GPS data also plays a critical role in search and rescue operations in all sorts of disasters - natural and manmade. The San Diego Fire Department uses 126 vehicles to provide fire fighting and emergency response services to the city of San Diego. A Trimble GPS-based AVL system from Trimble's Mobile Positioning and Communications group, installed in 1992, allows operators to dispatch the closest vehicle to an emergency. This system reports vehicle position only if a vehicle has moved a specified distance or if a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since the last position report. Using a system from Trimble's Mobile Positioning and Communications group, operators can immediately dispatch and automatically track every vehicle in the fleet, helping police get to the scene quickly.
Dispatchers can locate the closest available unit-critical information when every second counts.
If a car is delayed en route, they can quickly find the nearest available backup unit. Ambulance and Paramedic Dispatch Systems of Sacramento For Emergency Dispatch Services of Sacramento, improving performance was more than a goal, it was a matter of survival. As a private ambulance provider in a highly competitive marketplace, the company needed to decrease response times or potentially lose their contracts. The system gives dispatchers critical information about the location of every vehicle, enabling them to quickly identify the nearest and best unit to respond to a call. Response times improved and dispatchers have also reported a substantial reduction in stress on the job and a far greater confidence in being able to dispatch the right vehicle to the scene.