Emergency Smart Phone Apps

October 12, 2010, By Steve McFarlane 2 comments

Whether you are in a medical emergency or staring down the barrel of an approaching tornado, you will be happy you downloaded these emergency smart phone apps to help you figure out what to do as well as to get instructions and status updates from emergency services.

Pocket First Aid & CPR Guide

The CPR guide has tons of information to help first responders administer CPR or treat bites, burns, seizures and diabetic emergencies. The app also stores instructional videos on how to deal with cuts, choking, wounds, etc. Upload insurance and medical information for each member of the family as well as yourself so EMS (emergency medical services) will know what medications you are taking and what pre-existing conditions you are being treated for, so they can better help you. The developers of this app brandish the fact that the app helped a Haiti earthquake victim survive for more than 68 hours by using instructions from the program to treat his wounds. Based on user reviews and feedback, this app is saving lives.

Available for: iPhone

Cost: $3.99

Emergency Radio

This is a great app for accessing the radio feed of your local fire, police, EMS and other emergency services to stay in touch with what’s going on. Emergency Radio sorts the list of available feeds in terms of their distance from your current location. Having this app on your smart phone is not only a handy way to stay in the know, but it can also give you critical information and instructions from emergency services in the event of a disaster or other emergency situation. If you can’t find the feed you want, the developers will try to add the new feed once you make a request.

Available for: iPhone

Cost: $0.99

In Case of Emergency (ICE)

This is an app that could save your life by making critical information available to emergency personnel, even if you are unconscious. It stores important information on your medical history, who to call in case of an emergency, your insurance info, what medications you are taking as well as the contact information for your family members and medical doctor.

Available for: Android and Blackberry

Price: $3.99

Droid 911

If you are stuck in a strange place with car trouble or you simply need to reach the nearest emergency service, Droid 911 can help. Android smartphone users can use this app to find the nearest police and fire stations, hospitals, tow trucks, auto repair shops, gas stations and ATM machines, based on which is closest to your location. Those who tend to run out of money or who worry about emergency situations in strange places should not leave home without this app on their smart phone.

Available for: Android

Price: $1.30

WeatherBug

This is an easy way to get weather alerts, seven-day and hourly forecasts, radar maps and international weather info on your smart phone. Knowing that you will get updates on severe weather situations is particularly reassuring, considering the fact that those situations can be life threatening. The app uses GPS to determine what information to automatically display, so you will have the information that is relevant to your current location as you travel.

Available for: Android, Palm OS and Blackberry

Cost: There is a free version, but you could pay up to $9.99 for some versions.

We all hope for the best, but life can really throw you some curve balls. Prepare yourself to deal with medical and personal emergencies, natural disasters, and a host of other unforeseen situations with these handy emergency smart phone apps.