Belgian disaster victim tracking
and tracing system demonstrated at University Hospital Antwerp
4 October 2006
Antwerp Belgium. Prof. Dr. Luc Beaucourt of the the
University Hospital in Antwerp has demonstrated a new
solution designed to simplify the registration and
identification of casualties affected in a disaster
situation. The solution, called BeViTTS (Belgian Victim
Tracking and Tracing System), allows for the rapid exchange
and automatic processing of data collected by emergency
workers at the scene of a disaster.
The system was developed by Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) with AeroScout,
CITS and Intermec, Orion Health.
The critical information is collected in real time using Cisco's mobile
and wireless network technology, and stored and made available to the
emergency workers via a web-based portal, thus eliminating the loss of
precious time.
The crisis management team can consult the personal information
contained in the database remotely from the crisis centre and
immediately implement the required measures. Hospitals and other crisis
support centres also have access to the medical information stored in
the database, thus allowing them to prepare for the arrival and
subsequent treatment of the disaster victims.
Life-saving technology
Prof. Dr. Luc Beaucourt, head of the hospital's emergency department
and medical assistance director of the provincial disaster plan, said,
"In the event of a disaster, the efficient collection and rapid
forwarding of clear, accurate information to the right persons or
authorities is literally a matter of life and death. The first hour
after a trauma, which is generally known in the industry as the 'Golden
Hour,' is crucial in defining the path of the subsequent treatment
process. For this reason, it is vital that the victims of a disaster,
particularly the seriously injured, receive the right treatment quickly.
"A quick, correct identification and registration procedure, preferably
at the scene of the disaster itself, is indispensable. The closest emergency
services and hospitals with the required capacity and medical provisions
also have to be given adequate warning and accurate information. Not to
mention the family of the victims and the residents in the vicinity of the
disaster."
"Today, the gathering of information and communication between
emergency services at the scene often leaves a great deal to be
desired," said Cisco's John Baekelmans, Business Development Manager,
who is himself a volunteer lieutenant with the local fire department in
Kontich. "The limited or non-automated, manual approach to disaster
management and the continued reliance upon paper correspondence over
electronic data processing result in costly delays. Furthermore, the
risk of human error is significantly increased, sometimes with fatal
consequences.
"With today's short yet nonetheless true-to-life demonstration, we hope
to show that there is another way. The technical tools needed to improve the
efficiency of disaster relief, and thus save valuable human lives, are
already available and have already even been implemented in other
countries."
Tracking system setup
The core of the Belgian Victim Tracking and Tracing System is the
Cisco 3200 Series Wireless and Mobile Router, also called the Mobile
Access Router (MAR). This is a compact, robust device that is suitable
for creating a wireless network connection in and around vehicles. The
device can support many different network connections, both fixed and
wireless, and can automatically switch from one to the other. If there
are several available connections, the intelligent router automatically
chooses the connection that guarantees most bandwidth.
Cisco Systems developed the Victim Tracking and Tracing System in
close co-operation with other technology providers. AeroScout provides
the active WiFi standards-based active RFID tags, and Choke Point
Exciters for detecting entry and exit from hospitals, CITS the back end
and portal infrastructure, Orion Health is the vendor of the Portal and
integration software CITS used, as a platform, to develop the BeViTTS
Portal and Intermec the system's wireless RFID reader.
European tracking systems
The most important source of inspiration was the Dutch Victim Tracking
and Tracing System, for which Cisco also provided the technology. The
system, which has been thoroughly tested in the Netherlands over the past
few years, is now officially being put into practice over there.
While the Dutch emergency services still utilise the traditional
barcode for registering and locating victims, the Belgian consortium has
opted for the newer RFID technology. Radio Frequency Identification
(RFID) allows objects, animals or people to be identified using radio
waves. The AeroScout tags utilise the Cisco wireless network for the
hospital and eliminate the need for a dedicated location network and
provide a scalable and easy to manage solution.
The technology is especially suitable for environments or situations in
which data collection is extremely difficult and unpredictable and where
there can be no guarantee that a barcode will remain clearly visible.
Tests are also currently being conducted in Germany incorporating GPS
and GPRS technology for the registration and tracking of disaster
victims. The information obtained via the GPS tracking system is
available in real time for transmission to the back end via GPRS
messages sent via the existing network.
John Baekelmans, Cisco Systems expects that all these inherently
related initiatives with a national and thus relatively limited
character, will form the basis for a more comprehensive project of
European dimensions. "Such a project could lead, in a relatively short
period of time, to the definition of a standard or a new XML format for
data exchange in the event of a disaster or crisis situation," he
concludes.
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