User requirements of Emergency Response Vehicles: Preliminary findings from a current research study

A review of current Emergency Response Vehicles (ERVs) demonstrates the use of technological services and solutions in on- and off-pavement performance. There is overwhelming usage of technologies including equipment, components and services in modern emergency response vehicles. These diverse elements also invite various challenges while building emergency vehicles. A set of standards has been released by local and global organizations to help building standard vehicle for emergency responses. There are effective implementations of these standards to provide services and solutions. However, research has shown shortcomings in current ERVs, especially in terms of real users' needs. Consideration of the user's needs and requirements has paramount importance for the building of effective and efficient Emergency Response Vehicles. This research paper addresses those gaps by reporting the preliminary findings of a current research project, namely Mobile Object Bus Integration (MOBI). The study has identified eight areas of focus by closely working with real users of emergency vehicles, which include emergency response preparedness, critical communication and real time updates, ease of use and optimization of ICT systems, optimization of power supply, availability of resources and equipment, and safety and sustainability. The end user's requirements were gathered using both qualitative and quantitative data analysis, and grounded theory-based research study. The focus of the preliminary findings is on the functional requirements. The paper also discusses the science used in the laboratory and field while building state of the art emergency response vehicles.