No one knows better than first responders that seconds save lives in emergencies. You are the ones out there in the trenches when disasters strike, and it is your job to get your first responders to the right places as quickly and efficiently as possible. Below you will find a few of the reasons first responders stand to benefit, big, from GPS fleet tracking.

Quickly Identify Alternate Routes when Roads are Impassable

During storms, floods, and even wildfires, roads often become impassable due to trees being down, covered by water, etc. GPS fleet tracking can provide more dependable alternate routes so drivers can get to their intended locations safely and quickly. Because you can set them to provide more frequent updates during emergency situations when roads may be washed out or impassable, the odds of getting accurate information about which roads are passable is increased as well.

Reduce Response Times in Emergencies

This provides benefits and response time boosts in two ways. First, the fact that GPS fleet tracking is an automated process, it reduces the response times of dispatchers for getting the information to drivers in the field. Second, the fact that it provides more efficient routing means that it can reduce the response times of drivers because they are taking routes that are more efficient. Read the rest of this entry »

A woman filed a case against a former employer of hers earlier this year for invading her privacy and retaliation. She claimed the employer fired her because she wouldn’t use the GPS tracker app on her mobile device the company issued to her. This case settled outside of the courtroom.

An unfair labor practice charge brought up against an employer was asked to be dismissed by the NLRB’s Division of Advice. The charge alleged that the National Labor Relations Act Section 8(a) (5) was violated by the employer since they used a GPS tracker to investigate an employee before they first bargained with the union. The sensible conclusion by the Division of Advice was based on specific case facts since employers normally are obligated to bargain with the union about using GPS technology to monitor its employees.

In this case, the union was fully aware of the employer’s practice of hiring a professional investigator to track down and follow employees who were suspected of stealing time. The union had no objections to this practice. The results the employer obtained through the personal observations of the investigator were used for disciplinary purposes. In order to expedite the investigation, the employer placed a GPS tracker on the truck of the employee on the days the investigator was following him to ensure the investigator was able to maintain and regain visual contact at all times. Read the rest of this entry »

A.L.E.R.T., which is an acronym for Area Law Enforcement & Retail Team being used by Shelby County Sheriff’s squad, is sending a clear message to people committing crimes in Shelby County. It’s targeted at copper crooks and appliance thieves to warn them that the units they may be thinking of stealing are equipped with a tracking system.

The stickers read:

“This Property Contains Units That Are Equipped With A 24 Hour Tracking System.” or

This Unit Is Protected By A 24 Hr. Tracking System Monitored By The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.”

A.L.E.R.T. is a specialized team that was created originally from an interested group of police officers who are with the Sheriff’s Detective Division and Uniform Patrol in Shelby, Tennessee. They specialize in stolen property, shoplifting, pirated music & movies, construction thefts, counterfeited jewelry & clothes, scrap metal theft and music albums.

The ALERT team will know immediately if a thief steals an object, such as an air conditioner, thanks to GPS tracking. The team has installed a number of GPS trackers inside appliances and air conditioners all over new home constructions and rental properties in Shelby County. Read the rest of this entry »

A tractor-trailer is parked at a warehouse or truck stop in the United States filled with hidden surveillance equipment, reports ABC News. And authorities are sitting back and waiting for thieves to come steal it.

During the holidays, thieves tend to come out of the woodwork, looking to steal merchandise from retailers who are loading up for the shopping season. This is exactly why prevention efforts are put in place, according to security company FreightWatch International located in Austin, Texas.

These efforts are nothing new. Sting trailers, over time, have provided authorities with a look at how these types of thieves operate and have improved security for truck owners.

The FBI says that cargo theft has turned into a big problem causing up to $30 billion in losses annually in the US. The insurance and Law enforcement industry are fighting back by placing these ‘sting trailers’ equipped with GPS tracking devices and cameras inside the inventory and trailers to tempt thieves.

Nationwide, there were over 150 cargo thefts in the months of July, August and September. This dropped by 24 percent from last year during the same months, FreightWatch reported. Still, the cargo theft average value of almost $200,000 showed a 7 percent increase from April through June. Read the rest of this entry »

Setting up Christmas tree lots is a Thanksgiving holiday tradition for many people. However, it’s not always a happy ending story. In two recent cases, trailers filled with Christmas trees were stolen.

Bob Brannon, member of a well-known service club called the Greenville SERTOMA Club, was just one of these cases. He has been selling Christmas trees for 61 years in Greenville for charity; however, on Friday morning he arrived at the McAlister Square lot to find his trailer had been stolen.

He says that it looked as if the Thanksgiving thief also stole lights, tree stands and tables and the overall loss will impact them at least 35 percent.

According to volunteer Mike West, to spend your Thanksgiving stealing from a charity designed for helping children in need, you have to be pretty low.

The Police Department of the Greenville Technical College is currently investigating the case.

In the second case, South Florida police are searching for the Grinch who stole a couple semi-truck trailers also loaded with Christmas trees.

Vice president of floral delivery service, Florida Beauty, Frank Ducassi, informed The Miami Herald that on Tuesday, his two company trailers were left at the Kendall Costco.

He says that each trailer held 500 trees valued at $35,000 and the two trailers were valued at around $78,000. The theft happened at approximately 11:45pm on November 24 in the parking lot of Costco located in Kendall at 13450 Southwest 120th Street. Ducassi says, they were new made in 2015. Read the rest of this entry »