Sandefjord fire service equips vehicles with Panasonic tablets

The Panasonic TOUGHBOOK G1’s GPS functionality shows the fastest route to the fire while an integrated reporting tool allows other emergency services to prepare to help save lives.

BRACKNELL, UK. 28th March 2019 – Sandefjord fire service in Norway is using the robust Panasonic TOUGHBOOK G1 tablet to help save lives by getting fire fighters to the scene as fast as possible.

A Panasonic TOUGHBOOK G1 has been installed in every Sandefjord fire engine during callouts. The device, which is attached to the dashboard using a docking station, shows the fastest route to the destination, in addition to the location of barriers or bridges that may hinder progress. It also gives an overview of the scene via an advanced mapping service.

Resistant to the elements

Jan Helge Olson, chief of operations at Sandefjord fire and rescue services, says that having a tablet which can be used in a variety of situations is vital.

“We work under demanding conditions that places high demands on both the team and equipment. When putting out a fire I may have to suddenly drop the tablet, and the G1 can withstand the sudden shock. Not to mention the fact that we use a lot of water when doing our jobs so equipment that cannot withstand water, heat, cold, impact and sunlight is useless to us. The Panasonic TOUGHBOOK G1 is a tool that doesn’t break under any of these pressures and it helps us do an effective job.”

Best in the market

Reidar Falkensten, Business Area Manager at Locus, which supplies IT solutions to the emergency services, says: “There is a reason that TOUGHBOOK is always used in action films. It is quite simply the best you can get in the market. As a supplier to the emergency services, we need to supply the best, which is why Panasonic is the natural choice for us. One of the things that we really like is the uptime of 100%.”

Fastest route every time

Using a Panasonic TOUGHBOOK G1 with (POI) software from Locus, Sandefjord fire brigade knows that they will always choose the fastest route when an emergency occurs. Thanks to Points of Interest (POI), the fire brigade can see upcoming barriers and other obstacles, such as bridges, and plan. With a simple touch on the screen some of the barriers can be opened allowing for shortcuts to be taken.

“In the latest version of Locus, we have added parameters such as axle load and bridge heights. The device also includes an operational plan that shows the fastest route, available fire hydrants and which vehicles need to be used or are in use. Drawings of buildings with different symbols over critical points have also been added,” says Reidar Falkensten.

Developed for extreme environments

The TOUGHBOOK G1 was developed to cope with extreme environments – something that makes it particularly suitable for the emergency services. If required, the device can be supplied with a high-resolution thermal camera that can be used with a number of applications. The device runs Windows 10 Pro and has a battery capacity of up to 11 hours. An optional hot swap battery increases this capacity to 22 hours.

“The device is invaluable to the fire department and emergency services in general. It is a robust and reliable work tool that offers everything needed to allow a team to work effectively and be fully prepared during an emergency situation,” concludes Jan Helge Olsen.

For the full video story click: Technology that saves lives.

About Panasonic System Communications Company Europe (PSCEU)

Our quest is to make technology work invisibly together and free businesses to succeed. We believe technology should just work. That businesses will succeed if they can simply focus on their customers, in the knowledge that all the technologies delivering their capabilities work together. That is why we are dedicated to developing products and solutions that are so integrated with our customer’s way of working, that they are almost invisible – the workhorse in the background that powers business success.

PSCEU is made up of six product categories:

Broadcast & ProAV gives you the freedom to tell the story with its products and solutions, which ensure smooth operation and excellent cost-performance across a range of remote cameras, switchers, studio cameras and ENG P2HD. The cinema camera range of VariCam models and the EVA1 are capable of true 4K and High Dynamic Range (HDR) making them the ideal solution for cinema, television, documentary and live event production.
Communication Solutions offers world leading telephony systems, SIP terminal devices and professional ‘network’ scanners giving you the freedom to focus on the communication and not the connection.
Computer Product Solutions help mobile workers improve productivity with its range of Toughbook rugged notebooks, business tablets, handhelds and electronic point of sales (EPOS) systems. As European market leaders, Panasonic had a 57% revenue share of sales of rugged and durable notebooks and tablets in 2017 (VDC Research, March 2018).
Industrial Medical Vision manufactures applications for various segments such as medical, life science, ProAV or industrial. The product portfolio includes complete and OEM camera systems, providing the freedom to see what can’t be seen.
Security Solutions, built on a heritage of providing evidential quality CCTV footage. Delivering the highest image quality in all environmental conditions using our highly reliable, advanced technology cameras and image recording systems, giving you the freedom to feel secure.
Visual System Solutions offers the widest range of professional displays and projectors and allows Audio Visual professionals the freedom to create. It leads the European high brightness projector market with a 39% market revenue share (Futuresource >5klm FY17 Q3, excl. 4K & digital cinema).

About Panasonic

Panasonic Corporation is a worldwide leader in the development of diverse electronics technologies and solutions for customers in the consumer electronics, housing, automotive, and B2B businesses. The company, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2018, has expanded globally and now operates 591 subsidiaries and 88 associated companies worldwide, recording consolidated net sales of Euro 61.4 billion for the year ended March 31, 2018. Committed to pursuing new value through innovation across divisional lines, the company uses its technologies to create a better life and a better world for its customers. To learn more about Panasonic: http://www.panasonic.com/global