A value added model for GIS call center in emergency rescue service

This study was aimed to explore the GIS call center needs of various service providers and individual customers in order to establish business strategy appropriately. Six-page structured questionnaires were distributed to 400 potential customers. Semi-structure in-depth interview and focus group technique were employed to service provider and experienced business owner informants. The GIS call center service was interested by majority of end customer informants, especially in home patients with chronic illness and high-income group. Confidential and responsiveness to urgent needs were expected by potential organization and individual customers. The research revealed that the most value added of the GIS call center was to the health care sector in form of rescue system. Moreover, to enhance the collaboration among related service providers of the rescue system and to ensure information security, a government agency would be the host of the Geographic Names Information System, (GNIS) management. A suggested business strategy for implementation was to establish a one-stop service called "iRescue Hub" for GIS call center providing all emergency rescue service in order to be a centralized of information flow and dispatching the call to appropriated agencies. This research study was supported by National Research Council of Thailand.