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GPS Keeps Eye On Super VIPs

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By RICHARD MULLINS

rmullins@tampatrib.com

Published: January 12, 2009

TAMPA - Among the thousands of people coming to Tampa for the Super Bowl, some count as serious VIPs: Players, team owners, celebrities.

One Oklahoma company now has the task of tracking where those people go - exactly - down to the yard.

Using a form of hyper-accurate GPS system, U.S. Fleet Tracking will keep tabs on between 80 and 100 limousines, buses and vans carrying VIPs across the Tampa Bay area during Super Bowl week.

Team owners, for instance, can dial into the system from any Internet-connected computer to watch where their team buses are going and when.

"We can tell people that a specific bus full of players is about to turn the corner at the end of the block, so start rolling the cameras," said Jerry Hunter, chief executive of U.S. Fleet Tracking Corp.

Normally, the company provides such tracking systems for companies such as shippers, plumbers, ambulance contractors and even husbands or wives who suspect a cheating spouse.

For instance, for last year's Super Bowl in Phoenix, the system tracked a big-name musician the night before the game, and noted more than 20 different bars he visited to make appearances.

This is the third year the company has used such a system during Super Bowls.

For Tampa, the company will issue dozens of cell phone-size GPS beacons to van, bus and limo drivers. Every few seconds, the beacons send a message to U.S. Fleet Tracking with precise latitude and longitude data: speed, location and distance traveled. A "breadcrumb" feature shows the path a vehicle traveled over the past few days.

The system can then overlay that data on city maps and satellite imagery to see just what lane a van or bus is driving, and merge it with traffic data to see whether there's a detour necessary.

There will be four control centers with big-screen TVs showing vehicle locations.

Normally, the system costs about $400 for a beacon installed in a vehicle, plus a monthly fee of about $30.

For the Super Bowl, the company provides the service free.

As for watching celebrities and athletes move about, that's just for authorized people in the NFL or security details. The public at large won't have access to screens showing anyone's location.

Reporter Richard Mullins can be reached at (813) 259-7919.

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