Saving Lives At The Touch Of A Button

It can be annoying when you look around and everyone is glued to their phones.

But when it comes to an emergency, that mobile device could save your life, just by the touch of a button.

There’s an app for just about any interest or need.

But there are also apps available for when you need them the most.

So grab your phone because we discovered some lifesaving apps you may want to start downloading.
 
“I would say Facebook messenger is pretty key for me.”

“Snapchat, Facebook, Pandora those are the ones I use most often.”
 
We use our phones to entertain, communicate, and now app developers are starting to catch on.
 
“That’s where people who develop technology have realized how useful it can really be and how apps can really be more than Facebook or Instagram,” says OnSharp Digital Marketing Director, Abby Boggs-Johnson.
 
“You’d be surprised how many people actually call us and say ok I’m looking for this information and I would say do you have a smartphone, do you have an iPad?” says American Red Cross, Brian Shawn.
 
More than 8 million people have downloaded American Red Cross apps across the country.

A download that’s free and has already saved lives.
 
“His phone started going off saying hey some bad stuff is rolling in on the lake. There’s no sirens there and he actually called some of his neighbors who are elderly,” says Shawn.
 
“The Red Cross even has apps for kids like Monster Guard, where they can play games while learning vital safety tips.”
 
“If you’re feeling unsafe you can hold your finger on your smartphone and if you don’t enter your pin it will alert 911 for you,” says Boggs-Johnson.
 
She’s talking about SafeTrek, just another resource available at the tap of a button.
 
“We see people going on those apps trying to find the nearest shelter, trying to find what I’m supposed to do if I evacuate, what I need to bring,” says Shawn.
 
“People have resources and truly life changing technology truly at their fingertips now,” says Boggs-Johnson.
 
Brian says the Red Cross monitors their apps weekly, sometimes even daily.

He says it’s because so many people rely on these apps, they always look for feedback on how they can improve.