Tennessee Town May Equip Vehicles with GPS Devices

GPS devices continue to increase in popularity. And, as with any relatively new technology, people continue to find uses for GPS technology beyond those that were initially part of the system’s vision.

The Global Positioning System (GPS) was initially developed in the 1970s and became fully operational in 1994. It was originally designed for military use, but various presidential administrations (notably Reagan and Clinton) decided that it should be openly available for civilian use.

GPS technology is now widely used for drivers to locate the shortest route to their destination, to plan a scenic drive, or to find the nearest fast-food restaurant. But, as mentioned above, people are finding additional ways to use the technology to provide efficiency, information, and accountability. One such example is the town of Newbern, Tennessee.

Newbern is located in western Tennessee and was founded in the late 1850s. The town is comprised of just over 3300 citizens and is home to the Newbern Illinois Central Railroad Depot, a golf course, and a “town triangle” with a fountain. The town hosts an annual Depot Days event featuring a pancake breakfast, parade, vendors, and other special activities.

In August 2013, the Newbern Board of Mayor and Aldermen met and discussed the possibility of equipping the city’s vehicles with GPS technology. The mayor, Olen Parker, brought the suggestion to city officials, stating that he and Jason Roberts, the town recorder, had been doing background work to look into the possibility of its implementation. The goal of the project would be to save the town expense and to help city employees to work more efficiently.

According to Parker, GPS devices could be affixed to all kinds of city-owned vehicles—not only cars and trucks, but also earth-moving equipment and even lawn mowers. Information from the devices would be sent back to a central dispatch location. Data received would tell not only the vehicle’s location but also whether it was in motion or idle, how much money was spent on fuel and how much fuel was used, and keep track of individual employees’ locations, providing accountability for the employees to the city’s leadership.

The city’s aldermen unanimously voted to allow Parker and Roberts to continue their research and to report back to the board on the costs associated with implementation of the GPS system.

Google+
Tennessee Town May Equip Vehicles with GPS Devices