Looking for an SMS Panic Button app

Posted by BrianRepinski

on 9 Jul 2019 9:46 AM

We're an org of about 25 people and we would like a simple iOS and Android app that we can use to send predefined SMS messages in case of an emergency. I'm not having much luck finding something that fits what I'm looking for. Do any of you use an app like this, or have any recomendations?

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Posted by Christian_SEO

on 9 Jul 2019 11:22 PM

I'm interested in your project. Can I ask what kind of emergency it would be used for?

I am just wondering if the person would see something happening to others and then use it, or if they were being attacked and need to use it.

I just checked the Play Store and it looks like they have several apps that may do what you need. I am looking at one called iCrisis and it says it will send out a distress call.

If an app does not permit the sending of a pre-defined SMS message, the way around that would be to get a phone number from a service like Twilio and configure the number to send an SMS message when someone dials the number. You could even have it send different messages depending on the phone number of the caller with a little bit of programming. And it could include the callers CID and possibly GEO location information.

If it was ok to use a browser, you could use a link on a web page to trigger the SMS message.

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Posted by BrianRepinski

on 10 Jul 2019 7:11 AM

Thanks for the suggestions! We're a Jewish org and just went through active shooter training. Our phone system isn't very intuitive, so I was thinking about an app on our smartphones that had a single button that you could press and it would send a predefined SMS to a group so we wouldn't have to rely on people making a page. We have physical panic buttons, but not everywhere. Our facility is small enough that yelling would be enough to get someone coming to your aid.

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Posted by kyletheguy9009

on 16 Jul 2019 9:29 PM

I think there are a few apps already offering this kind of service, but the ones I've tried makes an instant call to an emergency contact. But overall, I think this is a great idea.

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Looking for an SMS Panic Button app

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