TULSA, Okla. — A new device could help save lives. It’s called, “The Locator.” It helps first responders find the exact location of an emergency.
Johnathan Harrison, founder of the product, was a paramedic in Tennessee in 2009. A new paramedic at the time, he responded to a call of a two-year-old in cardiac arrest in a mobile home park.
When Harrison and his team arrived, there was no mailbox or driveway in sight. Unable to find the location, he began knocking on doors. But when he found the correct home, it was already too late.
“After everything was said and done, it added four minutes to our response time to get to the child and the child didn’t make it.”
Harrison says, four to six minutes can often be the difference between life and death. That’s when he came up with the locator. Essentially, it’s a porch light that blinks red white and blue when you call 9-1-1 through the locator app. It’s used to help first responders easily identify the location of an emergency.
There are more than 240 million 9-1-1 each year. But thousands are delayed often due to addresses either not being displayed properly, or not at all.
“Two of the biggest situations that cause problems are apartment complexes and mobile home parks,” Harrison said.
After 25 years in emergency medicine, Harrison says GPS isn’t always perfect. We’ve reached out to Tulsa Fire Department who said it could be beneficial but, said they wouldn’t be reliant on the device.
Still, Harrison says, it could be a beacon that could help save a life. “Have we had the locator back in 2009, it would have given us four more minutes, I can promise you.”
The device is now open to the public. For more information you visit The Locator 9-1-1 website by CLICKING HERE.
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