ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International today announced its approval of the Vehicular Emergency Data Set (VEDS) for use in any future pilots or market deployments involving the transmission of critical vehicle crash data to 9-1-1 centers, particularly by Telematics Service Providers (TSPs).
Following the completion of a nearly two-year effort by the Joint APCO/NENA (National Emergency Number Association) Advanced Automatic Collision Notification (AACN) Data Standardization Working Group, the VEDS was reviewed and approved by APCO’s Standards Development Committee Technical Sub-Committee. The VEDS is conformant with the National Information Exchange Model (NIEM), a national standard in the U.S. for information sharing among federal, state and local government agencies.
The intent of the VEDS is to establish a uniform data template or record for the future collection and transmission of vehicle crash information among multiple emergency responders - both public and private – that can be updated as the response unfolds. A key catalyst for VEDS is the emerging deployment of, Advanced Automatic Crash Notification by TSPs, such as OnStar and Agero, who provide crash severity information. These companies along with Hughes Telematics and Ford Motor actively participated in the development of the VEDS documentation. Beyond basic notification of airbag deployment and GPS satellite-based location of the vehicle, AACN entails the aggregation of in-vehicle crash sensor data to better inform emergency responders prior to their arrival at the accident scene as to the potential severity of the crash and the likelihood of severe injuries to the vehicle’s occupants.
AACN information was recently included in the federal guidelines for field triage of injured patients. These guidelines are designed to help responders at the accident scene identify the potential existence of severe internal injuries and to make critical decisions about how and where a patient needs to be transported. TSPs also are able to provide responders with a detailed description of the vehicle, emergency contacts provided by the vehicle owner and whether crash sensors indicate the vehicle was involved in a rollover, which may influence what kinds of resources are dispatched to the scene.
“VEDS is a visionary document that demonstrates APCO’s commitment to get ahead of deployments in digital technology by identifying only those data elements that are important to multiple responders after a vehicle crash, said APCO President, Gregg Riddle. “The public safety community encourages the delivery of AACN information, whether it’s communicated verbally or via data, as an opportunity to enhance and accelerate emergency response to a vehicle crash.”
The Joint APCO/NENA AACN Data Standardization Work Group was comprised of APCO and NENA staff members, 9-1-1 PSAP practitioners, staff representing multiple Telematics Services Providers and vehicle manufacturers, National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration’s Office of Medical Services, and several other leaders who work in the public safety field.
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