Not so many years ago, if you experienced a medical emergency,
your response team was severely limited by communication technology.
Enhanced 911 was not yet fully developed. Your only option was
to call fire, police or ambulance dispatch. You were at the mercy
of the dispatcher to try to locate the closest available emergency
personnel. If they were already on another assignment, it meant
you could have to wait a long time before someone arrived to help
you. We accepted that as normal.
Today, exciting technology advancements have dramatically changed
our expectations and the way we respond to incidents and disasters.
Imagine a trauma room doctor communicating and assisting the
EMT during the critical minutes before the ambulance gets to the
ER door. Imagine that the ambulance was able to transmit vital
signs to the doctor while in route. Imagine the advantages of
a fireman downloading building plans while en route to the fire.
Or, emergency response personnel on the ground getting mobile
video feed from a police helicopter to determine the best evacuation
route around traffic or swelling floodwaters.
This is not futuristic, this is now. Wireless Mesh Networking
Solutions make it possible for first responders to do all this
and more. For example, the Tucson city government is creating
a medical and first responder network by connecting hospitals
with the paramedics in ambulances.
The test phase of this mobility project was completed in October
2006, during which an ambulance was able to transmit vital signs
to the hospital while traveling 15 miles across Speedway Boulevard.
("We discovered that slowing down was worse [for transmission
rates] than going faster," admitted Francisco Leyva, COT
project manager for the city of Tucson.)
Tucson already had the network infrastructure in place; it was
a side effect of the city upgrading its traffic lights. So, while
only four ambulances are equipped so far, the 205 node radios
will eventually expand to 419 traffic signals in the city of 225
square miles. The project will also expand to connect the medical
system with police and fire departments, to the water management
system (for well-monitoring data) and to building inspectors.
With the use of Wireless Mesh Networking Solutions, firefighters
can take advantage of video cameras that are strategically placed
throughout the city, and stream real time road conditions right
to their laptops so they can determine the fastest route through
traffic. Vital information such as building plans, the location
of gas lines, the proximity of hydrants and more, is all made
available through high-speed mobile access to the wireless mesh
network - equipping firefighters for faster response times and
safer, more effective fire fighting.
Emergency medical technicians also greatly benefit from a wireless
mesh network. Whether at the scene of an accident, or in a moving
ambulance, medical personal can utilize such capabilities as remote
registration, advance briefing of emergency-room staff, monitoring
of vital statistics, and real-time emergency surgery assistance
via video conference. All of these capabilities provide for a
better patient experience and aid in saving more lives, which
is the aim of every public safety network.
Where the difference between life and death is measured in seconds,
wireless mesh technology will soon be a must for all first responders.
Source: 2007 CXO Media Inc.; CIO.com; February 15, 2007 Municipal
Wi-Fi and Mesh Networks Focus on Safety not Convenience -Esther
Schindler
Source: BelAir Networks - Wireless Mesh Networks for Public
Safety and First Responders - Application Note
