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“911 Where There Is None”

INNOVATIVE 911 SERVICE PROMISES TO SAVE LIVES IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

NEW YORK, NY – International nonprofit Trek Medics International has developed a cellphone-based
emergency dispatch system for communities where a lack of emergency communications leads to extremely high
rates of premature death among children and young adults.

The 911 emergency dispatching system known as BEACON, was originally conceived by Trek Medics
volunteers after several harrowing transports of critically ill infants in the 2010 Haiti earthquake aftermath.
“Another paramedic and I had nearly identical transports where it took us literally hours to move these
really sick babies just a few miles by car, and it was all the more difficult because we knew basic care at a hospital
would turn them around. During this whole trip it just became very clear that an ambulance service like we have in
North America simply wasn’t possible, even if they had the money to pay for all of it.”

Nearly three years later, the all-volunteer group completed the development of BEACON, a 911 emergency
dispatching system that uses simple text messages to send emergency responders to help when and where they’re
needed – whether by ambulance, taxi, pick-up or even donkey-cart. BEACON does not attempt to recreate westernstyle
ambulance services in communities that cannot afford them; the software system serves to coordinate readily
available resources.

“People are already transporting the sick and injured, and have been since long before ambulances came
onto the scene”, added Dr. Kevin Munjal, Trek Medics’ Medical Director. “We’re hoping to offer something that
can help improve coordination and prevent premature deaths without relying on North American or European
models.”

Feasibility and portability are part of BEACON’s simplicity, said software developer, Michael Ryave.
“Almost any basic laptop built within the last 15 years can support BEACON for an entire community on
any telecommunications network,” he said. “And with nearly 80 percent of the world now with access to mobile
phones, we have a real opportunity to improve the quality of essential emergency care for millions of people. But for
this to have the impact it can, we have to make it both robust and flexible, in order to meet the needs of very
different communities. And testing costs money,” he said.

“We really have a great need for funding to expand testing and improve BEACON’s performance across a
range of locations and cultures,” said Friesen. “Our initial testing in Haiti has shown very good results, but we still
have work to do. While BEACON is technically a mobile software, it’s not an ‘app’ – it’s really a public utility,
911,” he said.

In order to expand testing for the new system, Trek Medics has launched a crowd-funding campaign
through October 6, on the popular website IndieGoGo.com, and have already raised over $10,000 of their $75,000
goal. The funds will be used to stand up pilot programs in three locations in Latin America and the Caribbean,
including Haiti.

“We hope that by donating to this effort you not only can play a major part in helping us improve care for
the injured and prevent many premature deaths, but we also want to offer supporters some really cool ways to be a
part of what we’re doing, so we’ve included a lot of excellent rewards donated by very talented people to show our
appreciation,” Friesen said. “We would even be happy to take a few people along to see all the good work our folks
are doing.”

To read more and contribute to the BEACON crowd-funding campaign, please visit Trek Medics’
campaign page on IndieGoGo.com: http://igg.me/at/trekmedics-beacon

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