CHENNAI: The next time you need to call an ambulance, you won’t have to waste time telling them your name or where you are located. By installing a new android app, GVK-EMRI’s 108 emergency service, which operates ambulances along with the State government, will know where you’re calling from using your smartphone’s GPS.
“It’s a very simple app that ascertains your location first and as soon as you hit the ‘call for help’ button, it transmits your latitude and longitude to our emergency operator, who will send it on to the closest ambulance,” explains Prabhudoss B, GVK-EMRI’s regional manager. The caller’s location shows up on the ambulance driver’s map, leading them straight to the emergency.
Presently, 108 receives a massive volume of over 22,000 calls a day, for various emergencies — with pregnancy and road traffic accidents topping the list. Given that people have taken to budget smartphones like fish to freshwater, this app will certainly make things a whole lot easier.
“Not only will this cut down on our response time, it will also help our ambulance pilots reach callers without worrying about whether they’re giving the right directions, says Prabhudoss adding that, “The GPS signal will be interfaced with the tablets in their vehicles and will lead them straight to the location.”