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In ThIs IssueOn Board is published periodically to serve you, the Georgia EMS community, with information that will help you maximize the value of your Automated Vehicle Location System.

In this issue, the AVLS Program Update reports on the successful completion of Phase Five and announces Phase Six, in which approximately eighty AVLS units will be distributed among four to six agencies.

A second article announces limited numbers of free 4G/LTE aircards that increase the download speed of AVLS units tenfold. Included are instructions on how to request and install these valuable upgrades.

Helpful Hints & Tips poses frequently asked questions and answers on such topics as troubleshooting or replacing non-functioning equipment and obtaining AVLS units for expanded fleets.

As always, we welcome your feedback, questions, and ideas.

AVLS Program UpdatePhase Five Complete – 104 AVLs units Deployed to seventeen Agencies

Phase Five of the Georgia EMS AVLS Program took place earlier this year in Atlanta and Waycross.

On February 19 at the GTRI Conference Center in Atlanta, GTRI distributed forty-five AVLS units to seven agencies and conducted Introductory User Training in cooperation with In Motion Technology.

The students learned how to properly activate and install the AVLS units, troubleshoot problems and receive assistance, apply for equipment installation cost reimbursement, and use the In Motion hardware and software in daily operations.

The following day GTRI and In Motion held AVLS Advanced User Training for six agencies. The students asked questions and received valuable one-on-one consulting with In Motion technical specialists.

A second AVLS Introductory User Training and equipment distribution took place at the Mayo Clinic Annex Classroom in Waycross on February 22. GTRI distributed fifty-seven AVLS units to ten agencies. The training, well attended by over twenty students, covered both introductory and advanced topics.

Phase six Funded

GEMA/HS has identified funding to enable a sixth phase of the successful AVLS equipment grant program. Phase Six equipment deployment and training will take place in August.

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AVLS In Motion Training, February 22, 2013, Waycross, Georgia

En Route with Georgia’s Automatic Vehicle Location System

no. 8 July 2013

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This phase will include distribution of approximately eighty AVLS units to four to six agencies. The exact number of units and participating agencies has not yet been finalized, but three agencies and their vehicle counts thus far confirmed include Meriwether County EMS (5), Rural Metro Ambulance Service (67), and West Point Fire Department (1).

The addition of Rural Metro Ambulance Service to the program is particularly significant, as it will bring the AVLS 911 provider coverage of Fulton County to 100% and increase the Georgia population serviced AVLS by more than half a million persons.

(“Program Update” continued from page 1)

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The Phase Six AVLS equipment will include embedded 4G/LTE modems with Verizon SIM cards and single input/output external vehicle antennas.

GTRI and In Motion Technology will conduct Introductory AVLS Training to the new program participants and offer Advanced AVLS User Training to all program participants who wish to refresh their skills or direct specific questions to the In Motion technical specialists.

GTRI will confirm dates and locations of the Phase Six trainings by email to all AVLS program participants shortly, but the tentative dates and locations are:

Four agencies have already upgraded to 4G/LTE, and ten more agencies are scheduled for the upgrade in the immediate future, as shown below.

4G/LTe upgrades

Description Date Location

AVLS Introductory User Training

Aug. 20, 2013 GTRI Conference Center, Atlanta

AVLS Advanced User Training

Aug. 21, 2013 GTRI Conference Center, Atlanta

AVLS Advanced User Training

Aug. 23, 2013 To Be Determined (likely Waycross)

Pending / scheduledBurke County EMAClayton County Fire DepartmentDougherty County EMSEmanuel County EMSFloyd Medical Center EMSGrady EMS / Grady Health SystemMedical Center of Central GeorgiaNational EMS, Inc.South Georgia Medical CenterWest Georgia Ambulance

CompletedAngel EMSBarrow County Emergency ServicesLaurens County EMSSpalding Regional Medical Center

AVLS 4G/LTE Verizon Upgrades Available As mentioned in the December 2012 issue of this newsletter, 4G/LTE aircards are available from Verizon that will increase the download speed of AVLS units by about a factor of ten. This is particularly significant for use of the Internet connection on the In Motion AVLS onBoard Mobile Gateway (oMG) for transmitting electronic patient reports, 12-lead EKGs, video calls, or other bandwidth-intensive processes.

GTRI has obtained a limited supply of the Pantech 290 4G/LTE aircard from Verizon for the use of the AVLS Program. Available on a first-come/first-serve basis, the upgrade is free to participating agencies. Likewise, the airtime fees remain the same, the existing ambulance antenna can be used with the new aircard, and the AVLS Program will supply the replacement internal antenna connector cable.

Installing the new aircard is straightforward. First, disassemble the oMG by removing four screws from the bottom of the Gateway. Next, remove the two nuts from the internal USB connector, flip the internal USB connector 180 degrees, and replace the two nuts on the USB connector. The USB connector inversion is necessary because it is oriented opposite of the way needed to fit the new Pantech aircard.

Next, close the Gateway back up and replace the four bottom screws. Finally, replace the 3G aircard with the new Pantech 290 4G/LTE, and replace the internal antenna connector cable with the new one supplied.

GTRI sends a document describing and illustrating this procedure with the upgraded aircards.

Replacing the aircard and internal connector cable takes approximately fifteen minutes per unit, but it first requires removing the Gateway from the ambulance itself. Some ambulances have their Gateways mounted in easily accessible locations. However, other ambulances have their Gateways mounted behind spare tires, air tanks, etc., and the replacement of the aircards in these units will obviously be more labor-intensive.

If an agency wishes to upgrade to 4G/LTE, contact Kirk Pennywitt at GTRI soon as supplies of the 4G/LTE aircards are extremely limited. (kirk.pennywitt@gtri.gatech.edu, 404-407-6248).

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WebLInksGeorgia emergency Management Agency/ homeland security - www.gema.ga.govGeorgia Association of emergency Medical services - www.ga-ems.comGeorgia Trauma Commission - www.georgiatraumacommission.orgemergency Medical services - www.ems.ga.govGeorgia hospital Association - www.gha.orgGeorgia Tech Research Institute - www.gtri.gatech.edu

Helpful Hints & Tips – Frequently Asked Questions My Garmin GPS Personal Navigation Device (PND) is not working. How do I get it repaired? Can I just buy a new one to replace it?First, try some simple troubleshooting to verify that the PND, and not the vehicle wiring, is bad. Swap the non-functioning PND with a working unit from another vehicle. If the new one works, then you know the problem is with the old one. You should next try a Master Reset on the non-functioning PND. The reset procedure varies slightly between different models but basically involves holding the lower right corner of the screen while the device powers up. A message will appear asking if you want to erase all user data. Touch “Yes,” and the device will reset to the factory defaults. Note that this will erase any waypoints and favorite locations you have set.

If the Master Reset fails to fix things, either call Garmin or replace the device. The Garmin has a one-year warranty, so if you received it less than a year ago, you can get it repaired or replaced by Garmin. If this is the case, first go to the Garmin website (www.garmin.com). Register the device if you have not previously done so. After you have registered the device, you can either call Garmin or fill out a repair request on the website.

If the Garmin warranty has expired, the easiest solution is to buy a new unit at the vendor of your choice. The Garmin model shipped with the latest systems is the Model Nüvi 2455-LMT, which includes lifetime map updates. An older Garmin model can be replaced with a newer model and should be fully compatible with the AVLS onBoard Mobile Gateway, although you should check with GTRI first regarding specific model number replacements to ensure full compatibility.

One of our ambulances was wrecked and the AVLS unit destroyed. How do I get a replacement? If you have an AVLS unit destroyed, please notify GTRI immediately so that the telecommunication charges can be suspended. GTRI will furnish a replacement aircard for the new AVLS unit when you receive it. The insurance on the replacement ambulance may cover the AVLS unit, and if so

you can purchase a replacement directly through In Motion. State of Georgia pricing for new AVLS units is available from Ms. Tanya Morrison at In Motion Technology (tanya.morrison@inmotiontechnology.com, 602-714-6464).

We’ve added a new ambulance to our fleet. How can I get an AVLS unit for it?Check with GTRI (kirk.pennywitt@gtri.gatech.edu) to see if any spare AVLS units are available. If so, GTRI may be able to furnish the additional unit(s) to your agency through the AVLS Grant Program, subject to availability and prior commitments to other agencies. If not, purchase directly from In Motion (see above).

What do I do when my AVLS unit fails to connect, and I only get a blinking green light on the oMG status display?A blinking green light indicates that the aircard is unable to establish communication. First, check that the external antenna cable is properly connected to the rear of the oMG and that the external antenna is still attached to the roof of the ambulance (They do get knocked off sometimes). If the antenna and cable are okay, remove the aircard from the oMG and insert it into a laptop computer. The Verizon VZ Access Manager will automatically open, and you can run the VZ Access Manger software to activate and update the card.

If the card is able to activate and work properly in the laptop computer, you should then be able to return it to the oMG. If the oMG still does not connect, call In Motion Technical support at 866-468-2968 x448. If the aircard does not work when placed in the laptop, then call GTRI at 404-407-6248 to request a replacement aircard.

Produced at the Georgia Tech Research Institute. For further information, contact Erik Oliver at 404-407-7625 or erik.oliver@gtri.gatech.edu.