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ACETECH Asset Intelligence helps track and trace important assets on board emergency vehicles

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AUSTIN, Texas — Emergency services across the globe have coped remarkably well throughout the coronavirus outbreak, particularly given that a pandemic of this scale has not been experienced in decades.

The NHS in the UK for example, has been able to increase the number of critical care beds by 2,500 and around 20,000 former staff have returned to work.

Canada’s federal government committed billions for cash-strapped health agencies and hospitals across the country, with 55 ambulances and additional plane and helicopter flight capacity to help control the spread in remote and Indigenous communities. New Zealand was early to lockdown and as a result there were just 22 deaths.

And despite major healthcare challenges in the USA, the University of Pennsylvania hospital was able to spend $5M to rapidly open part of a new wing with 200 beds in April.

Cleanliness and hygiene however has been one area that has quite rightly slowed the healthcare systems down. With additional cleaning guidelines to adhere to from governments, the turnaround times for police cars and ambulances carrying people to and from facilities has increased. An ambulance in the UK for example, now takes around 45 minutes to disinfect to ensure it contains no trace of coronavirus.

Our solution, ACETECH Asset Intelligence can ease this burden by eliminating any potential delays associated with the equipment required on board emergency vehicles. Human error can mean that critical blue light equipment can get left at HQ, at the scene of an incident, or it might not be working or charged up and ready to go. ACETECH Asset Intelligence eliminates these challenges, ensuring that vehicles and crews can help people faster, knowing that all the kit they need is on board and fully functioning.

How It Works

ACETECH Asset Intelligence runs on RFID – or radio-frequency identification. It uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags attached to emergency services items. With every piece of critical kit tagged, it is easy for crews on board and at HQ to see the locations of each item – so even if it gets left on a roadside, it can be found and collected.

Alternatively, if a vehicle leaves HQ and an item is forgotten, the team can return to retrieve it before they get too far away. Asset Intelligence also provides insights into the condition of critical equipment – for example – if it’s in good working order or if it needs maintenance.

5 Stages

We work closely with our clients – fleet managers and vehicle crew – to implement ACETECH Asset Intelligence, by working through five stages:

Stage 1: Scope
The first stage involves calculating how many Asset Intelligence RFID readers and antennae are required. The vehicle complexity will dictate the number of antennae required and we advise a project scope to be undertaken to ascertain your minimum requirements.

Stage 2: Vehicle Zone Creation
We use the antennae to create ‘zones’ where the assets are stored. In open spaces such as vehicle cabins we recommend two antennae to create as much coverage for the assets as possible. Where individual compartments exist separate to the main cabin, one antenna is recommended per compartment.

Stage 3: Storeroom Zone Creation
In the store room back at HQ, we use the antennae to create ‘zones’ where the assets are being stored. In open spaces we recommend using a minimum of 4-6 antennae to create as much coverage for the assets as possible. In larger areas with a high density of metal shelving or racking, multiple antennae may be required.

Stage 4: Asset tagging
We assess where the tags are to be placed on each piece of kit to identify which types of tags are needed. We use a minimum of two tags per asset – spaced apart and if possible in an area where they will not be subject to frequent handling or friction. We then test the frequency response and reposition the tags if required.

Stage 5: Application integration
Once the relevant hardware has been installed on the vehicle or at HQ and all the relevant assets are tagged, the items get integrated into Asset Intelligence software. This locates, tracks, searches, and alerts you of the status and whereabouts of your critical assets.

Once the hardware (from Zebra Technologies) and the Asset Intelligence software is configured, blue light staff receive visual and audio notifications to keep them up to date on everything that’s going on with their essential kit.

ACETECH Asset Intelligence ensures that everything needed is on board an emergency vehicle when it hits the road. In doing so, we provide blue light teams with peace of mind – a valuable commodity during challenging times. It’s a simple and effective technology that reduces the burden and just makes life easier for those working under highly stressful emergency conditions.

About ACETECH
ACETECH is a multi award winning global manufacturer of vehicle intelligence for Emergency Service fleets. Our solutions include cloud-based Fleet Management Software, Specialist Safety & Eco-Friendly modules, Solar and Intelligent Electronic Control Units (ECUs). ACETECH solutions integrate seamlessly with our client’s vehicles, to boost their performance, improve safety and revolutionize the operation of their fleet. We create a fully connected emergency services fleet and provide you with 360-degree view of your vehicles so you can monitor and improve their performance at all times. Today, ACETECH has 5 state of the art offices globally, they are operational in over 50 countries and have shipped over 65,000 solutions to date.

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