Camera phone use for Scottish fire fighters called a dud

A test to determine the value of camera phones for fire fighters in Scotland transmitting photos of accident victims to a hospital has been called a flop, according to an article in The Herald.

Beginning last August, fire fighters in Fife, working with the Dunfermline Queen Margaret Hospital (QMH) and using cellular phones provided by Orange, were supposed to send photos of accidents to obtain advice from hospital personne. about how to help accident victims.

However, the article says the test has been plagued by many problems, including "photographs taking hours to arrive on screen, pictures unable to be viewed in focus when enlarged, and fire chiefs with the mobile phones arriving too late at the scene. In one instance, pictures were transmitted to QMH’s computer only for the patient to be taken by ambulance to another hospital."

The camera phones have been used only six times, The Herald reports.

Not good enough

The test was supposed to last for six months, but during almost a year of testing -- that's ongoing -- camera phone photos were transmitted only six times. Two other Scottish hospitals were supposed to have signed up for the tests, but they haven't done so.

Alan Mann, divisional officer for community safety for the Fife Fire and Rescue Service, says in the article that the department would like to transmit better quality photos and images. He isn't sure, though, whether the technology/networks are good enough.