BEACON is an open-source, text message-based emergency medical dispatching platform designed by Trek Medics International, and specifically for communities where consistent ambulance response is not available. By relaying requests for assistance from the scene of an emergency to trained responders throughout the community via text message, Beacon enables the nearest available emergency care providers to quickly locate, treat, and transport emergency victims to local hospitals.

A Need For Urgent Innovation

Right now there are 4-5 billion mobile phone subscribers in the developing world who have no way to call for help in the event of an emergency using a number like 9-1-1. Yet, according to the World Bank, “Nowhere is the demand for efficient communication and rapid transportation more critical than in emergency medical care.”[i]

About The Platform

Developed in partnership with Vision Point Systems (Blacksburg, VA), Beacon mimics the conventional emergency dispatch technologies used in the wealthiest systems, but relies on personal devices to offer a cost-effective solution that’s both scalable and sustainable.

Additional Emergency Dispatch Features

• Low-tech set-up — A single internet connected-device is required to launch
• Universal accessibility — Can be used on any mobile phone, whether smartphone or feature phone, with or without internet connectivity for daily operations
• Easy-to-use interface — Text message interactions require minimal input, are easily followed and predictable; responsive Admin and Dispatch interface makes platform accessible from any smartphone
• Automated control – After creating the initial alert, all resource coordination is automated, eliminating the need for dispatchers to micromanage individual resources
• Low-maintenance operations — No need to download apps or worry about updates; just register the Responder’s mobile phone number and they’re ready to go
• Modular architecture for easy customization — Beacon v2.0 has been re-built using a modular architecture to enable custom changes to message content and response sequence workflow
• Remote access or local installation — The Beacon platform is open source and freely available. However, not everyone has software programmers on staff, so we can make Beacon available to you at a nominal cost via access to our remote servers. For installation on local servers, we’re also available to discuss more

[i] Kobusingye O, Hyder A, Bishai D, et al. “Emergency Medical Services.” In: Jamison D, ed. Disease Control Priorities Project. 2011 Chap. 68, p.1261–1279.