Jeremiah Pearce, left, discusses and demonstrates the Responder system at the ITS World Congress.
By Haleigh Pike
District 2 public information officer
A new communication tool could be making its way to Caltrans soon and one of our very own from District 2 is on the team that’s working to make it happen.
Jeremiah Pearce, chief of the Office of ITS Engineering and Support in District 2, has been working on this project, along with the Caltrans Division of Research, Innovation and System Information (DRISI) and the UC Davis Advanced Highway Maintenance and Construction Technology (AHMCT) Research Center, for the past seven years. This project was initially championed by Ian Turnbull, who is now retired, in 2004 but it was shelved for several years while the technology industry caught up to Ian’s vision. It’s being called “Responder” and it will allow Caltrans to collect and share at-scene information quickly and efficiently.
As first responders, Caltrans maintenance staff must collect information, determine appropriate response, and access and manage resources at-scene. Currently, Caltrans does not have an efficient way to do that and our maintenance staff in District 2 face an even bigger challenge as our state highways go through rural areas with limited or no data network access.
Jeremiah, along with the other team members, have finalized the third generation of the Responder system, which uses a smart device such as a tablet or smartphone to operate.
Using GPS, the system automatically downloads local weather, retrieves maps and aerial photos, and pinpoints the Responder’s location and sends that information to the Transportation Management Center (TMC) and other parties when the operator presses “send.” The Responder system uses cellular when it can and satellite in areas with no other communications. It allows first responders to concentrate on work at the scene rather than being burdened with data input and reporting.
The Responder system has been tested in several Caltrans districts and was pilot and field tested in District 2. Positive feedback was received, further reiterating the need for a tool like this.
In addition to developing an incredibly successful device that will likely change the future of communication within Caltrans, the team working on the Responder system was also invited to ITS World Congress to demonstrate the new system. ITS World Congress is a global event that brings together world leaders, practitioners, policy makers, researchers, and private industry to advance and unite the intelligent transportation systems industry.