News
MedFlight Launches First Responder Mobile App
By: Sarah Hawley | Athens Messenger staff reporter
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A new mobile application launched by medical helicopter company MedFlight will help connect first responders to MedFlight crews and dispatchers in situations where a helicopter may be needed.
The MedFlight Metro Alert app allows for those on the scene of an accident or other emergency to connect directly with MedFlight relaying necessary information.
There is already a desktop app which is utilized by Athens County 911 according to director Dan Pfeiffer. The desktop app allows for dispatchers to in effect text with the flight crew and their dispatch team to pass on necessary and helpful information.
One change when going with the mobile app is that it will utilize the GPS coordinates from the phone automatically to let MedFlight know an exact location of where they are to be landing.
According to information from MedFlight, MedComm will be able to directly communicate with app users in a secure text message thread to provide estimated arrival times and updates so responders can make the best transport decisions for the patient as quickly and safely as possible. It can also provide pictures from the scene without storing them to the device. A countdown clock will allow for those at the landing site to know when the helicopter is approaching and how much time before it arrives.
Athens County Fire Association President Dale Sinclair stated that the app had not yet been discussed at a countywide level for fire department use on Wednesday.
The mobile app will not bypass the need for those on scene to contact their local dispatcher, but Pfeiffer stated that the local dispatch would be connected into the conversation between MedFlight and those on scene.
The MedFlight Metro Alert app is the first of its kind in Ohio, and available for Apple or Android devices. The app is only available for Ohio EMS, fire, hospital and dispatch personnel and is not available for private use.