One night, after a winter storm encased Dane County, Wisconsin, in ice, Deputy Ben Kunde found himself dispatched to a remote county highway where a civilian had slid off the road. The driver was unharmed but shaken, explaining how the hazardous road conditions had sent his vehicle careening into the ditch. Kunde contacted a tow truck and parked his Ford Police Interceptor Utility SUV, lights flashing, to warn oncoming traffic.
He settled in to wait and, soon enough, saw the glare of approaching headlights. It wasn’t the tow truck, however, but another civilian vehicle—and as it approached a sharp turn, a knot of unease formed in Kunde’s stomach. The vehicle was moving far too fast for the icy conditions. In that second, Kunde knew a collision was inevitable. He gripped the steering wheel and braced for impact as the civilian struck the front of his police vehicle.
Kunde suffered no injuries and was able to call dispatch himself. Simultaneously, his police vehicle’s Ford Pro Telematics system alerted his team of the incident.
Ford Pro Telematics collects key vehicle data, such as location, using the vehicle’s built-in modem or plug-in device. The Ford Pro Intelligence platform pulls in the data, analyzes it, and presents the findings on a dashboard, where the Dane County Sheriff’s Office can see an overview of its police fleet. What’s more, Ford Pro Telematics integrates well with other legacy systems. By configuring crash notifications in Ford Pro Telematics, team members are instantly notified when a vehicle is involved in a traffic incident, even if the ignition is turned off.
“The data we get from Telematics, especially the crash alerts, is invaluable,” Fleet and Asset Coordinator Jenna Shelley said. “If someone is incapacitated, unable to call for help, I want to be able to be there, to make that call, to send help to them.”
The potential for these types of incidents weighs heavily on Captain Kerry Porter’s mind, too. Dane County covers 1,200 square miles and includes more than 60 cities, villages, and towns. As Porter explains, the distance between the precinct and the county’s more remote areas can mean longer response times for law enforcement and limited cell phone service.
The fear that an officer might be stranded, injured, and alone for hours is why the Dane County Sheriff’s Office activated a Ford Pro Telematics subscription in 127 of its police vehicles (Ford and non-Ford). “The crash notifications really do have the potential to help us save a life,” Porter said.
Reducing risk
After activating Ford Pro Telematics, the Dane County Sheriff's Office now considers it as essential a tool as caution tape and vests.
For Shelley, the crash notifications are reason enough to activate Ford Pro Telematics.
“I would pay for the subscription just for that feature,” she said.
However, Ford Pro Telematics1 also helps Shelley stay on top of vehicle maintenance. The near-real-time data stream—from check engine lights to diagnostic codes—empowers Shelley to shift from reactive repairs to proactive maintenance, helping to maximizing vehicle uptime.
Previously, Dane County Sheriff’s Office collected vehicle data at the gas pump and generated monthly reports manually.
“It was a lot of work with very little output,” Shelley said. “Now, I can see when an oil change is due, I can see warning lights, I can see low tires. I mean, there’s no comparison: The data in Telematics is more accurate.”
When the system shows that a vehicle is due for maintenance, Shelley coordinates with a local dealership, utilizing porters for seamless drop-off and pick-up. Once service is complete, the dealership uploads the invoice to the precinct’s Ford Pro Telematics dashboard, where Shelley can review exactly what was done to the vehicle.
This is another practice that has “revolutionized” how Dane County Sheriff’s Office takes care of its fleet, Shelley suggested.
“Historically, things were done on paper, and deputies had to get permission to leave their beat, drive 30 minutes to the dealership, wait for service, and drive back,” she said. “Now, I’ve been able to schedule things ahead of time.”
The connection between officer safety and vehicle maintenance isn’t lost on Shelley.
“You can’t erase all the risks,” she said. “But I can reduce the risks by making sure all the maintenance is done, the tires are good, and everything is up to date.”