The Kaikoura quake inspired Auckland's Blerter to release a free beta version of its RollCall service, which can be enabled after downloading its Blerter app (find it on Apple’s AppStore and Google Play).
It’s a simple but effective smartphone app for keeping tabs on staff, classmates or loved ones in an emergency situation.
You write a quick explanation as to what happened (“Earthquake in central New Zealand”) and any advice that might be appropriate (“Tsunami alert in place – avoid coastal areas”).
A notification is sent to your audience (or a chosen subset).
Once participants confirm their status, the manager will see in real-time who is safe and who needs help.
If a participant responds with “Not safe,” the manager will receive a notification and can access details including the exact location of the person (which is gauged from their phone’s GPS).
A participants’ overview page shows exactly who is safe, who needs help and who hasn’t responded yet.
It's something of a comeback for Blerter (formerly Cloud M), which in June saw its alerting app dropped by Civil Defence Auckland in favour of one developed offshore by the Red Cross, which was offered at no cost.
At the time, Civil Defence Minister Nikki Kaye (now on leave for breast cancer treatment) told NBR that a txt-based system could be a better solution for mass public use than an app which would only be downloaded by a certain percentage of the population.
Today, Acting Civil Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee reiterated the government was looking at a txt-based cellphone alert system (NBR understands Spark, Vodafone and 2degrees may be required to auto-txt customers in an affected area).
Mr Brownlee admitted there were problems with delays and alerts following Monday's Kaikoura quake. Officials have told him it could take 18 months for a better system to be in place.
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Blerter's RollCall lets you track, locate staff during an emergency
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