Communications Dispatch System
Last updated: April 2026
An emergency ambulance company with 100 employees and 75 ambulances was running dispatch operations on a failing DOS-based system that had started interfering with reaching clients. PCG patched the old system to keep operations running while simultaneously rebuilding it from the ground up in Microsoft Access with VBA. The new dispatch platform covered crew scheduling, vehicle maintenance, call logging, medical supply inventory, HIPAA security, and a full reporting engine, deployed in modules to minimize disruption to a 24/7 operation.
Project requirements
Crew schedule management. Vehicle maintenance tracking. Call scheduling. Manpower assessments. Medical supply inventory. Dispatch call logs. Lost calls tracking. Vehicle mileage and utilization. Crew certifications. Reporting query engine. Expense tracking. Accounting.
Languages and database
Microsoft Access, Visual Basic for Applications (VBA).
Company size
Small business. 100 employees, 75 ambulances.
Industry
Emergency services.
❓ What problem did this project solve?
The company's dispatch software was a DOS-based legacy system that had been deteriorating for years. By the time PCG was contacted, it had reached a critical point: the system was actively interfering with the company's ability to reach clients. For an ambulance operation, that is not a software inconvenience. It is a direct threat to the service the company exists to provide.
The rebuild could not wait for a standard development cycle. The old system had to keep running while the new one was built. At the same time, the rebuild needed to address everything the old system had never handled properly: crew certification tracking, vehicle utilization data, medical supply inventory, lost call documentation, and a reporting engine that gave management actual visibility into operations. All of it had to run continuously, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and self-alert when maintenance was required rather than fail silently.
🛠️ What PCG built
PCG's first move was to stabilize the failing DOS system so the company could keep operating while the replacement was built. That kind of parallel track requires understanding the old system well enough to keep it alive and building the new one simultaneously without either interfering with the other.
The new system was deployed in modules, solidifying each component before moving to the next. That approach kept the operation stable throughout the transition and eliminated the risk of a full cutover failure. Crew scheduling, vehicle maintenance records, dispatch call logs, lost call tracking, medical supply inventory, and crew certifications were all built and tested as discrete units before being integrated into the complete platform.
The reporting and management layer gave operations leadership visibility they had not had under the DOS system. Vehicle mileage, utilization rates, expense tracking, and accounting were all accessible through a query engine built for the specific management parameters of this operation. The system was also designed to self-maintain and alert when maintenance was required, removing the dependence on manual monitoring that had allowed the old system to degrade undetected.
🔍 Technology used
Running an emergency services or dispatch operation on aging software that is showing signs of failure?
PCG has rescued and rebuilt legacy systems for mission-critical operations since 1995. The $2,500 diagnostic engagement scopes the work before any development begins.
Talk to PCG
PCG founded 1995. All project details drawn from PCG's internal documentation. Client identity withheld at client request.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. That is exactly what PCG did for this ambulance company. Their DOS-based dispatch system was actively failing and interfering with reaching clients. PCG patched and stabilized the old system to keep operations running while developing the replacement in parallel. New modules were deployed one at a time, solidifying each step before moving to the next. The company never went dark. If your dispatch or operations system is failing and you need immediate help alongside a longer-term replacement, the first step is a free consultation.
The dispatch system PCG built for this 100-employee, 75-ambulance operation covered crew scheduling, vehicle maintenance tracking, call scheduling, manpower assessments, medical supply inventory, dispatch call logs, lost call tracking, vehicle mileage and utilization, crew certifications, expense tracking, and accounting. For an emergency services operation, the reporting engine is as important as the scheduling. Supervisors need to identify gaps in coverage, crew availability, and equipment status without navigating multiple disconnected systems.
Yes. PCG has been migrating legacy systems since before DOS itself was considered legacy. The process starts with documenting what the old system actually does, including the undocumented logic that only exists in the behavior of the software. That documentation becomes the specification for the replacement. PCG builds the new system on .NET Core 8 with SQL Server, with the old system running in parallel until the replacement is validated against real operational data.
The dispatch system PCG built was designed to self-maintain, alert when maintenance was required, and remain active at all times. For emergency services operations where downtime directly affects patient outcomes, the system architecture has to treat availability as a first-class requirement, not an afterthought. PCG builds monitoring and alerting into the system so that issues surface before they become failures, and PCG-hosted systems are supported by a team that resolves most issues within hours of being reported.
Yes. Crew certification tracking was a core component of the dispatch system PCG built. The system maintained a record of each crew member's certifications, expiration dates, and training history. For scheduling purposes, this meant the system could confirm that the personnel being assigned to a call held the required certifications for that call type. Expired certifications triggered alerts before dispatch, not after. For ambulance and emergency services operations, that link between credentialing and scheduling is a compliance and liability requirement, not just an operational preference.