By EMS1 Staff
TULARE, Calif. — A California man is developing a mobile app designed to alert first responders and the public when there is an active shooter nearby.
Robert Gomez, a farm equipment manufacturer, created the Hive Protector App in the hopes of notifying nearby responders and civilians of danger more quickly in order to minimize the casualties of a mass shooting event, FOX26 reported.
“It takes minutes and minutes and minutes that are passing, and plus all the adrenaline, and you’re scared – you’re not knowing where you’re at, you’re just frightened because of what’s happening,” Gomez said. “With this, a push of the button will simultaneously let law enforcement, if they have it on their phone, know what’s happening before the dispatcher even calls them.”
When activated, the app sends an alert to all users in a 10-mile radius, based on mobile location services.
In addition to sending out the location-based alert, the app calls 911 immediately and begins recording video and audio. Gomez said users can also report that a shooter is in a specific area, like a store at a mall, and the notification may prevent members of the public from going to that area.
Gomez said he hopes to launch the app by February.
“The 911 dispatchers, they do their best, but they need a helping hand as well,” Gomez said.