Follow up with the Ambulance Comms Centre

[BMWST?]

even the most basic telecom cellphones have a "location" feature.Thats going to be an excellent outcome,ie common names vs official names.The best i could do most times would be the state highway number with approx kilometres from/to next town.

[sunhuntin]

even the most basic telecom cellphones have a "location" feature.Thats going to be an excellent outcome,ie common names vs official names.The best i could do most times would be the state highway number with approx kilometres from/to next town.

same here. when riding, if i come along a side road, i try and read the town direction sign that is generally opposite [ie <<>>] so that if anything happens ive got a rough idea of where im at. do the numbers on farm fences mean anything to emergency services? what about bridge numbers? creek/river/other water way names?

that tip sensor idea is a good idea... but might need to be longer than a minute to activate. last time the bike fell over, it took longer than a minute to get her back up. id imagine bigger bikes like harleys and goldwings would take longer as well.

[Mom]

The numbers on fences are usually to do with the farms dairy supply number and probably dont/wont mean anything to the emergency services. The numbers on rural letter boxes do though. They are a calculation of the distance from the start of the road and were promarily introduced to help emergency services locate rural properties. For example I used to live at 18 Phillips Road, 180 metres from the turnoff, my neighbour up the road was #6, there were no houses between us.

[sunhuntin]

kool, thanks mom. will tuck that away in the back of the brain for future reference.

[NordieBoy]

even the most basic telecom cellphones have a "location" feature.

My phone isn't "basic" and has no location feature.

[NordieBoy]

If I knew emergency services vehicles were fitted with GPS, and I was planning trips on country roads then I would definitely buy a GPS unit and fit it to the bike.

Taking this a step further, the GPS could trigger a 111 call if the tip sensor on the bike has been active for more than 1 minute or not actively cancelled by the rider.

Dave.

SPOT is the one you're looking for.

[BMWST?]

My phone isn't "basic" and has no location feature.

mine is and has...

[Road Guardian]

Hi All

Not wanting to get to involved in a heated discussion about what when wrong, I can make some points that may be useful.

- Location, Location, Location
When you call up 111 and ask for an Ambulance, the first thing they ask is the exact location of your accident. If you are able to, give the call taker the exact road name you are currently on and a house address or a RAPID (Rural Address Property Identifier, e.g. distance from start of road allocation number).
If they are unsure exactly where you are, they may ask for a cross road. This may be a 3 or 4 way intersection nearest to your location. E.g. If you are driving on Mosbys road and you passed Alans road on your right before the accident, that can be used as a cross road reference.
If this isn't getting anywhere, then the call taker in comms have other ways of gaining more info.

- Name Confusions
I think the ideas brought up by sunhuntin and GurlRacer are good ideas, and I guess that is what the course of action will be by North Comms. Although we use nicknames and other names for certain roads, If we learn the real names of the roads that would make things easier for gaining a location.

- GPS
Yes and No
If you are able to supply GPS data to ambulance comms, that speeds up the process of finding your location. They can input a set of co-ordinates into the CAD and "should" be able to find your location. Having said that they will still ask for Road names, (see above) for conformation of location.

In the ambulances, we use Mobile Data Terminals, which bring up all the information of the location and further details of the location. However, these do not have any mapping technology in them At This Stage, in the future they may introduce some mapping into them. So ambulances cannot go to a set GPS co-ordinates unless they have a hand held GPS on board.
Which most don't, most of us have Navmans/Tom Toms etc on board, which are useless in that regards. Those of you with GPS in your phones, use that where possible.

- Cell phone Triangulation
As far as I am aware, we cannot find a persons location based on their last mobile phone call, or one txt message. Technology does not exist here yet. But the police can find a phone based on interface with the mobile phone company, a mobile phone call, and three mobile phone towers, apparently this takes a long time. But I am speculating here. I believe the police are going to try new technology this year with TXT 111's. Having said that, we have crap phone coverage in NZ, and mobile phone or not, it does not bring back Bret.

I hope this clears up somethings, Nasty you have my full support with this investigation, good luck!

[Ixion]

The numbers on fences are usually to do with the farms dairy supply number and probably dont/wont mean anything to the emergency services. The numbers on rural letter boxes do though. They are a calculation of the distance from the start of the road and were promarily introduced to help emergency services locate rural properties. For example I used to live at 18 Phillips Road, 180 metres from the turnoff, my neighbour up the road was #6, there were no houses between us.

But nine out of ten rural properties have NO numbers on their letter boxes (maybe a name).And even when there are numbers most of the time they are hidden behind bushes or so old and worn that they are impossible to read, especially at night. But they ALWAYS have the milk tanker number. If I have to go to a rural property I always ask for the milk tanker number, because they always know that, it's always correct, unique (a lot of rural roads duplicate numbers! even the Great South Rd in Auckland does, in fact it triplicates them); and the MTN is always very very clear and easy to see.On account of the milk tanker drivers won't shag about trying to amke out a hard to read number. No number, no milk collection

[Mom]

But nine out of ten rural properties have NO numbers on their letter boxes (maybe a name).

I for got to say there is no requirement for people to actually use these numbers, which seems silly. I hear what you are saying too about confusion.

Just here in the quaint little hamlet of Warkworth, State Highway One is officailly called heading north, Browns Road, becomes Anderson Road, becomes Great North Road and then continues on being State Highway One. All this in about 1 kilometre.

[scumdog]

But nine out of ten rural properties have NO numbers on their letter boxes (maybe a name).

Down here most have a nice big(ish) blue plate with the RAPID number on it and mostly it's nailed to a prominant post at the start of the driveway.

In my job I travel over a lot of isolated roads in all sorts of areas and it's rare not to find that RAPID number, in fact right now I can't remember the last time that happened...

[Ixion]

Down here most have a nice big(ish) blue plate with the RAPID number on it and mostly it's nailed to a prominant post at the start of the driveway.

In my job I travel over a lot of isolated roads in all sorts of areas and it's rare not to find that RAPID number, in fact right now I can't remember the last time that happened...

I think that's the Milk tanker number? About a five digit number, big blue letters?

[Mom]

I checked it out

http://www.gdc.govt.nz/Services/Rapid+Numbers.htm

But the tanker numbers are on a metal sign on the fence closest to the race leading to the shed.

[pete376403]

But nine out of ten rural properties have NO numbers on their letter boxes (maybe a name).And even when there are numbers most of the time they are hidden behind bushes or so old and worn that they are impossible to read, especially at night. But they ALWAYS have the milk tanker number. If I have to go to a rural property I always ask for the milk tanker number, because they always know that, it's always correct, unique (a lot of rural roads duplicate numbers! even the Great South Rd in Auckland does, in fact it triplicates them); and the MTN is always very very clear and easy to see.On account of the milk tanker drivers won't shag about trying to amke out a hard to read number. No number, no milk collection

Is there an equivalent for sheep, pig or other non-dairy farms? (serious question)

[klingon]

I think that's the Milk tanker number? About a five digit number, big blue letters?

I checked it out

http://www.gdc.govt.nz/Services/Rapid+Numbers.htm

But the tanker numbers are on a metal sign on the fence closest to the race leading to the shed.

...The plates are blue with reflective white numbers to make them easy to see at night.

Your RAPID plate will be put in a prominent place close to your driveway, on a letterbox, gatepost or fence. The plate will face toward the road...

That site is from the Gisborne District Council. Details may be different in other districts but the plates and the basic system are the same.

On my property (in the rural far north) the Far North District Council came by one day and nailed the number 142 to a kanuka tree near the beginning of the driveway. I believe that means I'm 1420 metres (1.42 km) from the intersection with the main road.