WASHINGTON — A new app is promising to provide emergency responders a user’s precise location inside a building.
The makers of the app, 911HelpSMS, said it would be particularly suitable for students, and it will provide children an extra layer of security.
“The software basically will type your location for you so that it speeds up the process. It also prevents mistakes (when) you’re in a state of panic,” said Minh Tran, founder of Safety Now Solutions, which developed the app.
The app can detect embedded location data in the Wi-Fi signal, which would then be relayed to 911. Also, bar codes of precise coordinates could be placed in fixed locations, such as classrooms, which could be scanned by a smartphone and sent to 911.
911HelpSMS includes various features, including one called Walk Safely, “where the student can actually have parents or friends watch them while they’re walking or jogging, in real time,” Tran said.
The app is available for iPhone and Android systems.
See how the app works:
