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Drowning Accident Rescue Team
To the Rescue!
The Drowning Accident Rescue Team, headquartered in Sacramento, has
been operating for more than twenty years on an all-volunteer
basis, handling an average of 100 emergency missions a year, and
working with local, state and federal law enforcement and public
safety agencies. From the dramatic rescue of flood victims stranded
along Sonoma County's Russian River in 1995, to the recovery of an
airplane crash victim's body from the murky depths of Lake
Berryessa, from rescuing trapped motorists from submerged vehicles
to working with law enforcement officials on crime scene
investigations, DART volunteers never know what their next mission
might be -- or what challenges it might pose.
Until recently, DART's records have been kept the old-fashioned way
-- by pen and paper. Voluminous files document past missions -- but
looking up specific details that might help shed light on
particularly dangerous areas has been a cumbersome task. A brief
experiment with a FoxPro database in the early 1990s was quickly
abandoned as too inflexible, and the pen-and-paper record-keeping
system was retained.
Recently, DART decided to try again. 'The primary criteria used for
a new data system was one that is flexible, easy to use, and would
have someone in-house that could provide support to the system in
order to meet DART's dynamic needs,' explains Assistant Chief of
Operations Bill Ternes. 'DART allowed me to make the decision
regarding the database software to be used in the development of
this system.'
Bill considered his options. He could build on the old FoxPro
system, he could experiment with Access -- or he could try
FileMaker Pro. The choice was clear.
'I work with both FileMaker and Access,' he notes, 'but my decision
to use FileMaker was based on its user-friendliness and the power
that it can provide. I quickly realized that FileMaker would
provide more than adequate data function for this team while still
being within the grasp of the other team members in the event that
I would no longer be able to provide computer support.'
The system developed by Bill involves a total of ten linked
databases, documenting every aspect of a rescue. 'There are several
drop-down lists for the many aspects of environmental conditions
and agency contacts that we deal with on each call,' Bill explains.
'The names of DART participants are automatically filled in by just
entering their DART number in the first field. The dive-times
layouts for the divers automatically calculate total dive time, air
usage, and the amount of air used per minute by each diver.' All
these fields make the generation of mission reports much
easier.
The database also streamlines administrative tasks -- from ordering
essential supplies to ensuring that divers have their required
physical examinations when due.
The database was presented to the DART Chief of Operations in late
2000, and is now ready for full-time use. 'We work very hard to put
ourselves out of business,' Bill observes. 'We provide a great deal
of drowning-prevention information to the public. We are not really
looking for a competitive advantage as much as we are looking for a
way of providing adequate data to our 'customer' in the attempt to
save lives before they are in danger. FileMaker Pro will
undoubtedly be a very significant factor in helping us with this
endeavor.'
Contact information
Contact Info for Customer:Bill Ternes
Assistant Chief of Operations
Drowning Accident Rescue Team
916-732-4500
bill_ternes@dot.ca.gov
Filemaker Contact:
Kevin Mallon
Public Relations Manager
FileMaker Inc.
408-987-7227
kevin_mallon@filemaker.com
http://www.filemaker.com
- The mission of Drowning Accident Rescue Team (DART) is to ensure the safety of Northern California's waterways. When a pen-and-paper method of tracking every rescue became too cumbersome, DART's Assistant Chief of Operations -- who had worked with both Microsoft Access and FileMaker Pro -- chose FileMaker Pro for its power and ease of use.
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