I came across this powerful case study today that documented the use of Trimble's Juno handheld computers and ESRI's ArcPad software to help assess and inspect the damage following the terrible fires that killed 173 people in Australia last year. Here is a quick summary of the inspection project to give you a perspective of the size of it.
By the time the project was complete, they searched 5,781 properties, conducted 3,352 separate searches on buildings, sheds, vehicles, and water tanks, took 9,600 photos using geo-referenced cameras, and sent 1,539 geo-referenced records from the Trimble Juno SC handhelds to the GIS server without a single problem.
One of the biggest problems that the police had was inspecting neighborhoods and communities that had been completely destroyed. There were no street signs, trees or other landmarks to help them determine their locations. They needed a different strategy for systematically inspecting areas. They determined that the use of GPS enabled mobile devices with mobile data collection software applications was the answer. Developers quickly created standardized inspection forms using an ArcPad applet for use on the Trimble Juno handheld computer.
After bodies were discovered in already inspected areas, the police were required to search all possible sites where missing people could possibly have taken cover. Detailed inspections that documented all search efforts and sites were added to the mix.
On-device maps helped them determine their location, and as each inspection on each parcel was completed, the parcel would change colors on the map. This helped all the groups involved to know exactly what inspections were completed, and which ones needed more work.
The Victoria Police were so impressed with the use of the Trimble Junos for mobile data collection, that they are now using them on patrols, inspections and other data collection projects. They are also planning to implement an entire GIS (geospatial information system) for the police force.
The Victoria police estimated that it took only a third of the time, using the Trimble Juno, that it would have using paper forms.
They used the Trimble Junos with integrated GPS and geo-referenced cameras that took photos with GPS coordinates included in the digital files. They created ArcPad applets for their inspection software and wireless synchronized this data with central database servers for real time visibility.
This is an excellent example of real time GPS tracking of inspections. We provide GPS fleet tracking software to give management real time and historical views into the use and locations of their high value mobile assets. Please contact us if you would like to discuss in more detail.
Email Contact: Info@L2DataCollection.com
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