F
atima, Diana, and Oscar, what did these three people have in common? Before the 2017 earthquake in Mexico City, they had nothing in common. After the earthquake, a transcendental event brought them together. The three of them survived the earthquake after they led rescue workers to find them beneath the rubble. How were they found?Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth gives way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.
Psalms 46:2
The earth crumbled over their heads and I am sure that God protected them, so they would not be injured. But God also aided them by leading the rescue workers to their location, thanks to the most utilized social network on the planet: WhatsApp.
WhatsApp helped reveal the location of many people in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, proving once more, that technology can be a useful instrument during emergencies. It is imperative that you be prepared. With these 5 applications that can save your life during an emergency, , you will be safer and will be able to ask for help when you find yourself in danger.
1. Facebook
In June of 2016, Facebook, which by the way is the owner of WhatsApp, announced that it would for its users during an emergency.
To this end, the following capabilities were developed:
- Alert friends and family that you are okay
- Check if friends and family are safe within the affected zone
- Share on your biography what you know about a person’s safety
When Facebook identifies an area affected by a natural disaster or social threat, for example, in case of a terrorist attack, it activates the emergency safety check. It gives it priority so that you can respond according to your current situation.
Confirm that you are safe. That way, you can avoid putting your Friends and family at risk.
2. FEMA
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, has created a mobile application to notify, educate, prevent, and respond in case of natural disasters or social emergencies.
The application uses your GPS coordinates to locate you, it allows you to add up to 5 locations in order to receive alerts via text messages, and it even informs you of nearby shelters where you can go to for safety.
The application links to the FEMA blog so that you can learn about best prevention practices and stay informed and up to date in case any threating situations arise in your location.
Plan your safety. That way, you will know how to act in case of emergency.
3. bSafe
You have surely found yourself in the following scenario: a friend or relative leaves your home late and you want to make sure they made it back home safely. Therefore, you ask them to let you know, but on occasion they don’t, be it out of forgetfulness or neglect.
bSafe solves this situation. But in addition, it allows you to set up a group of people as your guardians, or your safety circle. With a touch of an SOS button, you can notify them that you are in a dangerous situation and allow them to know where you are more efficiently than WhatsApp’s messages.
Another one of bSafe’s functions allows you to create fake phone calls that can get you out of dangerous situations. You can set up to receive a call immediately, or within a given time frame.
Share your security situation; your guardians will intervene in your favor.
4. First Aid
Train yourself to provide first aids with First Aid app from the American Red Cross. With First Aid, you will find instructions for several emergency situations that include situations such as:
- Allergy and asthma attacks
- Fractures caused by trauma
- Burns
- Poisoning
- Cardiac or respiratory arrests
- Snake bites
The application includes short, step by step, instructional videos that will enable you to respond in a variety of situations.
SHowever, the biggest advantage of First Aid is that it contains an extensive database that utilizes your GPS location to connect you to the nearest hospitals, or health clinics. It allows you to call 911 attaching information related to the type of emergency.
Answer with certainty, get ready to help others in danger.
5. Emergency Notifications
If you have a company, or run an institution, if you are the pastor of a church or Christian school, it is advisable for you to take control of the notifications you can send out in case of an emergency.
There are specialized systems you can implement so that others can take the necessary measures during an event. These systems allow you to send an SMS message, email, or pre-recorded voice messages by phone.
Examples of these systems are Blackboard Mass Notifications or RapidReach.
Communicate safety with mass notification systems.
Practice what you’ve learned: look for the safety application that is most useful in your region and install right away. Install the applications recommended in this article. It’s better to be safe now than sorry later.
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