A team of four professional firefighters has developed a smartphone app that has the potential to save lives. Their new “ManDown App” is a personal safety app that sends automatic emergency alerts (via text, e-mail and voice) to notify people that the user needs help in case of accident, injury or emergency.
The ManDown App is named for the emergency situation when there is a “man down” and a firefighter is missing, trapped or injured inside a burning building. The team of firefighters created this app to be used by fire departments because of the limitations of current systems, which often only send out a localized audible alarm with no specific ID as to which firefighter is trapped or injured.
“The ManDown App was designed by a team of four professional firefighters with over 100 years of combined experience, and we were inspired to create this app by the real-life scenario of having a firefighter get lost in a building,” said Tom Watson, longtime firefighter and founding partner of the company that developed the app. “We saw an opportunity to build this app, because most of the current downed firefighter notification systems only send out a local audible alarm, but do not identify which firefighter is missing. Our app sends out immediate alerts with the name and location of the person who needs help, which makes it easier to quickly find firefighters and save lives. We also expect the ManDown App to be popular with civilians who want an easy, effective personal safety app or medical alert system.”
The ManDown App is used by firefighters and other first responders, and can be useful for military personnel or for anyone who works alone in potentially hazardous conditions. In the civilian world, the ManDown App can be helpful as a type of medical alert system for senior citizens living alone, people who have mobility issues or health problems, or as a personal safety app for parents to buy for their children to provide peace of mind.
The ManDown App includes the following features:
Low-cost firefighter notification system for fire departments and first responders: More firefighters and first responders are bringing their smartphones with them to every emergency call, as smartphones become ever more connected to people’s daily lives. The ManDown App costs only $1.99, so fire departments can outfit a 100-person fire department for $200. It can serve as an inexpensive downed firefighter notification system that delivers member-specific ID.
Emergency Alerts: When users download the ManDown App, they can add an unlimited number of names and contact details for people that they want to receive alerts in case of emergency. Alerts can be sent via text, e-mail or phone. The alert says simply, “USER’S NAME has had an emergency. Here is their last known location.”
Automatic Personal Safety GPS Tracker: When the user presses the “Activate” button on the ManDown App, the phone will monitor the user’s movements. If the user’s phone is motionless for longer than 30 seconds, a pre-alert will go off. If the user is motionless for a minute, the emergency alerts will be issued, notifying people that the user needs help and communicating the user’s name and GPS location of the user’s phone.
SOS Button: In addition to the automatic motion-sensitive monitoring, the ManDown App also gives users the option to proactively press the “SOS” button to send an immediate alert, unrelated to lack of mobility. This is a great tool for personal safety or medical alerts, as it immediately sends an “SOS” alert to notify others of the user’s location and convey the need for help.
“We already have firefighters using the ManDown App to provide an added level of personal safety while they are on duty fighting fires,” said Tom Watson. “We also believe that many parents will find this app useful to buy for their children as added peace of mind, or for people who have aging parents, or for people who have medical issues and want to be able to issue a quick SOS alert if they need help. This app can serve as a proactive medical alert tool, or as a motion-sensitive monitoring tool. The ultimate goal of the ManDown App is just like our goal as firefighters: to enhance personal safety and save lives.”
The ManDown App is available for $1.99 at the iPhone App Store and Android Market. More details are available at http://www.mandownapp.com
“ManDown App” a New Life-Saving Personal Safety App
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