MiX Telematics: getting help fast

Getting help on time is a matter of life or death when you are injured or sick. Using Mix Telematix technology, LifeMed 911 is now able to reach more patients faster to provide quality medical care when it is needed most.

MiX Telematics, a leader in fleet management technology and innovation, has assisted LifeMed 911 through Hyper Auto, a strategic partner to MiX Telematics since March 2010, to ensure that ambulances get to patients on time.

“Hyper Auto installed Mix Telematics FM tracer units with an integrated Garmin Solution into the LifeMed 911 fleet of ten ambulances and three response vehicles and has been working closely with LifeMed 911 for a year, ensuring LifeMed 911’s operations run smoothly,” says Brendan Horan, sales and marketing manager of MiX Telematics.

LifeMed 911 was created in July 2006 and operates three divisions, including a 24-hour ambulance service, events medical assistance and CPR, and first-aid training. It also supplies major hospital groups with patient transport.

“LifeMed 911 primarily uses the MiX Telematics system for active tracking, messaging and route management. The system needs to be functional
24 hours a day, seven days a week and to date we are pleased to report that no excessive downtime has been recorded. This is essential for an operation like LifeMed 911 where rapid intervention, particularly in trauma cases, is required,” adds Horan.

In a typical scenario when the LifeMed 911 control room receives an emergency call, there could very well be someone’s life at risk and the time between injury and treatment should ideally be kept to a bare minimum. The operator will plot a position on the map, enter a message with the necessary information and dispatch the vehicle directly using the FM System. This direct dispatching and communicating not only saves on cost, but significantly improves the speed at which accurate directions can be given and lives potentially saved. The navigation system allows drivers to reach their destinations in the fastest time using the most direct route, thereby reducing kilometres driven and fuel costs. It also increases the pick-up and drop-off rate with the estimated time of arrival displayed to the driver and relayed back to the control room.

Hugo Minnaar, director of LifeMed 911, says the company has seen a major saving on vehicle maintenance, especially in the costs associated with replacing brake discs. “We receive a report on a daily basis, highlighting driver transgressions and certain excessive events are relayed directly to our cellphones. We have seen a reduction in the amount of unnecessary excessive idling just through this SMS functionality,” he says.

The integration of the system with LifeMed 911’s standard operating procedures was instrumental in the success of the initiative and Minnaar, along with Willie Lightfoot, director of Lifemed 911, was pivotal in making this a reality.

“Working with Hyper Auto has been a positive experience and the results achieved through Hyper Auto’s bureau service have been excellent. Our fleet is far more efficient and we are able to reach more people faster to provide quality medical care when they need it most. At the same time we are saving on costs and improving our driver behaviour, which directly impacts on the longevity of our vehicles, which is a major operating concern,” adds Minnaar.