Real-Time Position Reporting, Precise Billable-Mile Tracking, Two-Way Digital Messaging and Continuous Mayday Alerts

Digital Angel Corporation says the world's largest air ambulance operator, Englewood, CO-based Air Methods Corporation, is expanding its use of the OuterLink Flight Tracking and Messaging System. After approximately 18 months of evaluating 50 OuterLink systems and the confirmation of their administrative and safety benefits, Air Methods has decided to equip the balance of its LifeNet Division fleet and its future LifeNet aircraft with the OuterLink systems.
 
The OuterLink system's ability to provide position reporting every 30 seconds, three-second Mayday alerts, system reliability and ability to verify and archive exact trip mileage were key factors in Air Methods' decision to expand its deployment of the OuterLink Satellite Tracking System, said David Dolstein, Senior Vice President for Air Methods.

"Our decision was based on several factors, but paramount was the ability of the system to interface with our existing CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch) system," Dolstein said. "OuterLink was more than willing to work with our software vendor to get this accomplished. The ability to track our aircraft in real time and maintain a history of patient mileage reports was also a key component in the decision. We had excellent success and reliability with our initial OuterLink tracking and communication systems. Incorporating OuterLink across our entire LifeNet Division enhances our ability to provide safe, efficient patient transportation."

The OuterLink system enables Air Methods' management oversight in deployment and in activity of all aircraft equipped with OuterLink from its national Communication Center in Omaha. In addition to providing dispatchers with real-time flight tracking data, OuterLink's satcom terminal also incorporates capability for two-way digital messaging. In addition to communication redundancy, digital messaging accommodates enhanced interface between the aircraft and communications center for laptop computers and/or patient monitoring devices. While the entire fleet is monitored by LifeNet's National Communications Center, LifeNet managers and sending or receiving medical centers also have the ability to monitor the movement of a responding (OuterLink equipped) aircraft.

The OuterLink system also includes low-profile antennas installed on each aircraft and the CommTrack suite of PC software tools enabling flight management to visually track and display real-time and historical information about all aircraft under their control. The software incorporates a comprehensive map database that allows dispatchers to pan and zoom into whatever level of topographic detail is relevant to their tracking needs. It also provides the capability to display weather information on these maps to provide up-to-the-minute advisories to flight-following dispatchers.

"For us, another key component of CommTrack is the CommFigure Trip Reporting software," Dolstein added. "By tracking and computing miles flown from any time period, we have the ability to provide accurate trip information to our customers and maximize revenue based on actual mileage."

Kevin O'Brien, OuterLink's Vice President of Operations, said, "Commonly, hospitals realize accurate mileage reports generate increased earnings sufficient to recover the initial OuterLink investment within one year, as well as future operating costs thereafter."

FMI: www.outerlink.com, www.DigitalAngelCorp.com