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Ambulance tracker. Boston's emergency medical service used a mobile resource management application that employs the Global Positioning System to oversee ambulances during the Democratic National Convention.
8Ambulance tracker. Boston's emergency medical service used a mobile resource management application that employs the Global Positioning System to oversee ambulances during the Democratic National Convention.
The software from CompassCom Inc. of Centennial, Colo., tracked 40 ambulances in real time around the convention site and is in daily operation since then.
CompassFDE serves the information to CompassTrac client software, which displays ambulances' location and status on digital maps at a dispatch center and in command vehicles to ensure that the closest available ambulances respond to emergency calls. The technology added digital and mobile mapping components and multiagency interoperability to Boston's existing GPS-based vehicle tracking system.
CompassTrac Mobile is the client software specifically designed to display mobile-asset tracking information on a notebook computer or mobile device in the field. Ambulances are depicted precisely on the map screen as icons that change color to indicate whether their sirens are activated. Dispatchers can see which ambulances are already responding to calls and which available vehicles are closest to the site of the emergency to reduce response time.
8Ocean State e-gov. Rhode Island agencies recently increased to 19 the number of e-government services they offer.
The state now offers forms for business registration and freshwater fishing licenses online.
The Division of Taxation's online business registration form lets at least 7,500 businesses annually avoid filling out a paper application.
Officials said the electronic application will save staff time inputting data and having to contact the business owners about missing or incorrect information.
The Environmental Management Department put the fishing license form online for state residents and nonresidents.
Applicants can choose the license type, enter personal information, pay the fee by credit card and generate the license on their home printer.
The agency also offers online boat registration renewal, commercial fishing licenses and soon, officials hope, hunting permits.
8Immigrant service. Tennessee is testing a system to authenticate immigrants' green cards.
The Tennessee Driver's License Issuance Division of the Department of Safety is conducting field trials of the VERUS2000 green-card authentication system from BSI2000 Inc. of Lakewood, Colo.
Tennessee issues 'driving certificates' to resident aliens who present a green card demonstrating that they are legal U.S. residents. Many states have similar programs.
VERUS2000 is designed to confirm the authenticity of green cards as a way of deterring potential terrorists from getting state government-issued photo identification by presenting counterfeit green cards, according to BSI2000 officials.
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