Mobile Apps for Emergency Management

I was thinking that Thanksgiving might not be the best day to roll out my next "big idea."  But, I've got the time, and now is as good as any to suggest:  We need to establish mobile applications of emergency management information and resources.

 

Why is that?  For one, just having a smart phone and having access to the internet is not good enough these days.  People expect that you will tailor your content to their mobile devices and uses.  Did you know that in five years mobile internet users are predicted to exceed desktop internet users!  Just another predictor of the future, "Pizza Hut expects that soon up to half of all its orders will come from mobile devices." 

 

I'm not going to be the techie who will make this happen, but I can think of some types of information that would make for good emergency management mobile applications.  For instance:

 

• Games for children, teens and adults that have people preparing for disasters, getting out of disaster situations, reporting disaster damages
• An application for submitting your damage estimate to your local office of emergency management
• Preparedness information that is quick and dirty.  Info for the car, work and home
• Scaled down situation reports that tell people what is going on when disasters strike
• First aid and CPR tips
• Quick apps for special situations:

        -Flooded Home

        -Landslides

        -Shelter in place

 

This is a situation where I think that "if you build it--they will come." 

 

If anyone has something cooking already on mobile apps share that with me so I can pass it along to other emergency managers.  We'd love to copy what you are doing!