Published: July 03, 2008 06:47 pm         

Automatic vehicle locator gets going

Limited bandwidth is limiting use of new technology for emergency responders in Cumberland County. But with the contracted carrier currently in negotiations, it is hoped costs for the service will come down in the near future.

Bill Hunter, E-911 director, explained to the Central Communications Committee Tuesday the automatic vehicle locator (AVL) program includes many benefits beyond simple GPS navigation and tracking.

"It makes it real handy because you can plug your laptop into the device and be on the Internet," Hunter explained. "You can guide yourself and see where other units are."

The AVL program is a combined Global Position System and Geographic Information System that allows for tracking, locating and logging vehicles. Currently, the system is in place on sheriff's department, emergency services and full-time fire department vehicles.

By using the Internet feature, Hunter explained deputies could see where other units were located.

Sheriff Butch Burgess said, "It has assets we were not even expecting."

Crossville Deputy Fire Chief Chris South said, "In a haz-mat (hazardous materials) situation, I can get on the Internet on scene and get real-time radar and download information."

But the added feature of Internet access brings additional cost issues. Currently, Verizon is the only network with adequate coverage outside the city limits of Crossville, providing wireless Internet access to about 80 percent of the county. But because Verizon is currently locked into a government bid for the service, the cost is fairly high.

Hunter explained each unit has access to 40 Mb of bandwidth per month, with an overage charge of $1 per Mb. The cost of this service is $35 per month per unit. Bandwidth refers to the amount of data downloaded by the unit.

"You run out of bandwidth real quick," Hunter said, noting tests using the system to log the streets an employee was driving used all the available bandwidth within two weeks.

"This gets into a control issue," Hunter said. "Theoretically, a unit could be sitting out there and download a movie to watch in the car. That's about a gig of bandwidth. That would cost us about $1,000."

Hunter asked supervisors to use the system in real, emergency situations, but not for everyday use.

The system was about two weeks away from implementation when the massive search for two Florida fugitives was conducted in Westel in May. Burgess noted it would have been a valuable tool, for supervisors especially, to be able to track where units were and allow those on scene to look up property records.

The system would also allow officers to log their own searches for vehicle tags and license information and access the most current booking photos of those being sought on warrants.

Hunter said AT&T provided acceptable coverage inside the city limits at a much more competitive rate — $15 per unit with unlimited bandwidth. If Verizon is unable to re-negotiate its government contract to a more comparable rate, Hunter suggested looking at using AT&T for city vehicles, and consider upgrading to unlimited Verizon service for the county at a cost of $45 per unit. If Verizon is able to offer a lower rate, he said it would be best to go with that carrier so city units would be covered when providing mutual aid outside the city limits.

Phase two of the program will bring the Crossville police and fire departments onto the system. That is scheduled to begin in August. After that, volunteer units, including the rescue squad, Fairfield Glade Fire Department and volunteer county fire units, could also be included. The program is being paid for by the E-911 District at a cost of $82,000 for phase one and $100,000 for phase two. When complete, about 120 vehicles will be equipped with the system.

In other business, Keith Garrison, Cumberland County Emergency Management director, reported the county is nearing completion of its radio system upgrade. A drive test is being scheduled to ensure the system works as promised. The new system is expected to offer 95 percent radio coverage for emergency officials using the system, 95 percent of the time. This is considered an extremely high amount of coverage in an area filled with mountain and valley terrain. The new system was budgeted at $2.1 million two years ago.