Rugged Tablet PCs for the Red Cross in Austria

PRLog (Press Release) - Jan. 8, 2013 - The Austrian Red Cross digitizes since five years its operations for rescue missions. In 2012, 60 rescue vehicles were equipped with Fieldbook A1 tablet PCs that are directly connected to the operation control system. Thus, the emergency forces have mobile access to information about the accident and its location. With the integrated navigation system the vehicles are directly routed there without any delay. In December 2012 a new order about 120 units arrived at LOGIC INSTRUMENT.


Cooperation provides a complete solution

Back in 2005, the Austrian Red Cross (ARC) Salzburg has begun to digitize and optimize communications between emergency control center and the resources on the road. The tablet PCs used at that time no longer corresponds to the requirements and the current state of the art. Therefore the ARC Salzburg had to seek for new tablet solutions. In 2011 the National Association Salzburg of the ARC Salzburg already tested complete solutions for digitization of rescue operations. There were three companies involved in the development. The contracting authority, ARC National Association Salzburg, aims to be able to control the rescue missions digital and mobile. The company A1 Telekom Austria developed the system to connect to the central control system with mobile terminals and takes responsibility for the so-called desktop service, the technical support of the equipment. LOGIC INSTRUMENT, manufacturer of rugged mobile computer, delivers with the Fieldbook A1 the suitable devices including mounting solutions and provided the required configurations and customizations. After the successful testing, it was decided to generalize the process.  

With this system, the rescue coordination center of the ARC Salzburg is able to control and coordinate its rescue forces and vehicles quickly and effectively. The Fieldbook A1 are installed in the vehicles via docking stations and transmit their current position to the control center. Without loss of time, in the control center can thus be determined which vehicle would be the first at the accident location. Aside the transmitting of information on the accident the driver can be guided to the operation site through the integrated navigation system.


Rapid project completion with good cooperation

End of 2011, the National Association Salzburg and A1 Telekom started their market research; in spring the initial discussions with LOGIC INSTRUMENT took place. In summer 2011, the first units for testing purposes were delivered. “Our requirements to the terminals has been very high”, explains Josef Wagner of A1. “The devices must be very stable and robust. They have to withstand extreme cold in winter and corresponding high temperatures in summer in the cab of the ambulances without problems.”, Wagner continues.    

In a global market survey the Fieldbook A1 of LOGIC INSTRUMENT could succeed against the competition. "Our Fieldbooks meet high industrial and military standards - they are perfect suited for such situations," says Alexander Djemaa, deputy-managing director of LOGIC INSTRUMENT Germany. For the ACR Salzburg technical parameters such as size of the Fieldbook, computing performance and display resolution were important points. The project progress also revealed a good service and cooperation between all parties. “Our contact persons were responsive to our needs and always there for us.”, explained Simon Koller, IT Manger at the Austrian Red Cross. He knows the demands out of his own experience as an EMT. His colleagues confirmed: In the field, the rugged Fieldbook tablet has proven its worth, especially with its excellent readability in direct sunlight. Not to mention the economic side: The National Association Salzburg is very comfortable with the excellent benefit-cost ratio. At the end of the year 2012, 60 vehicles are equipped with Fieldbook A1 tablet PCs. Following the success of this first collaboration with LOGIC INSTRUMENT, a second order was placed in December 2012 for delivery of 120 additional Fieldbooks in 2013.


Reliability through redundancy - expansion planned

The Austrian Red Cross Salzburg operates the rescue service throughout the Bundesland (federal state) Salzburg, where one state- and several area control centers are located. The emergency control system of the ARC Salzburg is conceived as redundancy for the surrounding areas. If there are faults or system failures, the ARC Salzburg can handle the coordination of the emergency services for their peers. This project is also a reference for the other Bundesländer (federal states).


For demanding applications

With its Fieldbook Series, LOGIC INSTRUMENT has developed rugged portable computers for complex and specialized applications and successfully established in various markets. Due to their ruggedness and flexibility, they are used in the industry, for police and security forces and in the military. As standalone computers they build an ideal base for customized, project-based developments.

http://www.logic-instrument.com

Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/12055284/1