1 2005, 02:31 PM
I used to hate dispatchers on a power trip...another reason I do not work for the privates anymore...ever part time.

GPS is goos...except if they (the powers that be) try to screw you with it. It should be used for resource management for dispatching.

See what I mean about sausage fingers!