DFES are continuing with their Automatic Vehicle Locator project and have issued the following bulletin late in April.

Stage 1

September 2016 to January 2017

• Award Tender
• Pilot (30 vehicles installation trial only)
• Country South High Fire Risk Areas
• High Fire Fleet
• Metro and Metro Local Government
• Portable AVL Units

Achievements

• Pilot AVL Installation in Northam.
• Developed AVL Installation Specifications.
• Through significant consultation identified and mitigated all business process impacts.
• Engaged stakeholders to deliver the AVL Installation Schedules.
• Designed a ‘one-stop-shop’ AVL Portal available via DFES Intranet and Volunteer Extranet.
• Ensured the AVL Administrator and Support Staff were operational for go-live on 24 October 2016.
• Delivered a suite of training and support tools including support documentation, comprehensive user-manuals and two operational videos.
• Installed AVL and Emergency Distress functionality in more than 800 appliances.
• Deployed 200 Portable AVL Units.
• Delivered 48 consultations, presentations and AVL Awareness Training Sessions.
• Took the AVL Roadshow to Bunbury, Northam, Esperance, Albany, Manjimup and Metro Regional Offices.
• Approved and processed 600 AVL user access requests.
• Collated feedback resulting in 27 requests captured in the Enhancement Register and version 2 of the AVL Portal.

Stage 2

January 2017 to July 2017

• Country North
• Remainder of Country South
• SES vehicles State-wide
• Category 3 Manager vehicles
• Include in Crew Protection Schedule
• Include in Replacement Fleet Schedule
• System integration (P&W, FCAD and FESMAPS)
• Country North portable AVL units

Approach

• AVL scheduling and installations
• AVL engagement
• AVL system integration
• AVL issue resolution

AVL facts and figures

1,208 AVL installations.

200 portable AVL units deployed.

687 access requests processed with the number of AVL users growing daily.

We’ve delivered 95 presentations, consultations and awareness training sessions with 21 more already planned between now and July 2017.

11,399 site visits to the AVL Portal.  The top 4 pages by number of visits are the AVL Homepage, Training, Rollout Schedule and Access Requests.

AVL scheduling and installations

Welcome to Wayne Lind (Pinpoint) who joins Michelle Marchese in the AVL installation planning and scheduling space. 

Michelle obtains the vehicle data from RMS for confirmation and any alterations at the regional level.  Once the list is confirmed, Wayne engages the installation contractors and regions to organise actual dates and times.

Just a reminder if you have a technical issue with AVL in your vehicle or portable unit please phone 08 9395 9344 or email ictservicedesk@DFES.wa.gov.au.  They will log your problem direct with Pinpoint for actioning. 

Priority will be given to issues that are logged correctly as opposed to queries sent direct to the project team.

AVL engagement

Our commitment to stakeholder engagement remains one of our highest priorities.  We’ve delivered 95 presentations, consultations and awareness training sessions with a further 21 already planned between now and July 2017.

This week we met with a number of Volunteer Association leaders to discuss our planned strategy and to seek their advice and support.  The session was extremely valuable and planning has commenced for Stage 2 AVL Roadshows in Country North and the Metro area taking into consideration their feedback.

AVL Roadshow is coming to the Kimberley Region!

• Kimberley DFES staff , DFES Office, Kununurra – 8.30am on 4/5/17
• Open forum, Kununurra Colocation, Kununurra – 6pm on 4/5/17
• Open forum, Broome Fire Station, Broome – 6pm on 5/5/17

AVL Roadshow is coming to the Pilbara Region!

• Open forum, Port Hedland SES Unit, Port Hedland – 6pm on 30/5/17
• Open forum, Karratha SES Unit, Karratha – 6pm on 31/5/17
• Open forum, Exmouth SES Unit, Exmouth – 6pm on 1/6/17

We are looking forward to meeting as many of you as possible and sharing AVL.
 

AVL system integration

Eric Grossman (Business Analyst) and Dan Pitic (Solution Architect) joined the Project Team for Stage 2 and are busily gathering business requirements and designing the integration of the AVL system to other DFES operational systems as well as sharing vehicle location data with Parks and Wildlife.

AVL issues update

• Frozen AVL in a small number of vehicles and portable tracker units.
• Safety issues with the Portable AVL Unit alligator clips requiring re-design. 
• Short antennae leads on some Portable AVL Units.
• Software updates hindered due to battery isolators.

Frozen AVL

• 2 appliances and 8 portable AVL units still require a service technician to re-set the tracker unit.  These are being managed by Pinpoint Communications.  Any questions please email phil.cowin@dfes.wa.gov.au

Portable AVL Units

• Due to safety issues the alligator clips have been redesigned and will be ready to deploy late April / early May 2017.  A reminder that Alligator clips are not to be used until further notice.
• 46 units have short antennae leads and need a technician to replace the leads. These are being managed by Pinpoint Communications.  Sharon is engaging direct with the regions to outline the replacement process for all portable issues.
• A portable register is loaded on the AVL Portal/Portables/Resources.

Software updates/regular AVL testing

• Software updates and system fixes are hindered due to battery isolators.  A monthly AVL test requirement is currently being developed and will be rolled out shortly.  Monthly AVL testing will be mandated for the 1st day of each month.
• Documentation and checklists will be provided.      
• Any suggestions/questions please email sharon.devitt@dfes.wa.gov.au