Access to timely and actionable information during a ciris is of importance. If such kind of information is available, people can provide timely help and save more people from dangerous situation. Working alongside trained responders and volunteers on the ground, technology is crucial to providing information to help keep you and your loved ones safe and informed SOS alert is a new fantastic feature of Google, which puts emergency information about disasters in relevant search results and Maps locations, and helps people in a crisis. Let’s discuss it in details.
How Google’s SOS alert works?
During a crisis, you may see SOS alert at the top of search results when searching for the incident or location during the crisis. You’ll see maps, top stories, emergency phone numbers, relevant websites and updates from local officials. Depending on how close you are to the affected area, you may also get notified on your mobile device that directs you to this information.
Google’s SOS alert is a great way to help you quickly understand what’s going on and decide what to do during a crisis. In some cases, it may send out push alerts to people in a disaster area directing them to information. This alert feature has been active for two years, and now Google is updating the information you receive by adding visual information about natural disasters and a new navigation warning system on Google Maps so you can anticipate where the disaster headed.
For hurricanes, earthquakes and floods, Google will offer real-time updates, like road closures and traffic and transit updates, and detailed visual information. For instance, if a hurriance is headed your way, Google will forecaset a route, and in the days before the storm, you will get a crisis notification card if you’re in or near the affected areas. It provides a trajectory and estimated time of when the storm will hit as well as how to plan.
Other than that, in the aftermath of an earthquake, a shakemap will show the epicenter and magnitude, and color coding will inform you of any shaking in surrounding areas. If there’s a crisis in your area, Google Maps will update your route to avoid the disrupted area.
This feature seem to be Google’s answer to Facebook’s safety check feature, which provides information about a disaster and allows people to quickly notifiy friends and family that they’re safe during a disaster. However, Facebook safety feature can be pretty annonying. For example, in New York, occasional subway derailments can lead to distant friends and relatives requesting to know if you’re safe. While the reality is you probably just got annoyed and walked to the next station.
Thankfully, Google SOS feature is a less annoying version as it has its feature be informational only. The updates on Google’s SOS alerts will take effect in the next few weeks.
How Trackmobi helps people during an emergency?
Similar to Google’s SOS alert feature, Trackmobi has inbuilt emergency SOS feature that helps people from dangerous situation. It’s a reliable and comprehensive family locator app, in combination with GPS tracking system and cellular signal, to track your family member by phone number. Family manager can synchronize your family members into a private group by entering the phone number, it works on all mobiles and tablets running Android OS and shows real-time and precise location on the map.
In case of emergency, one can send emergency message with current location to emergency contacts. Once the alert is triggered, family members will be notified of the problem in real time, how they are alerted depends on the types of notification selected. By default, they will receive a push notification on the mobile application.
If one of your loved ones did not make response to the emergency, it will try to call another one. Emergency personnel also can know your whereabouts and rescue you. If you have set up nearby notification, it send push alerts when your family is nearby.
Thus, you don’t need to text or call your family member frequently, asking where they are located. You’ll be able to find the location of your family members at given time, especially during an emergency, then act quickly.
Conclusion
Google’s SOS alert provides real-time updates and information about disasters and help people in a crisis. While Trackmobi is also an extraordinary tool to help take care of your loved ones, wherever they are. You can find someone by phone number online and bring the whole family closer. Feel free to do some functional tests before installing trackers on your family member’s device, so that everyone is sure they understand how this alerts works.
