New App Can Be a Public Safety Guide During an Emergency
By Jim McKay for Government Technology
As a firefighter, Andrew Leith used to teach the Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) how to prepare for disasters. That morphed into teaching classes for the everyday citizen on being prepared — and that meant delivering the eye-opening news to most of them.
He said he would ask the classes, “Who do you think is coming to help if your house is on fire during an earthquake?” The answer? Nobody. In that scenario, it could prove critical that the resident understand how to turn off the gas. And guess what? Most people don’t know how. So, he developed an app to show them.
The Dwell Secure app is available for free now to anyone with an Android or Apple device.
The app allows the user to enter information on a home or building, upload photos or videos of where things are located, like the gas meter, water meter and electrical panel, and can include sample images on how to turn off utilities.
Upgrades are available for a small cost, which allows the user to include multiple residents or buildings, as well as reminders on when things need to happen.
For instance, Leith includes reminders on his phone about when his wife’s grandmother’s utilities need to be addressed. The reminders pop up on his phone as well as his wife’s and grandmother’s. “I know if I don’t go and address the furnace filter, my wife will bug me about it at dinner,” he said.
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