Texas' Emergency Evac System Uses RFID
RFID will help aide evacuees the next time a hurricane messes with Texas, RFID Update reports.
The state’s Governor’s Division of Emergency Management (GDEM) has implemented its new Texas Special Needs Evacuation Tracking System (SNETS), which uses RFID wristbands to identify evacuees.
The Update outlines how it works:
When the GDEM calls for an evacuation, it dispatches buses to pre-designated collection points.
Evacuees make their own way to the collection points, where they receive wristbands that include a unique ID number that has been pre-encoded into an RFID tag and bar code. State emergency workers scan the bar code on the wristband using a handheld computer, and enter the evacuee’s personal information.
The transaction associates the evacuee with the unique ID number, and the information is transferred over the AT&T/Cingular wireless network to a state database at a secure location. Evacuees then board the bus, which is tracked by GPS, and are driven to a secure reception center.
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