Emergency services to go social?

A new app has hit cyberspace this week, allowing people to send pictures and information about crisis situations direct to the emergency services as and when they happen. Elerts, a young digital company established last year has unveiled the iPhone app this week, with plans to launch versions for the iPad, and other android devices.

The app works by allowing registered users to send a message, along with images and the GPS location of the device. A team of volunteers has been established to validate messages in a bid to avoid prank calls and false alarms, before then posting the emergency communication on a Twitter feed for the US state in which the situation is taking place. The hashtag #SMEM (Social Media Emergency Manager) will enable emergency services, and the public, to be aware of, and respond to live issues. Social Media Emergency Management is a growing profession in the US and has seen a steep rise in the number of people hired by public service providers to scour the internet, in particular social networks, to help respond to emergency situations.

Elerts' Chief Executive Ed English commented that improving public safety by enlisting the help of the public is at the heart of the new development. "People are camera happy right now, and if they see something, they're capturing it and transmitting it".

At a time when recording and posting information online has had overwhelmingly negative connotations, this new system is refreshingly positive in its approach and purpose. Elerts is only available in the US, but we believe it is likely that similar systems will soon be introduced across other parts of the globe. If successful, the system will enable social media to become socially responsible - providing a new twist in the development and usage of online networks.

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