U.S. Department of Homeland Security Claims Operational Success of GPS Fleet Tracking
July 1, 2010The GPS Fleet Tracking equipment and online application deployed during the last 12 months by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Detention and Removal (DRO) has been deemed a success, according to Fleet Management Solutions, Inc. (FMS). DRO implemented the system to reduce costs, improve officer safety, enhance mission execution, and streamline fleet maintenance. More than 2,000 of the 4,500+ vehicles are being tracked in real time, providing operational insight not previously available and enabling DRO to make more efficient use of its valuable fleet and personnel resources, the DRO said.
"Implementation of the FMS GPS tracking equipment and web services integration of FMS' Fleet Central with DRO enterprise applications are delivering the operational readiness, mission effectiveness and cost reductions anticipated," said Charles "Chuck" Welke, DRO Fleet Inventory and Communications Unit. "We're very pleased at the progress that's been made to enhance our role in homeland security."
DRO uses FMS to monitor its fleet of buses, specialty vans, and law enforcement sedans used to acquire and remove detainees. The FMS intelligent vehicle tracking devices transmit position, direction, speed, and other telematic data for user-specified events and reporting. Data is sent via the Iridium satellite network to the FMS Fleet Central Web server, permitting dispatch centers to securely login and closely monitor the vehicles' location, movements, and status.
With the annual cost of fuel and maintenance for the fleet at more than $30 million, it is an important area of efficiency improvement for DHS, the DRO said. In addition, the XML feed from FMS Fleet Central provides critical location data to the DRO Flytecomm application and consolidates the visual location of all fixed and mobile DRO assets on a map.
Federal Prison Industries, known as UNICOR, installs and commissions the FMS mobile devices under an inter-agency agreement to provide life-cycle management for the fleet.
"With DRO remote operations, real time information requirements and high-value cargo and assets, it is critical to have an all-satellite GPS fleet tracking system in place," said Cliff Henley, CEO of FMS. "FMS mobile resource management systems are a vital tool in meeting the challenges of fleets operating in rugged and hazardous regions across industries and around the world."
"FMS' fleet tracking solutions leverage Iridium's global coverage and low-latency, two-way, short-burst data connections to ensure reliable tracking and monitoring of the DRO vehicles across wide areas where mobile wireless networks are not available," said Patrick Shay, vice president for data services, Iridium Communications.
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