Mission Critical Information Moves Fast Among
Suburban Philadelphia First Responders
SCHAUMBURG, Ill., 23 Feb. 2006 - A suburban Philadelphia county is rolling out
improved data communication for its police and fire departments as well as its
ambulance crews with the installation of $5 million in ruggedized mobile laptop
computers from Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT).
Chester County, based in West Chester, Pa., is home to 450,000 residents who
reside in 73 municipalities. The county’s Department of Emergency Services
purchased the Motorola system and 685 Motorola laptop computers to upgrade the
way emergency responders receive and share information in the field.
The 100 Motorola ML 900 ruggedized laptop computers purchased for Emergency
Medical Services (EMS) vehicles have been installed and were deployed last
September. Police vehicles serving the county are now being fitted with the
rugged computers and installation in fire vehicles will follow.
The installation is expected to be completed later this year. At that point,
the 57 fire companies and 44 municipal police forces serving the county will be
seamlessly linked to the countywide data system.
“This opens a whole new era for us in data sharing. The ambulance crews are
impressed with the amount of data they can store and the mapping and GPS
(Global Positioning System) capabilities,’’ said Ed Atkins, director of
emergency services for Chester County.
The system allows Mission Critical data to move more quickly than the previous
mobile data system supported, and provides first responders with more incident
information from dispatchers while they are en route to calls. This means an
EMS crew can start a patient care report in the ambulance and provide it to the
hospital upon arrival, Atkins said. And some hospitals are equipped to allow
the crew to transmit the report electronically to the emergency room.
The police departments will be able to generate their arrest reports on the
data system in their vehicles, which Atkins said will give them more time on the
street. They are also gaining quicker access to databases for processing
license plate checks and checking on outstanding warrants with Motorola’s Tx
Messenger™ software, which links mobile computing devices to dispatch
operations.
Atkins said the county had very limited data available to fire-fighters in the
past, and the new Motorola system will enable crews to locate water sources
before arriving at a fire scene.
Atkins said he was pleased the county received about 90 percent of the funding
for the project from a Department of Homeland Security grant and a state
department of health grant.
“Chester County has gained consistency in their mobile fleet, which aids in
training and management,’’ said Jackie Wasni, Motorola Communications &
Electronics, Inc. vice president. “This new mobile data system also provides
the area the opportunity to easily upgrade for future applications.’’
Source: Motorola press release
