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Haven ushers in a new age of emergency communication and personal safetyNEW YORK, June 27, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --
RapidSOS announced today that Haven, a ground-breaking safety and security app, is now available for download on iOS and Android devices. In an emergency, Haven provides dispatchers and first responders with critical information, accelerating response and saving time and lives. Haven represents a transformation in access to emergency services – from a phone call solely dependent on voice to a robust data connection for voice, text, medical and demographic data, and even live video in some parts of the country.  Haven presents a seamless pipeline for data from an individual's device into 9-1-1 dispatcher systems. Haven replaces a singular copper wire voice connection with a robust data link between users and 9-1-1. With one tap, a user is connected to the nearest dispatch center with voice and a variety of data including GPS location, type of emergency, contact information, and relevant medical and demographic information. Haven also provides universal texting to 9-1-1, a significant breakthrough for the estimated 48 million3 Americans that are deaf or hard of hearing or the 12 million4 Americans that face domestic violence every year. Prior to Haven, people could only send text messages to 6%5 of dispatcher centers across the country. In addition to transmitting advanced data to 9-1-1, Haven also notifies a user's emergency contacts, ensuring that families and communities are connected and informed when they need it most. "This launch marks a transformation in access to emergency services globally. The FCC estimates that 10,120 lives6 are lost each year when callers can't be located. Those lives could be saved with Haven," said Michael Martin, RapidSOS co-founder and CEO. "This is the first part of a technology platform that will drive a complete paradigm shift from emergency response to emergency prediction and preemption, with the ability to impact millions of lives annually." "Technology has transformed our lives over the last fifty years, yet wen we need technology most, we often rely on infrastructure dating to the 1960s. The Haven app changes the face of emergency communication, transmitting advanced data to emergency services across the country and ultimately in over 135 countries globally – all without any new equipment or cost at dispatch centers," said Nick Horelik, RapidSOS co-founder and CTO. "Developed at M.I.T. and Harvard, our technology platform represents over three years of collaborating with leaders from the telecommunications, emergency service and public safety communities. Haven helps bring an antiquated infrastructure into the twenty-first century and provides dispatchers with better tools to continue the extraordinary work they do." The Haven app also includes access to RapidSOS' Family Connect feature. For the first time, users can call 9-1-1 on behalf of a loved one, transmitting their location and other relevant information directly to the dispatch center closest to them. In addition to the emergency capabilities, Family Connect allows users to share their location with loved ones, see family members' real-time locations without the distracting interruptions of phone calls or text messages, and easily and discreetly ask family and friends for help. Haven's advanced data represents the potential to transform emergency outcomes. A major analysis with leading experts showing the ability to drive:7
"This technology is a game changer for public safety," said Dennis Patrick, former Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. " For years the Commission has looked for network and technology improvements to enhance data throughput and reliability. Communicating the location of the caller alone is critical. RapidSOS has met this challenge and more." Pricing & Availability
About RapidSOS 1 National Emergency Number Association. http://www.nena.org/?page=911Statistics
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To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/haven-ushers-in-a-new-age-of-emergency-communication-and-personal-safety-300290360.html SOURCE RapidSOS 
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