Ambulances run by a private company are being fitted with cutting edge GPS tracking systems that will help protect staff and patients.
Ambulance (GB) Limited has started using a clever tracking and auditing system from leading GPS tracking company VeriLocation.
It tracks the exact position of the vehicles in real time and allows managers to view the locations on any computer connected to the internet.
VeriLocation has adapted its fleet tracking system VL-Fleet - used to track more than 10,000 vehicles across Europe - to log other essential information.
Andrew Overton is the Managing Director of VeriLocation. He said: "The GPS unit registers the location of the vehicle, and sends the information back to the central computer every second using the mobile phone data networks.
"It has been adapted to know when the vehicle's blue lights are switched on. This information is essential for the company to prove the blue lights are being used correctly.
"These ambulances are also fitted with panic buttons and two way text message terminals. In a crisis the staff can press a discreet button which sends an alert and their current location to a 24 hour manned control centre.
"Information messages can be sent to and from a special terminal in the ambulance. Not only can individual messages be sent to one vehicle at a time, but general information such as traffic alerts can be sent to all vehicles at the touch of a button."
He added: "All activity using the system is fully logged allowing an audit of what happened and when during an incident."
VeriLocation has been in GPS tracking and mapping since 1995, and now tracks more than 10,000 devices and vehicles in the UK.
Ambulance (GB) Limited is a national company based in Birmingham and offers private ambulance service to all types of event, the NHS and private clients.
Having this equipment will allow the company to maintain their ISO 9001 1401 1801 2701 certification.