France made an app to alert their citizens of terror attacks
After a wave of terror hit Europe — including disgusting attacks in Paris — the French government is taking a lot of steps to help keep their citizens safe. One of those steps was revealed today in the form of an app.
Called SAIP — or system to alert and inform the population — the app can alert the user of terrorist attacks in 1 of 8 geographical locations. You’ll receive a standard notification if you’re not in the area, but if you’re unfortunate enough to be in the vicinity the app will bring up a full paged alert no matter which other app you’re in.
The alerts are delivered by the country’s civil protection arm, and all alerts are verified by the Interior Ministry before they go out. The country says alerts of terror activities will come in under 15 minutes. That may be too late for some of those unfortunate enough to be within the direct target area of the attack, but should be fast enough to ensure others are staying safe.
Alongside an alert, the app will give you advice on taking shelter during attacks. Most of the time you’ll simply want to stay home and lock your doors, but we imagine certain attacks will require more unique instructions.
This app is great not only for those living in France but also those who have friends and families living in or visiting the country. It’ll let you know whether your loved one is safe or not and give you the chance to contact them as soon as something happens.
Obviously, this app alone can’t do much to prevent the attacks in the first place, but it’s a nice tool to ensure you’re fully aware of the goings-on in the event that something does happen. Google Play has it right here.
[Interior Ministry of France via Engadget]]