Maps for providing care: TomTom’s key partnerships save lives in rural areas

There aren’t many guarantees in life, but when a tragedy occurs and the call for help is placed, we expect prompt access to emergency services, regardless of our location. However, this is not as easy to achieve as you might expect.

Many providers of emergency medical services (EMS) struggle to get reliable, detailed map data for their computer-aided dispatch (CAD) systems which are vital for locating patient’s whereabouts in an emergency. In rural areas of the United States, governmental agencies often lack quality, up-to-date map data. This is especially the case for small to mid-sized EMS providers who simply do not have the resources to employ full-time GIS analysts to create and maintain rural map data sets. Without access to the correct data, emergency services could be delayed reaching a patient in a critical condition. Every moment matters.

As the world’s leading location technology specialist, TomTom can help. Using truck routing, logistics, and fleet specific extensions, our customers can build fleet solutions that suit their specific business needs. We quickly determined that we could use this offering to provide small to mid-sized EMS providers with map data that could help save lives - but we could not do this alone.

That is why we reached out to our trusted TomTom partners to work together and help distribute this potentially life-saving data to rural and smaller emergency service providers in the US.

Authorized distributor of TomTom map data American Digital Cartography, Inc (ADCi) helped to secure the necessary information. Joe Roel, Head of ADCi, spoke to us. “ADCi has helped customers in every market successfully secure the correct data and license for their mapping applications, including government, utilities, education, transportation, business, and Internet-based applications.” 

Once the map data was obtained with the help of ADCi, the team needed a partner to provide custom GIS services. We worked with Code 3 Consulting, a firm with direct experience of the potentially life-changing implications of outdated maps. According to the founder Dre Gilley, “Before getting my start in public safety technology I served as an EMT, police officer and 911 operator. I experienced first-hand the challenges that result from low quality, out-of-date map data. There is little more frustrating than attempting to locate a person experiencing an emergency only to be told the location ‘isn’t on the map’. 

By combining base data from TomTom and ADCi with local sources, Code 3 Consulting was able to provide agencies with quality, up-to-date maps, customized to their specific need and CAD system. The greater quality of maps leads to greater accuracy when locating the citizen in need.