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Issue Date: December 2000

Europ Assistance enhances international emergency response service

December 2000

Thanks to GIS solution provider AfriGIS, supplier of emergency services for international travel, Europ Assistance Worldwide Services (EAWS) now boasts a significantly enhanced emergency response service. AfriGIS has developed a system that effectively shortens the response time of emergency vehicles to accident information processed at the EAWS call centre.

"Incoming information that previously had to be processed manually before an emergency vehicle could be dispatched, is now visually represented using a spatial database provided by AfriGIS," explains director Charl Fouche. "This significantly reduces the response time of the emergency vehicles."
Upon answering an incoming call, the call centre operator must try to obtain as much information as possible from the caller, including the type of accident and its location. The operator electronic- ally submits the relevant data to the dispatch team while still online with the caller. The dispatch team receives all the essential details needed to locate the accident through the computer network. They also have access to a list of all emergency vehicles with particulars of their last position and status, which can either be 'available', 'in use', or 'at the hospital'. When their status changes, the emergency vehicle operators inform the call centre of their movements via a two-way radio.
As soon as the dispatch operator has located a suitable emergency vehicle, the driver of the vehicle is informed of the accident location, and the status of the specific response is changed accordingly.
Using GIS principles, AfriGIS provided a spatial database that included streets, suburbs and address particulars of a specific region, which enhanced the visual representation of an accident and emergency vehicle location. Software designed by AfriGIS was also used to integrate the database into the existing system.
"The GIS process assists the dispatch team in locating the accident through a module (also developed by AfriGIS) that does automatic address matching," Fouche continues. "This new module has been successfully tried and tested in a variety of applications, including call centres and the Internet. Now the operator has a visual representation of an accident location and can thus easily choose the closest available emergency vehicle in no time."
"Previously, all this had to be done manually by the dispatch operator," says Fouche. "The accident location had to be reported in terms of a physical address, and the onus was on the driver of the emergency vehicle to find the site."
By colour-coding the vehicles according to their status, the operator can immediately see which is the closest available vehicle. While confirming the action with the emergency response team, the GIS system computes the shortest available route from the location of the emergency vehicle to the accident. This route is distinctly indicated on a map, together with a set of driving directions. The driving directions are transmitted to the emergency vehicle, which can then respond quickly and effectively.
According to PK Smith, Chief Operating Officer at EAWS, the benefits of developing a map interface for the call centre system far outweigh the initial investment costs. "Not only are call centre operators and emergency dispatch personnel now able to quickly and easily locate an incident on a map and dispense the appropriate response units, they can also determine the location of the nearest medical facility and/or police station in relation to the incident," he says. "Additionally, the position of ambulances and/or other emergency dispatch vehicles can also be monitored."
"Besides these benefits, the new system can also be used for the optimisation of emergency response zones and the management of facilities," Fouche concludes.
AfriGIS
(012) 362 3114


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