On Fri, Jun 3, 2011 at 10:08 PM, Ian Dees <ian.d...@gmail.com> wrote: > I don't think people want to use this as a "this is your route and you must > follow it". The idea would be that (a) dispatchers and emergency drivers > could use the map and suggested route to give a better estimate on arrival > time to first responders and (b) drivers could use it while driving to be > reminded of existing emergency-only routes.
Right. That's what I said sounds like a terrible idea. You really think drivers could use it while driving? Or did you mean that non-drivers could relay it to drivers? > This would be MUCH better than what happens right now: a call to 911 goes > in, depending on the jurisdiction the dispatcher either uses (a) Google > Maps, (b) the county road data or (c) custom ESRI-based maps to look for the > best unit to request a response. This particular guy (a driver in an > ambulance) whips out his Garmin Nuvi GPS and enters the lat/lon or address > and heads out. How do you know "what happens right now", beyond the experience of one individual driver? And why would OSM be better than a customized system built specifically for the intended use? > The point is that even if everyone has all the roads in their jurisdiction > memorized (and nowadays with consolidation and huge coverage areas that's > harder to do) and has previously spent the $$$ on E-911 systems and map > upgrades, not everyone is on the same page and if there's something we can > do to help, why not do it? I'm not sure where you're getting the idea that there's something you can do to help, and/or that that something has anything to do with using OSM data for routing. At least talk to a chief, and/or to someone on the dispatch side of things who has the power to completely rewrite the dispatch procedures. I suspect OSMers probably could provide some help to some jurisdictions, at least on the dispatch side of things. And on the "at the scene" side of things, there are definitely things that can be done in the non-routing realm. Fire hydrant / standpipe locations, pressure information, number (and in some jurisdictions, type) of hookups. Of course, much of the information that needs to be integrated into such a system is probably too private for OSM: floor plans, contact information, hazardous materials information, special needs of particular individuals. And even the parts that *are* suitable for OSM would only be useful if they were maintained by someone local who kept them up to date. This is true of routing information as well, but I think OSM is a long long way from even being a contender for use for real-time emergency routing. _______________________________________________ Talk-us mailing list Talk-us@openstreetmap.org http://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/talk-us
