DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF AN AUTOMATED AMBULANCE DISPATCH SYSTEM

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.0     Introduction

          The emergency ambulance dispatch system or computer aided dispatch system (CAD) is a web based application that efficiency receives a phone call from all services, records the details of an emergency including location, find the next available ambulance and dispatches the ambulance as fast as possible with some minute.

          As technology and particularly computer technology evolved, the dispatching of EMS resources took on an entirely new dimension and required completely new skill sets. The process of dispatching was supported by computers and moved in many locates to a paperless system that require above average computer skills.

          System not only permitted in dispatcher to record the call information, but also automated the call triage process, allowing system to become algorithm-based decision support tools.

          The computer aided dispatcher system will constantly monitor the location and status of response resources, making response resource assignment recommendations to human dispatchers, allowing human dispatchers to watch the physical movement of their resources across a computerized map.

          Ambulance dispatchers required little in the way of qualifications, apart from good telephone manners and knowledge of a local geography.

1.1     Theoretical Background

          Today, it is believed that the application of computer technology in any activity would go along way in making that activity much easier. This system is designed to locate the available ambulance near the incident location and dispatch them as per requirement, to the researcher. To this end, the researcher see the above statement as a theory until proven otherwise by ambulance dispatch system. It is also understood that the benefit of using computer supersede that of the manual method. The design and implementation of the new system will prove beyond doubt by the researcher.

1.2     Statement of the Problem

          The sudden increase in the number of emergency reported by the federal road safety has transcended the manipulation of the existing system used by the ambulance dispatcher and this prompted a lot of problem which encompass the delay of dispatching ambulance it was very complicated to observed or track the location of any dispatch ambulance. Since there was no tracking facility in the manual method. It was very difficult to keep record of ambulance available and ambulance on duty. All these and more are encountered due to the debilitation of the prevailing system used.

1.3     Aim and Objectives of the Study

          The aim of this research is to build a dispatch system that will help to speedup the rate of dispatching ambulance in order to carter for an emergency in the society. The objectives of the system include:

(i)      To provide fastest ambulance services to the victims of any emergency incidents.

(ii)     To decrease the amount of paper work must be file.

(iii)    To help the company ensure that provide an adequate amount of ambulance for each of the service.

(iv)    To enable management track the status of each ambulance and the ambulance activity.

1.4     Significance of the Study

          This research work will have the following significance.

(i)      Introduce a software that will speed-up the rate of dispatching ambulance.

(II)     Enable the company to track the status of each ambulance.

1.5     Scope of the Study

          The research project focuses on ambulance dispatch system using federal road safety, Uyo.

1.6     Organization of the Study

The research project has been arranged in the following order. Chapter one contains the introduction, theoretical background, statement of problem, scope of the study and definition of terms. Chapter two focused on the relevant literature review  on the subject matter. Chapter three is concerned with the system design, which emphasis on system design and flow chart. It also expands the development of the new information. Chapter four is the system implementation which gives the direction of system and analysis of modules. Chapter five summarizes, show the limitation of the study, conclude the research work and offer some useful recommendation.

1.7     Definition of Terms

CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch): This is the name given to the software system under consideration.

Caller: Is the person who calls the 911 service and asks for an ambulance.

LTS (Location Tracking System):  Is the independent software component that accepts caller phone number from (CAD) and provides location details to CAD. This is a mapping system.

Dispatcher: Is the person who receives the phone call from operator, enter incident information into CAD system, and processes the necessary details for dispatching the ambulance.

Operator:   This is the person who attends the phone call at 911 services.