Guardly Blog
Do you enjoy helping others? Could you handle an emergency? Would you like to provide extra assistance to those in need? If so, there’s an iPhone app designed to get you involved. In the San Francisco suburb of San Ramon, California, a new iPhone app titled Fire Department is preparing for its launch. The purpose of the application is to allow iPhone users to have access to emergency activity in the community so that help may be provided.
As noted in recent Forbes and TechCrunch articles, this technology empowers the community to help save lives. Notifications are sent to iPhone users with the app, providing details on the emergency and locations of the nearest Automated External Defibrillator (AEDs). This innovative application highlights how smartphones are going above and beyond the basics of calling and texting, to make a difference between life and death.
There couldn’t have been a better time for this app to launch as over the last year the Ontario Legislature has been reviewing Bill 41, the Defibrillator Access Act, 2010. This legislation would mandate AEDs to be installed in all public buildings. Bill 41 is currently in its third reading, and should it be enacted, it would be the first of its kind in Canada. Since 2001, all fifty states in America had enacted defibrillator laws or adopted regulations. The American Heart Association notes that at least 20,000 lives could be saved annually by using AEDs during sudden cardiac arrest. By encouraging the use of AEDs and making them accessible, as many as 50,000 deaths from cardiac arrest could be prevented each year (National Conference of State Legislatures).
Guardly is a strong advocate of personal safety, and with the hopes of Bill 41 being passed in Ontario our application could go beyond alerting your personal safety network to providing immediate assistance that may directly save lives. When handling a cardiac arrest emergency, timing is critical and being aware of the locations of AEDs is crucial. In recent news, a Macleans study indicated that the odds of surviving a cardiac arrest when receiving electrical shocks are higher for individuals who are in a public venue compared to those who are at home. It found that 34% of cardiac arrest victims who received electrical shocks from a defibrillator in public venues survived, versus only 11.6 per cent of those shocked at home.
Guardly understands the importance of AEDs and we hope to partner with companies that can provide that data to incorporate a similar feature to that of Fire Department in our own safety application in the future. For now, Guardly will compliment such apps as Fire Department by allowing users to instantly alert, connect, and then collaborate with their personal safety network when having an emergency. Our mission is to help save lives by reducing the amount of time it takes for responders to react in an emergency. For more information on how the Guardly app works visit the overview section on our company website. Stay safe!
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