PreparednessNew Red Cross first aid app brings safety tips to smart phones

The American Red Cross today (Wednesday) launched its official first aid app, putting free lifesaving information in the hands of smart phone users. The Red Cross says this app is the first in a series to be created by the organization. It is also the only first aid app created or endorsed by the American Red Cross for use on both the Android and iPhone platforms.

The app gives instant access to information on how to handle the most common first aid situations, and includes videos and interactive quizzes. Users who take quizzes can earn badges they can share with friends through social media to show off their lifesaving knowledge.

The Red Cross says the app takes critical first aid information normally stored on bookshelves and in pamphlets and places it at the fingertips of tens of millions of individuals. The Red Cross app also includes Red Cross disaster preparedness information for a number of common situations.

“The penetration of personal smart phone ownership in the U.S. has recently risen above 60 percent and will likely soon reach the level of traditional wire line phones,” said Jack McMaster, president, Preparedness and Health and Safety Services at the Red Cross. “The broad availability of this platform opens a new opportunity for us to create custom apps, free of charge, tailored to specific emergencies confronting individuals no matter where they are.”

“The American Red Cross First Aid app is a free and easy way to get lifesaving first aid instruction and disaster preparedness information anytime, anywhere,” said Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council chair Dr. David Markenson. “Everyone should load this onto their smart phone as an important first step in learning what to do for medical emergencies and in creating a family preparedness plan.”

App features include:

• Simple step-by-step instructions for everyday first aid scenarios;
• Prioritized steps to take during an emergency, with 9-1-1 call button;
• Sharable badges to be unlocked through interactive quizzes;
• Videos and animations to make learning first aid easy;
• Safety and preparedness tips for a range of conditions including severe winter weather, hurricanes, earthquakes, and tornadoes;
• Preloaded content that gives instant access to all safety information at any time.

The new, free-to-download app builds on the American Red Cross broader efforts in teaching first aid and lifesaving skills to people across the country. The Red Cross emphasizes that downloading the app is not a substitute for training.