Fig. 1 shows the communication routes used by a mountain-rescue team during a training exercise. Ed, at the control room, needs location information from Ka...
Question 1 Report
Fig. 1 shows the communication routes used by a mountain-rescue team during a training exercise. Ed, at the control room, needs location information from Kay's smartphone and a photo of a damaged bridge from Letta's laptop. The valley has mobile coverage, but the signal is weak near the bridge. A portable satellite terminal can be used, although it has limited data capacity. The team must choose methods that allow rapid contact during an emergency and secure sharing of incident information after the exercise.
(a) Which route in Fig. 1 should Kay normally use to send a small location update? Give one reason. [2]
(b) State three factors that may make the satellite link unsuitable for routine communication. [3]
(c) Describe two advantages and two disadvantages of sending a bridge photograph by instant message rather than by email. [4]
(d) Explain the factors the team leader should consider when choosing communication software for a rescue incident. [9]
Answer Details
(a) Kay should normally use the mobile network via the mobile mast for a small location update. It will normally be faster and have more available data capacity than the limited satellite link. [2]
(b) The satellite route may have limited data capacity, expensive usage costs and high delay or latency. It may also be affected by weather or obstruction and requires specialist portable equipment. [3]
(c) An instant message can alert the recipient immediately and can quickly send a low-resolution image with a location or short status message. However, image compression may remove useful bridge detail, it needs mobile or internet data, it could be sent to the wrong contact, and chat history may be less suitable as a formal incident record. [4]
(d) The leader should consider available network coverage at the incident and the bandwidth needed for text, location data, photographs or video. Urgent situations require low latency, while reliability and a fallback route are essential if a connection fails. Costs of mobile, satellite and software services matter, as do compatible devices and ease of use under stress or while wearing protective equipment. The software should encrypt confidential casualty and location data, authenticate users, send files and accurate locations, provide delivery or read status, and maintain an audit trail or incident record. [9]
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