LIfe First Emergency Traffic Control or "LIFE"

Given the aging demographics and rapid urbanisation, cities need to be equipped to respond to emergency 999 calls more quickly. By 2050, over 25% of the UK’s population will be over 65. This has implications on the overall health services as well as the NHS Trust to cope with anticipated rise in ambulance call outs amidst worsening urban congestion. Presently, the Government has set out targets for ambulance services to reach 75% of emergency calls within 8 minutes. “LIfe First Emergency Traffic Control” or “LIFE” seeks to develop an innovative application for an intelligent transport system that operates in real-time to enable ambulances to reach life threatening emergency cases quicker by integrating ambulance route finder applications with traffic management systems. LIFE seeks to reduce the time to respond to emergency calls, thereby saving lives, whilst operating a resilient service with a cost and fuel efficient fleet. On a larger scale, LIFE will benefit the UK as it will design, develop, pilot and refine a new application that can be easily integrated with existing systems in emergency vehicles and will enable emergency services to enhance what they do best, which is saving lives.