Tempe Police Department Arms Officers with Mobile Communications by In Motion Technology

In Motion Technology, the leader in mobile networking technologies that efficiently connect and manage equipment, information and people in the field, today announced that its solutions have been deployed by the Tempe Arizona Police Department to put reliable, secure, real-time information at the fingertips of its officers in the field, enhance the Department’s ability to manage assets in the field, and strengthen law enforcement efforts.

“Today our officers are able to spend less time behind a desk and more time in the community, protecting the public,” said Hugh Hallman, Mayor of the City of Tempe, whose 320 officers protect 170,000 residents across 42 square miles and respond to more then 115,000 calls each year. “Our officers appreciate the quick access to information that they could previously only get at their offices, and are anxious for us to give them more applications that can further extend the office to their vehicles! In Motion Technology is helping us improve our operations and enhance public safety.”

In Motion’s patented onBoard Mobile Gateway creates a wireless mobile hotspot in and around each vehicle. The Gateway connects to commercial cellular, 700 MHz, 3G, 4G and a variety of other wireless networks -- and seamlessly switches between networks – to create a continuous, high-bandwidth pipeline of information to and from the vehicle.

The Gateway offers levels of data security and communications reliability that set it apart from other mobile communications solutions. This enables Tempe officers to file reports and access information about suspects, vehicles and property from their patrol cars. They can download mug shots, view databases of “most wanted” criminals, and access other crime fighting resources without returning to the station. This level of knowledge lets officers make split second judgments based on real-time information. The Gateway is designed to enable the Tempe Police Department to easily add the latest network and crime fighting technologies to the vehicle area network. In the future, this will allow the Police Department to deploy mobile surveillance video technology, electronic ticketing, automated license plate recognition and a variety of other devices to enhance officer safety and effectiveness.

The onBoard Mobility Manager, In Motion's network management system, played a key role in Tempe's decision to work with the company. It provides a full suite of management tools that enable the City to remotely monitor vehicles and onboard communications, so they can keep patrol cars on the street. Coverage tools that analyze wireless network signals were instrumental in helping the City and their carrier improve wireless coverage in their operating area.

“Effective policing is all about presence, and In Motion Technology's products are allowing our officers to do the work they used to do in the office from their vehicles," said Dave Heck, Deputy CIO for the City of Tempe. "It provides officers in the field with worry-free communications, and seamless access to crime fighting tools and information."

In Motion Technology solutions are cost effective and easy to deploy. Tempe installed Gateways in 180 vehicles in under three weeks, and is now considering deploying In Motion Technology in other city fleets to enhance operations, reduce costs and improve services for the residents of Tempe.

“The City of Tempe has taken a visionary approach to policing that leverages technology, and we're delighted to have them as a customer," said Kirk Moir, President & CEO for In Motion Technology. "Our goal to provide seamless connectivity that enables teams in the field to operate as efficiently and effectively as if they were at headquarters is exemplified in Tempe. We’re pleased our solution is enabling them to enhance the safety and security of the people of the City.”

Queen Anne's County, MD Deploys In Motion Technology Solutions

In Motion Technology, the leader in mobile networking technologies that efficiently connect and manage equipment, information and people in the field, today announced that Queen Anne’s County, MD Department of Emergency Services and Office of the Sheriff have selected In Motion Technology's solution for their fleets of EMS and Sheriff’s vehicles.

In Motion Technology’s end-to-end solution provides seamless, reliable communications, and real-time information from the field. The onBoard Mobile Gateway turns emergency vehicles into mobile wireless hotspots, enabling all on-board devices -- including laptops, video cameras, ECGs and other devices -- to connect seamlessly. The onBoard Mobility Manager gathers and analyzes information from Gateway-equipped vehicles to enable headquarters staff to track vehicles, monitor engine diagnostics, and troubleshoot on-board data systems, all on a single, web-based virtual dashboard.

“This solution gives emergency organizations the information they need to manage operations to peak efficiency,” said Kirk Moir, CEO of In Motion Technology. “It also frees emergency personnel at the scene to focus on protecting and saving lives.”

Queen Anne’s County, MD Department of Emergency Service provides first responder services to more than 48,000 residents across 510 square miles along Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The Department of Emergency Services and Office of the Sheriff plan to install onBoard Mobile Gateways throughout their fleets of ambulances and patrol cars.

“Prior to In Motion Technology, our units in the field struggled to stay connected,” said Brad Smith, Data Manager for the Department of Emergency Services. “In Motion Technology has improved our communications, provided us new tools to manage our operations, and is allowing us to deploy the latest technologies to reduce costs, enhance productivity and improve the service we provide to the community.”

For the Office of the Sheriff, the onBoard Mobile Gateway will allow video cameras to be used in and around vehicles to document evidence. Deputies will be free to file reports and send emails without being tethered to the patrol car. And, in the future, the Office of the Sheriff plans to use the Gateway to deploy electronic ticketing and other technologies to improve officer safety and productivity.

“Our Sheriff’s deputies are already seeing significant improvements in communications in the field,” said Cpl Sean Hampton of the Office of the Sheriff. “But we are only scratching the surface of how this technology will enable us to deploy the latest law enforcement tools to improve operations and enhance our ability to protect the public.”

For the county’s emergency medical services, live video is being streamed to operations command from ambulances outfitted with web-cams, improving incident scene coordination. In the future, the Gateway will allow lifesaving information from ECGs and other devices to be sent from ambulances to emergency rooms before the patient arrives, saving critical minutes before care is administered and improving patient outcomes.

In Motion Technology Partners with AeroScout to Take Mobile Asset Tracking on the Road

In Motion Technology, the leader in mobile networking technologies that efficiently connect and manage equipment, information and people in the field, today announced that it has entered a partnership with AeroScout, Inc., the leading provider of Unified Asset Visibility. The combination of solutions from the two companies will allow customers to track and manage assets in vehicles enabled with In Motion’s wireless networks. The partnership thus will enable organizations to extend asset tracking and monitoring to the field, reducing the cost of lost and misplaced equipment, improving inventory management and increasing staff productivity.


AeroScout solutions use Wi-Fi Active RFID to track the location, status and condition of mobile assets and people. Organizations across a range of industries – including healthcare, manufacturing and logistics – rely on AeroScout solutions to automate business processes and improve operational efficiency.

“We’re pleased to be working with In Motion Technology to bring our asset visibility applications, which leverage standard wireless networks, to vehicles and field personnel,” said Chuck Pledger, Vice President, Global Channel Sales of AeroScout. “This partnership takes mobile asset management to a new level and extends our operational improvement capabilities to a new set of customers.”

In Motion Technology’s patented solutions turn vehicles into high performance wireless hotspots and provide headquarters staff with real-time information from the field to manage operations to peak efficiency. More than 175 transit, commercial and first responder fleet organizations rely on In Motion Technology to enhance communications and operations and reduce costs.

Coupling AeroScout's leadership in Unified Asset Visibility and Wi-Fi Active RFID with In Motion's mobile networking capabilities will provide organizations with an unprecedented capability to track and manage mobile operations.

“In Motion Technology is focused on enabling organizations to operate their fleet vehicles as mobile branch offices,” said Kirk Moir, In Motion Technology's President & CEO. “We are pleased to partner with best-in-class application and systems providers like AeroScout to enable mobile organizations to maximize their efficiency and reduce operating cost by improving response times and optimizing service delivery."

In Motion Technology Partners with Rockford Ambulance

New technology will save lives in cardiac cases
Beth Altena - Rockford Squire - December 18, 2008

For residents in the 700 square miles served by Rockford Ambulance, new technology will allow specialists to see test results before the patient arrives at Emergency Room doors.

New state-of-the-art technology opens new avenues of communication between ambulance and hospital staff.

In Motion Technology created the system that allows connectivity for on-board data communications, that includes patient tracking, medical monitoring devices, patient care records, GPS ambulance tracking and control center systems.

Matt McConnon of Rockford Ambulance explained that new computers and modems provided by grants will allow ambulances to reach patients faster, and send test results, including EKGs straight to cardiac specialists at the hospital.

"It offers faster definitive care. It brings the capability of the hospital to the ambulance," McConnon said. "The cardiologist is seeing the test results before the patient gets to the hospital."

Speed is essential to treating patients in heart distress and McConnon notes that patients can be losing heart muscle every minute they are in transport. When hospital staff see EKG results and know what treatment needs to be done prior to patient arrival, they can begin preparation and be ready to go faster.

"They have time to activate the cath (catheter) lab, get the staff in, get the specialists in if they aren't there," said Chuck Premer, Rockford Ambulance Marketing and Public Relations Specialist. "They can be hanging the drugs and be 15 or 20 minutes into having the problem fixed."

Premer said chest pain accounts for about 25 percent of the ambulance service's total calls. They respond to 10,000 calls a year and perform some 5,600 transports. Transport rates can vary. Many calls turn out to be false alarms - a response to an accident where no one is hurt, or a call to a car off the road when no one is in it. "The other day we had 50 calls and only transported 15," McConnon said.

The service has five ambulances ready seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Six other ambulances are on-call three days a week. The 700 square miles of coverage is 55 percent of all of Kent County from six substations.

Regardless of whether a call is in response to chest pain or some other medical emergency, anyone who faces a ride in an ambulance in the future should appreciate the new technology. Part of the GPS communication allows dispatch to know where every ambulance is at all times. This has already allowed faster response for calls.

Ambulance drivers operate from a base of six stations, including the main building on Shaner and Ten Mile. In the past dispatch relied on drivers calling in location and trying to send the closest to a call. "We cover a lot of dirt," noted McConnon.

Now the icons of each vehicle, as well as the address of the emergency, is displayed on a map which shows exactly which is closest. McConnon said this is more helpful than people may realize. Just because one substation is Courtland Township, an address in Courtland Township may be closer to a different substation. In addition, a vehicle may on the road. At a glance dispatch can see who will get there in the least amount of time.

Purchase of the modems and docking stations, a $34,000 cost, came from a grant from the Metropolitan Medical Response System. Computers for each ambulance - another $45,000 - came from a grant from the Homeland Security Bioterrorism Defense Network.

Theoretically they will be useful in case of a catastophic event. In the meantime, every user of the ambulance system reaps the benefits.

For any patient brought into EMS care in the ambulances, first responders in these vehicles will be able to pull up the patient history through the in-vehicle computers. They will tell at a glance what special procedures may need to be followed for a specific patient.

In addition, the touch-screens of the laptops eliminate the tedious and time-consuming process of writing out a report of each tranport. The screens also eliminate the chance of a mistake in patient record due to bad handwriting. Premer admits that it is hard to write well while traveling in the back of an ambulance over different types of road surfaces.

Louise Labuda is the director of marketing at In Motion Technology. She said the new equipment is top-of-the-line and can save ambulance companies and other users money. "It used to be that each piece of equipment had to have its own modem if it was capable of transmitting," she added. "This router allows any kind of device to send data. It's future-proof." She said drivers also enjoy the directional capabilities of Global Positioning Systems to reach destinations.

She said not only is this technology for emergency vehicles and the medical field, but will also find many uses in other applications.

"Transit organizations are using it. They count the number of riders on a bus and can swipe a card instead of paying cash for the bus ride." She said with it, people in vehicles can communicate just as easily as from their offices. "This brings a bunch of new functionality."

Labuda explained that not only can this system allow ambulances and other vehicles to function to best capacity, it can greatly reduce breakdowns - a bad scenario for an ambulance in transit.

"If the oil pressure is too high, if the engine light is on, if it's time for a warranty-required mechanic visit, this system can alert the drivers to any of this," she said.

She also said the GPS capability allows dispatch to know where individual components are. "If the drivers forget a medical device during a call, that's an expensive piece of equipment. They can see where it is. 'Oops, I left the EKG at the hospial, I'd better go back and get it.'"

She said the equipment is high profile for Homeland Security because it works off satelites, not cell towers. "If something were to happen and our cell towers disappear, there is still communication," she said.

All other benefits aside, getting to the hospital faster and having care ready quicker is likely the highest priority for anyone taking a ride with Rockford Ambulance. McConnon said, "For the ones who are seriously sick and time is going to matter, this will make a huge difference."

West Metro Fire Deploys Next Generation Wireless Mobile Communications System by In Motion Technology

In Motion Technology, the leader in mobile networking technologies that efficiently connect and manage equipment, information and people in the field, today announced that West Metro Fire Protection District (WMFPD) has deployed In Motion Technology’s solutions to manage mobile operations and improve emergency services for the residents of the cities of Lakewood, Morrison, Littleton, and Golden, and Jefferson and Douglas Counties.

The onBoard Mobile Gateway turns each emergency vehicle into a secure, high performance, local area network. This enables emergency personnel to access critical information – digitally, wirelessly and instantaneously -- while they are in the station, in transit, and at incident scenes. West Metro Fire is deploying In Motion Technology’s onBoard Mobile Gateway in its entire fleet, which consists of 10 ambulances, 56 fire trucks, and 7 command vehicles.

“With the Gateway, our crews have information at their fingertips that we could never have imagined just a year ago,” said Patrick Purdy, IT Director for West Metro. “And, unlike other solutions that must be replaced as technology changes, the onBoard Mobile Gateway was designed to be easily upgraded. This investment will improve our emergency responses today and into the future.”

With In Motion Technology, by the time WMFPD crews are in their vehicles, they have access to all the information they need to get to scene faster, respond more effectively, and save lives and property as never before. When a call comes in, the Gateway enables dispatch information -- including digital maps and turn-by-turn directions to the scene – to be digitally downloaded, wirelessly and instantly, to vehicle computers. Prior to deploying In Motion Technology, the information available to WMFPD crews was provided by analog radio, paper tear-sheets, and paper map books. Now, detailed incident scene information – including aerial photographs that indicate points of access and the location of the nearest hydrants – enables firefighters to plan their attack before arrival.

At the incident scene, each Gateway functions as a mobile, high-performance, wireless hotspot, providing all first responders with reliable, secure connectivity. Crews at the scene can communicate using IP voice, email, mobile fax, video and other devices. Firefighters can begin the patient care immediately, and electronically send information to medics when they arrive. Medics can send ECG and other patient information to the hospital from the field, improving patient care, and saving time – when seconds can mean the difference between life and death.

In Motion’s onBoard Mobility Manager provides headquarters staff with a virtual birds-eye view of operations and incident scenes. Operations command can access incident scene and patient records remotely and in real-time. Fleet managers can access vehicle information – including fuel and coolant levels, engine idle times and speeds, and other statistics – to prevent breakdowns before they occur. And IT staff can remotely trouble shoot software and hardware, and monitor the wireless network.

The West Metro Fire Protection District is the second largest fire and emergency medical services provider in the State of Colorado, serving 250,000 residents, over 110 square miles west of the City of Denver. WMFD is a special, multi-jurisdictional district within the state, providing mutual aid to surrounding communities, and supports the Colorado Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue Response Team. The deployment is a part of a $3 million public safety improvement program that was funded with the support of local taxpayers.

“Local taxpayers have supported our efforts to invest in our infrastructure and technology, and now the community will begin seeing tangible results,” said Purdy. “We have new stations and a new training center. And our upgraded communications – which includes In Motion Technology’s mobile wireless communications solutions -- will improve our responses and the service we provide to the residents of the West Metro Fire Protection District.”

“We are honored that West Metro Fire Protection District chose In Motion Technology for their mobile emergency communications, and we are pleased they are realizing early, dramatic results,” said Kirk Moir, CEO of In Motion Technology. ”West Metro is one of more than 185 organizations across North America using our technology to improve response times, communications and operations and serve their communities."

Read about In Motion Technology and West Metro Fire Rescue on the Denver Post's Neighbors Blog.

Life EMS Ambulance Implements State-Of-The-Art Data Communication System

In Motion Technology, the leader in mobile networking technologies that efficiently connect and manage equipment, information and people in the field, announced today that Life EMS Ambulance is the first emergency response company in West Michigan to use the onBoard™ Mobile Gateway to improve emergency operations, communications and response times across the communities it serves. The purchase of this equipment was partially funded through a grant from the Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response in cooperation with Michigan Department of Community Health, Office of Public Health Preparedness and Region 6 Hospital Pre-Hospital Preparedness Coalition.

The onBoard™ Mobile Gateway, designed by In Motion Technology, is installed in emergency vehicles to create a “vehicle area network” that provides connectivity for all on-board data communications, including patient tracking, medical monitoring devices, patient care records, GPS ambulance tracking and Control Center systems. The Gateway enables the transmission of information with high levels of security and reliability among these systems in the field as well as operations command and hospitals. The benefits include improved communications, real-time information management, reduced operating costs, including lower fuel consumption and shorter response times.

“With this state-of-the-art communications technology, we are able to incorporate a number of critical operations into one system,” said Mark Meijer, president of Life EMS. “We can monitor the progress of an ambulance to an accident site, upload patient information to communicate with hospitals and even access emergency preparedness plans, all with this system.”

Life EMS Control Center staff can access real-time fleet information, including the location and status of ambulances, pending and in-progress calls and driver safety information. Crews will be able to send and receive e-mail and perform online training between calls from laptops in their vehicles without returning to a station.

“This will increase our efficiency, reduce costs and, most importantly, improve service to the community,” said Kevin Walk, Director of Information Technology for Life EMS. “Because we provide primary paramedic ambulance service to communities throughout 3,000 square miles of Western Michigan, it's important that our crews in the field are able to access information as simply and reliably as if they were in our own Control Center. The onBoard™ Mobile Gateway allows them to do that.”

Life EMS will continue to use technologies available as add-ons to the Gateway in order to improve patient care, such as patient tracking during disasters using bar-coded wristbands that allow hospitals and operations command to track patients at all times while in Life EMS’ care. Life EMS expects that all aspects of the new communications system should be operational by the end of the year.

“Emergency organizations such as Life EMS are seeing real results with In Motion Technology solutions, including improved communications, real time management information, reduced operating costs and shorter response times,” said Kirk Moir, CEO of In Motion Technology. “Our products have been proven in the field by more than 130 public safety organizations, including by some of the most demanding agencies in North America.”

In Motion Technology Launches Unified Fleet and Mobile IT Management Platform

In Motion Technology, the leader in mobile networking technologies that efficiently connect and manage equipment, information and people in the field, today announced the launch of its next-generation onBoard Mobility Manager – a scalable management platform that allows organizations to coordinate, track and troubleshoot vehicles, devices, and mobile networks remotely and in real time.

The onBoard Mobility Manager continuously collects and analyzes information from vehicles equipped with In Motion’s onBoard Mobile Gateway. The platform provides headquarters staff with a virtual dashboard of information from the field and sends alerts based on pre-set thresholds. The Mobility Manager works with standard web-browsers and displays detailed information about vehicles, networks and devices on a three dimensional map.

“This is an indispensible tool for organizations with vehicles and personnel on the road,” said In Motion Technology CEO Kirk Moir. “Our new, enhanced Mobility Manager suite provides organizations with information to coordinate operations for peak efficiency, and frees them to be more effective anywhere, any time.”

The enhanced onBoard Mobility Manager includes the following new management modules:

• onBoard Total Reach allows IT staff to remotely and securely "reach through" and administer communications devices connected to onBoard Mobile Gateways without taking vehicles or personnel off the road.

• onBoard Telemetry provides headquarters staff with real time information from the field about vehicle operations. It enables fleet managers to monitor and receive alerts triggered by pre-set thresholds for gas mileage, operating hours, engine temperature, fuel and coolant levels, idle times, speed and other functions. It enables organizations to effectively schedule maintenance, reduce breakdowns and save money by monitoring and improving vehicle and driver efficiency.

• onBoard Tracker enables organizations to track the position, direction and speed of fleet vehicles in real time. Headquarters staff can zoom in on road or bird's eye views, and obtain detailed information about access routes, incident scenes and structures.

Coverage and Performance Reports provide a detailed analysis of historical data that empowers organizations to efficiently budget and deploy resources. Wireless coverage reports allow organizations to isolate dead cells and identify the cellular provider with the best coverage. Reports on route and dispatch data can help identify trends and preposition vehicles to achieve the fastest response times and most efficient operations.

“In today’s fast-paced world, people and organizations are constantly on the move. They need access to instantaneous information, and communications tools that are reliable, cost effective and easy to use,” said In Motion Technology CEO Kirk Moir. “The Mobility Manager gives organizations the real-time knowledge they need to manage their fleets as extensions of their business, and operate at peak efficiency.”

More than 150 public organizations in North America are using In Motion Technology wireless mobile communications systems to achieve better communications, more efficient operations, and control costs.