Emergency fleet vehicles serve as the lifeline of communities, providing prompt response during critical situations. However, the aging of these vehicles poses significant challenges to service delivery and response times. In Australia, where fire, ambulance and police fleets are grappling with this issue, innovative technological solutions are emerging.
From telematics to AI-powered dispatch systems, these advancements are transforming fleet management and optimising emergency response capabilities, but key challenges remain.
Recent reports highlight the impact inefficiencies can have on service delivery, including instances within Victoria’s State Emergency Service (SES). Any delays in reaching emergency scenes can jeopardise lives and property, necessitating urgent attention to mitigate these issues.
As we look for ways to future-proof Australia’s emergency fleets, and to optimise efficiency, leveraging technology which can provide the clearest picture of vehicle health has an important role to play.
Technology in action
Fleet operators across Australia are taking action – leveraging new types of technology to optimise efficiencies wherever possible. This has seen telematics and AI emerge as game-changing technologies for emergency fleet management.
For example, Victoria Police are leveraging connected vehicles equipped with telematics devices. These devices provide real-time location data, allowing dispatchers to track patrol cars accurately. The enhanced visibility facilitates efficient resource allocation, leading to improved response times and a more effective police presence in emergencies.
In Western Australia, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services is utilising an AI-powered emergency dispatch. This advanced system leverages artificial intelligence to process emergency calls, analyse the situation, and dispatch the appropriate resources. By rapidly assessing incidents and automating dispatch, response times can be minimised, enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of emergency services.
Similarly, Intelematic’s SUNA technology is being utilised to address the challenge of traffic congestion and accident. SUNA gathers data from various sources, including traffic sensors, GPS systems, and incident reports, to provide up-to-the-minute information on road conditions. By integrating this data into fleet management systems, emergency services can identify the most efficient routes for their vehicles.
Focusing on vehicle health
Many fire and emergency services vehicles in Australia are more than 10 years old. As you would expect, older vehicles are more prone to breakdowns and require more maintenance, which can result in longer response times and reduced reliability.
Predictive maintenance is an emerging field which seeks to address this and help to prolong the life, and reliability, of vehicles. By providing real-time data on the health and performance of emergency vehicles and their key components, fleet managers can proactively identify maintenance issues before they impact service delivery. This includes solutions to monitor tyre pressure, engine performance and battery health.
Like domestic vehicles, a common issue facing older fleet vehicles is battery failure. For over a century, lead acid batteries have been used to start vehicle engines, but despite substantial advancements in automotive technology, battery-related vehicle breakdowns remain a significant inconvenience and danger for drivers, as well as a drain on efficiency for fleet operators.
In response, Intelematics has developed FailSafe, a predictive battery maintenance service that identifies lead-acid batteries reaching end of life. The service uses AI, combined with machine learning, to identify patterns in battery performance, and to train data algorithms to identify issues more accurately.
By ensuring timely imminent failure notifications, FailSafe helps to minimise vehicle downtime and battery-related incidents. This is done using filtered alerts which can be tailored in format and frequency to complement existing workflows and processes.
Enhancing the safety and reliability
The potential of predictive technology lies in its ability to help emergency service organisations enhance operational efficiency. By enabling them to schedule replacement installations strategically, predictive technology empowers them to prioritise community needs over internal operations.
And while battery failure is just one of many maintenance issues facing emergency fleets, technologies like FailSafe demonstrate the positive impact the integration of these innovative can have.
By leveraging predictive, AI and telematic technologies for their fleets, emergency services cannot just prolong vehicle life and improve reliability, but also enhance response times and ensure the safety of communities.
The key to success is to focus on the tools and solutions which can be easily integrated and provide the up-to-the-minute data to inform critical decision making. View more information on FailSafe.
Jules is a highly experienced sales executive with a consistent proven record in promoting innovative products into Enterprise, Transport & Logistics, Public Sector and Automotive industries. He has over 14 years in selling specialised technology solutions to Automotive, Enterprises and Telecommunications industries in Australia, New Zealand, Japan and across Asia. Jules is passionate about connected services that enhance mobility, convenience and safety for people on the move. Here he writes about industry trends in the mobility as a service space.
