Globalstar Europe Satellite Services Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Globalstar Inc. and provider of satellite messaging and emergency notification technologies, has announced that the Lebanese Red Cross, the provider of emergency medical services in Lebanon, is deploying 125 handheld SPOT Gen3 safety devices to enhance the safety of its workers.
The Lebanese Red Cross will be using SPOT Gen3 to track the location of its volunteers and search and rescue teams as they respond to critical emergencies. In such situations, volunteers can simply press an SOS button to send their coordinates over the Globalstar satellite network.
The SPOT Gen3 is a rugged, easy-to-use handheld device that uses the Globalstar next generation LEO satellite network ensuring communications even in areas where there is no mobile phone signal. Each SPOT can be quickly set up to automatically report the user’s location at regular intervals using a ‘check-in’ button, which sends a prepared message to Lebanese Red Cross headquarters indicating that all is OK.
Red Cross managers can also install the SPOT app on their smartphones and tablets to read messages and see where each volunteer is located using Google Maps.
SPOT Gen3’s small size and long battery life make it ideal for remote volunteers in Lebanon’s remote areas and mountains to keep in touch. Numerous aid and emergency management organisations including Disaster Tech Lab already rely on SPOT. SPOT has been used in nearly 4,000 life-saving rescues to date in diverse situations and locations around the world. Examples range from a mountain rescue in Greenland to providing emergency medical relief in Afghanistan.
According to Rodney Eid, assistant director for Crisis Management at Red Cross Lebanon, “Our volunteers and staff are working in some of the most difficult environments across the country. With SPOT Gen3 we will have the reassurance that our hard working team is safe and, if they are in life-threatening situations, they can press a single button and we can quickly respond and work with other emergency services to rescue them.”
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