Location Based Emergency Services Dispatching

• US 20100158202A1
• Filed: 12/23/2008
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Northway, Tedrick Neal, Johnson, Randy Scott
• Application Number:
  US12/342,962
• Publication Number:
  US 20100158202A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/45
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/003 Address allocation methods and details
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/004 Alarm propagated along alternative communication path or using alternative communication medium according to a hierarchy of available ways to communicate, e.g. if Wi-Fi not available use GSM
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5237 Interconnection arrangements between ACD systems

Abstract

An embodiment of the invention provides a method for dispatching emergency responders. The method identifies emergency responders proximate an emergency incident site. Of these emergency responders, qualified emergency responders are identified, wherein qualified emergency responders have sufficient resources to service an emergency incident at the emergency incident site. The method identifies travel obstructions between the qualified emergency responders and the emergency incident site. Travel times between each of the qualified emergency responders and the emergency incident site are determined based on the travel obstructions. A first emergency responder is selected from the qualified emergency responders, wherein the first emergency responder has a first travel time that is the shortest travel time of the determined travel times. One or more standby emergency responders are also selected, wherein the standby emergency responders have a second travel time that is the next shortest travel time of the determined travel times.

Claims

1. A method for dispatching an emergency responder to an emergency incident site, said method including:

receiving a request to dispatch at least one emergency responder to an emergency incident site;

identifying emergency responders proximate said emergency incident site;

identifying qualified emergency responders of said emergency responders from a database, said qualified emergency responders having sufficient resources to service an emergency incident at said emergency incident site;

identifying travel obstructions between said qualified emergency responders and said emergency incident site, said travel obstructions including at least one of traffic congestion, road construction, and traffic accidents;

determining travel times between each of said qualified emergency responders and said emergency incident site based on said travel obstructions;

selecting, based on said determining of said travel times, a first emergency responder of said qualified emergency responders having a first travel time, said first travel time being the shortest travel time of said travel times;

selecting, based on said determining of said travel times, at least one standby emergency responder of said qualified emergency responders having a second travel time, said second travel time being the next shortest travel time of said travel times;

dispatching said first emergency responder to said emergency incident site;

updating said database to indicate that said first emergency responder is unavailable;

in response to said first emergency responder encountering a delay, determining a recalculated first travel time by recalculating said first travel time;

dispatching said standby emergency responder if said second travel time is less than said recalculated first travel time; and

updating said database to indicate that said second emergency responder is unavailable.