Gadgets Magazine

“Batingaw” Turns Your iOS/Android Phone Into an Emergency Tool

Posted on the 17 June 2014 by Juntar @juntar

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has recently launched its mobile app that turns your iOS or Android phone into a flashlight, strobe light, compass, siren, and a handy reference tool for emergency and disaster.

Batingaw“, the Tagalog term for bell can now be downloaded from App Store and  Play Store for free. It is a product of collaboration among the Office of Civil Defense, Smart Communications, and the developer of “Tudlo,” another program that alerts users of any emergency situations.

I am sharing below some screen grabs of my Android phone after installing and testing the Batingaw app.

event feed

When you open the app, you shall be directed to the Event Feeds as its landing page where posts from registered users can be found.

Phone listing of govt agencies

Clicking the Phone Dialer icon at the upper right of the home page will open the Phone Book where contact numbers of some disaster-response agencies are listed.

Phone numbers

Tapping the names in the Phone Book/Contact List will display the phone numbers of the agency.

Phone calling of agency using phone or skype

You can directly dial the numbers by tapping it and a dialog box will open to complete the action by letting you choose whether to use your phone or a Skype Call(if you install this on your phone).

 

Tools

There are currently eight (8) functions that can be used under the “Tools” of the Batingaw app. You can open the Tools by clicking the icon at the lower left of the home page.

 

Safety tile menu

Choosing the “Safety Tips” will open a tile menu of various types of calamities and emergencies.

 

Tsunami guides

Facts about Tsunami

Flood guides

Facts about flooding

Earthquake guide

Facts about earthquake

 

Siren

The Siren under Tools can be very effective to create sounds when you are trapped under a rubble during earthquake so that rescuers can trace your exact location.

Flashlight app

If your phone has no built-in flash light functionality, the Batingaw App provides a button for flash light using the LED flash of your phone.

strobelight app

The Strobe light is very useful to attract the attention of rescuers or when you try to send a distress signal. It uses the LED flash of your phone.

sending Im Safe SMS

You can send a preset SMS to your predetermined contact to inform you are safe. It will also send a link of the google map of your location.

settings

Here under Setting, you can set your SMS message and the number to receive your I am Safe SMS. You can also set the Siren, Flashlight and Strobelight to start when open without the need to push the button.

Compass app

I haven’t tested much the Compass feature but i believe it works the same as the compass on your iPhone.

Event details

You can add an event on the Batingaw app and it will appear on the Event Feeds or the home page. This requires registration of an account of the app and GPS is needed.

event map

You can also view the Events, including the one you created, under Event Map that uses Google map. This is why a GPS is needed when you create an Event.

Agencies Twitter account menu

Swiping the Event Feed page or the Home page will open the Twitter accounts of some disaster-response agencies.


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