The Needle with Wireless Haystacks

The age old dispatch problem of locating callers was the focus of an article that recently appeared on the website Fierce Wireless on January 25th.

A company called WirelessWERX has developed an in building location system using bluetooth enabled mobile devices.

The full Firece Wireless article can be found here, but the quest for automated location systems raises some interesting questions regarding privacy, civil freedoms and the direction society is heading in these areas.

Location, location, location – it is a mantra drummed into every dispatcher training session. Without an accurate location how do you effectively dispatch responders? The population at large is much more transient and the ease of access to GPS location devices means that finding where we want to go is as easy as pressing a few buttons. We no longer need to stop and ask for directions or buy a map, cause there’s an app for that. In fact, when it comes to needing assistance it seems many people assume the emergency services will automatically know where we are! I can’t think of anything more abhorrent than the prospect of  ‘big brother’ constantly having a handle on my location. Before you ask, no I don’t have anything to hide, I’m not engaged in illegal activities or up to something that I don’t want my wife to know about. It’s just that history is full of accounts of the struggles different people or communities have made to secure freedoms, gaining them can be much harder than giving them up

The fact that automated locations systems exist is not a bad thing, I’m not averse to new technology. It is just that once again history has also shown that information gathered for a seemingly reasonable purpose can so easily be channeled into unforeseen purposes. Service performance indicators are often geared towards response times using a clock that starts ticking when a call for assistance is initially answered, therefore there can be a lot of pressure placed upon 911 dispatchers to locate callers quickly. GPS technology is changing our expectations especially when it comes to dealing with emergency dispatch situations, when really each and every one of us should have a plan in case things go wrong, isn’t that what we teach kids? The act of carrying a mobile phone shouldn’t be ‘the plan’ with the assumption that in a crisis, the person on the other end has all the answers. It is almost as if new technology hasn’t completely improved our lot it has just shifted responsibility. Hurt, but don’t know where you are – call 911, they’ll figure it out. Just crashed your car – don’t worry Onstar already knew! Trapped in a large building – don’t worry ‘they’ know what floor you’re on.

The challenges of determining a caller’s location will only become more complex as communication systems become more IP dependent, as the trend to automate the process is likely to continue. The result will be that we will all become bigger players in unseen systems monitoring or watching us as go about our lives. The perception may be that society will be safer, of course anyone with other intentions will simply stay below the monitoring ‘radar’ and then give thought to those not able to afford the technology or restricted in some way from using it.

Growing up, we used to be told that if you got lost you should ask a policeman. I guess finding one of them on the streets these days can be tricky! But then thinking about it, they are probably just as dependent on GPS as the next person!

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