A cry for HELP brings a swift reply
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THE opening words of a well-known Beatles song "Help, I need somebody!" could well be the signature tune for Securicor's Haulage Emergency Link Protection (HELP) system which for more than five years has provided many drivers of vehicles carrying high-value loads with a communications lifeline for use in emergency.
The increase in vehicle hijacking a few years back highlighted the need for a system whereby the progress of valuable loads could be monitored and help could be provided to a driver in the event of an ambush. The HELP system provides just this. Customers report to Securicor when such a vehicle is leaving its base giving details of its route_ Securicor control room contacts the driver every 30 minutes; if no contact is made within five minutes of the call all nearby Securicor branches are alerted and if contact is not made within 15 minutes the customer is contacted for instructions and if necessary the emergency forces are called.
If a driver is hijacked he has only to yell "HIJACK" into his radio set and the control room clears the air immediately. The police and the customer are informed, so too are neighbouring branches, the London control and the local Vehicle Observer Corps.
The HELP system is not restricted to emergency calls, in fact any business information or personal information can be passed between driver and his base — for example, times of arrival, loading instructions, booking of accommodation — in fact, anything but placing bets. Securicor is linked to the national telex system so messages can be relayed to and from Securicor control by this means. The control will also help guide a driver by radio instructions through a strange city.
The system provides for cover 24 hours daily throughout the year at a cost of £3.50 per week per set. Messages necessitating local telephone calls to the subscriber are passed free and trunk calls generally beyond a 30-mile radius are charged at Post Office rates. A Post Office licence costing £2.25 annually is required and installation costs are extra. These vary from about £8 for the average car or small van to about £17 for a heavy vehicle or coach. Every client has his own exclusive call sign plus numbers for additional sets.
Securicor claims four main advantages for its service; security (its staff are fidelity bonded), national coverage (23 areas with extensive cover plus 53 other areas with local cover), economy (it claims to offer a more extensive cover than its competitors at lower prices) and experience (it has some 2500 clients' vehicles on the road plus 3000 of its own and the AA fleet of service vans — through its connection with the AA on the Linkline service for private customers rather than commercial). D.L.