 | Thursday, January 3, 2008
Issue 749 | | Will Smith, Editor |  |
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Editor's Note: Today's top story is the new emergency evacuation system for the state of Texas that features RFID wristbands to identify evacuees as they arrive at secure shelters. Mobile computers, bar code scanners, GPS, and wide-area wireless network technology also help track evacuees.
Technology and manufacturing giant Honeywell is the newest licensee of RFID hardware manufacturer Intermec's RFID patents. The company joined Intermec's Rapid Start Licensing Program as a result of its acquisition two weeks ago of automatic ID product manufacturer Hand Held Products. Intermec now counts 23 licensees of its RFID intellectual property portfolio, which includes more than 150 patents relevant to supply chain applications. See the announcement.
Lastly, note the two new classified listings below, one for the 5th Annual DoD RFID Summit taking place in Arlington, Virginia, on February 26th and 27th, and the other for RFID Smart Labels USA taking place in Boston, Massachusetts, on February 20th and 21st. |
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Texas Turns to RFID for Emergency Evacuation System
The next time a hurricane threatens Texas residents, RFID will help get them to safety. The state's Governor's Division of Emergency Management (GDEM) has implemented its new Texas Special Needs Evacuation Tracking System (SNETS), which uses RFID wristbands to identify evacuees.
When the GDEM calls for an evacuation, it dispatches buses to pre-designated collection points. Evacuees make their own way to the collection points, where they receive wristbands that include a unique ID number that has been pre-encoded into an RFID tag and bar code. State emergency workers scan the bar code on the wristband using a handheld computer, and enter the evacuee's personal information. The transaction associates the evacuee with the unique ID number, and the information is transferred over the AT&T/Cingular wireless network to a state database at a secure location. Evacuees then board the bus, which is tracked by GPS, and are driven to a secure reception center.
RFID reader portals are set up at the reception centers, which include the Alamodome in San Antonio and other large, well-known facilities. As evacuees enter the shelter, they pass through the RFID portal, which reads the wristband and records their safe arrival. The state database is again updated in real time over the wireless network.
The AT&T/Cingular network was chosen because voice and data are communicated over separate networks, and voice networks tend to bog down during emergencies because of high call volume. The handheld and portal readers store data in the event the network is down and automatically forward it when they next detect wireless coverage.
The system has been used successfully in three mock evacuations but has not been used in an actual emergency. Officials started to deploy it last year during Hurricane Dean, but called off the evacuation when the storm changed course.
"The results of our full system tests were 100 percent RFID read rates at the reception centers," Kenny Rattan of Radiant RFID told RFID Update. Radiant designed and provides the combination bar code/RFID wristbands used in the system and worked with lead integrator AT&T on the project. "This will save the state a lot of time. When they get a call that says 'My grandma lives in Corpus Christi. Did you get her out?', they'll quickly be able to say 'She's in a safe location.'"
"We are confident that the statewide emergency evacuation tracking system will not only help save lives and effectively ascertain the location of the displaced citizens, but it will also provide the state with the ability to update the families of the evacuees and effectively allocate search-and-rescue resources," GDEM chief Jack Colley said in AT&T's announcement. "The RFID solution will improve the GDEM's command-and-control management of large-scale disasters within the state by enabling officials to efficiently allocate valuable emergency resources."
Cost and congestion were the main reasons the state chose to identify evacuees by bar code at collection points and RFID at reception centers, according to Rattan. There are many more collection points, so the state went with lower-cost technology. RFID was ideal for reception centers because it could easily handle the high volumes, and fewer systems were needed.
"When buses arrive at a shelter, there may be 500 people arriving at about the same time that need to be processed. Using RFID reader portals requires a lot less labor than it would take to scan the bar code on each individual wristband," said Rattan. "We went with UHF technology because of the range. Most wristband systems use high frequency (HF), and there's a lot of debate about whether HF or UHF is better for wristbands. UHF was best for this system because it provided the range and speed to accurately identify multiple people passing through a portal simultaneously. Plus, it allows the workers to keep their eyes on the crowd instead of looking down to scan wristbands."
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| Upcoming Events | 5th Annual DoD RFID Summit - Feb 26-27 - Arlington, VA
If you conduct business with the Department of Defense (DoD), you need to be at the DoD RFID Summit to stay abreast of the latest technology developments and take advantage of the "roll-up-your-sleeves" RFID implementation guidance that will be delivered for DoD personnel and DoD suppliers! Register now at www.DoDRFIDsummit.com. | RFID Smart Labels USA - Boston, MA - February 20-21, 2008
RFID Smart Labels USA 2008; the seventh annual analyst-driven event covers the hot RFID sectors, full technology analysis and market insight. February 20-21, 2008, in Boston, MA. Visit www.IDTechEx.com/USA to find out more and register. | 2nd Annual Summit on Healthcare Supply Chain Management
The 2nd Annual World Congress Leadership Summit on Healthcare Supply Chain Management will present strategic solutions to the challenges of accelerating financial returns, containing costs, implementing information technology, streamlining supply chain management processes and controlling physician preference items. Visit: www.worldcongress.com/supplychain | Global RFID ROI 2008, 29th - 30th January, Munich, Germany
Taking place 29th and 30th January, Global RFID ROI 2008 is bringing together the leading RFID practitioners from a broad cross section of industries that will give you the opportunity of discovering the real ROI behind RFID implementation. View the full programme at http://www.rfid-roi.com/downloadpdfx2.asp and to register, please call 0044 207 202 7558. | Asset Management Conference & Expo, Jan 22-23, Atlanta, GA
How much control do you have over your assets? Failure to manage assets can result in underuse, misplaced items, poor maintenance, increased operational costs, legal liabilities, and financial reporting errors. Attend the Expo and learn to increase asset visibility & life-cycle management, implement process & operational improvement, and explore the newest technologies. www.AssetExpo.com. | | | Products & Services | Tag & SpyTM: NOX Surveillance by SimplyRFID
Find out "Who Took It" and "Where It Is Now" with our "Stealth to Catch the Stealthy" RFID Surveillance systems. Alerts direct to your cell phone. Unprecedented accuracy and court-usable identification. Protect valuable equipment and documents! From the people trusted by more than 2,000 DoD (Department of Defense) Suppliers. Visit: www.SimplyRFID.com | | | RTLS & Active RFID | Locate it now. How? Ekahau. That's how!
Ekahau RTLS (Real-Time Location System) automatically tracks assets and people via your existing Wi-Fi network. Control costs and improve asset management with Ekahau. For more information, visit us at www.ekahau.com. | | | Employment | RFID Recruiters - 100% Focused on RFID Recruiting
Whether your company is looking for the best RFID talent or you have the best RFID talent and are looking for the best RFID employer, RFID Recruiters offers the most focused approach to your objective. To learn how the RFID industry and the RFID job market are evolving, visit www.rfidrecruiters.com | | | Research & Whitepapers | RFID Marketing Strategies Report from RFID Update
Thirty-nine pages of original research on RFID audience perceptions, including 30+ figures of tactics, content & messaging, and recommendations to guide marketing strategy. Also, Top-10 RFID company rankings based on 550+ survey respondents. View the executive summary free, with Top-3 sample rankings. Only $495 Individual License or $795 Corporate License. Available now |
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