RFID (radio frequency identification) tags have long been associated with warehouses and retail, but modern solutions are transforming their role in public safety. Because an RFID tag can be attached to all manner of goods — from a tennis racket to a blouse to a television — it makes tracking simple, straightforward and fast.
The same holds true in public safety, where having an accurate inventory isn’t just a convenience — it can be a matter of life and death.
Having the right equipment ready for deployment can be critical for law enforcement. For instance, the right tactical kits have to be fully stocked and ready to go in order to seamlessly support police operations. In addition, the equipment in these kits must be properly tracked in inventory between operations and replaced as a matter of course when it reaches end of life — as is the case with body armor.
In the past, this kind of inventory management and tracking was seen as a back-office utility function — one where quiet quartermasters counted uniforms and clipboards while the real action happened elsewhere. But today, much has changed — and for the better.
With decades of experience deploying RFID technology across complex operational environments like retail, manufacturing and supply chain operations, Xemelgo now helps public safety agencies gain real-time visibility into critical assets, streamline inventory management and strengthen accountability.
Paired with a handheld RFID reader like the rugged Zebra Technologies’ RFD40 Premium Plus UHF RFID Sled along with Xemelgo’s cloud-based RFID asset management platform, quartermasters can compile, track and effectively manage assets in real time from an easy-to-read dashboard on a computer or phone.
Xemelgo’s RFID platform is designed to run on Zebra’s mobile computers and fixed RFID readers. The result: It is now possible to pair Zebra’s RFID equipment and Xemelgo’s RFID platform to turn inventory tracking into a strategic advantage for law enforcement. Using this combination, every RFID-tagged asset the department owns can be located using a Google Maps-style dashboard.
Using the Zebra/Xemelgo combination, police departments can prebuild tactical equipment kits before they are needed and manage them in real time to ensure they remain properly stocked and up to date at all times. This means no bad surprises in the field, where officers discover the kit they grabbed lacks the tools they need to save lives or the vest they’ve been issued is out of date and inadequate.
This level of assurance matters to Kerry Wicks, a senior account manager at Zebra Technologies. Before joining the company, Wicks spent 16 years in law enforcement, serving as a chief deputy at the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina. He knows how important properly managed kits and tactical equipment are for police officers, especially at smaller departments.
“In small agencies, officers are trained to handle a wide range of responsibilities,” said Wicks. “Whether it’s riot control or a disaster response, this fact underlines the necessity for officers to have the correct equipment at the correct time. This is why combining Zebra’s RFID tech with Xemelgo’s platform is so powerful for law enforcement.”
The power of strategic RFID inventory management
The Zebra/Xemelgo RFID approach to inventory management is truly strategic and a real force multiplier for law enforcement.
A quartermaster can use a Zebra RFD40 reader to scan equipment as it comes into inventory and log that data into the Xemelgo platform. This equipment can then be loaded into specific kits and verified as such using their RFID tags, which can be read even inside their carrying kits. Give a kit a quick RFID scan with the reader and the Xemelgo software can verify that it is stocked as required. Should anything be missing, an alert can be sent out to the quartermaster at that point for immediate remediation.
“Our ability to expedite accurate kit-building and management is tremendous,” Wicks said. “I can have 100 kits prepared. Then, as every one of those individual officers comes by to pick their kit up, I can validate its contents. ‘Here’s your box. Let me show you the mobile scan. Here’s all 15 items. Boom, it’s yours, go.’”
The Zebra/Xemelgo combination also adds security to 24/7 self-service for officers. Just install a fixed RFID reader like the Zebra FX9600 at the armory or equipment room door, and the Xemelgo platform will be able to register everyone coming in and out of the room as they remove or return equipment. This includes detecting movement, logging the officer’s identity and associating any removed or returned equipment with that identification in real time.
Enhanced officer safety
Some products, like body armor, have limited lifespans that must be respected to ensure officer safety. However, the passing of such deadlines for this equipment isn’t always obvious to the naked eye. A vest can appear in good shape and still be expired.
When a person is directly responsible for tracking expiration dates, errors can happen — such as at smaller departments where there are more jobs than people to do them. But with the Zebra/Xemelgo approach, the expiration date of each asset is automatically tracked by the system. If a quartermaster accidentally issues an expired vest, their Zebra reader alerts them immediately.
“We certainly wouldn’t want an officer to be issued a vest to protect him that has a past-due expiration date,” said Wicks. “Using RFID, we can also track the condition of the asset if it has reported damage. All that can be done expediently through the automation process with Xemelgo.
“Knowing they have the proper equipment issued gives officers the confidence they need,” he added. “Not having that ... can really be a detriment.”
Proven accountability
High-value assets like firearms, conducted energy weapons and body cameras require 100% accountability. Tracking them using the Xemelgo platform delivers this accountability in a manner that is fast, reliable and easy to verify.
The platform also makes it easier to identify missing equipment. “If I’ve got 1,000 items and I do a scan and 996 show up, now I focus on finding the four,” said Wicks. “It’s a completely different approach. What used to take days or weeks now literally takes minutes or hours.”
All told, the combination of Zebra RFID technology and the Xemelgo RFID platform turns inventory management into a strategic advantage for law enforcement. It represents a substantial leap forward for police departments, no matter what their size or budget.
For more information, visit Zebra.
