New phone app could save lives

IF you or your children have a smart phone, one application which could help save your life is the Daniel Morcombe Emergency Help Me Button mobile application.

The app works by sending GPS coordinates to two designated mobile numbers when someone is feeling distressed or unsafe to help locate them.

Speaking at Kingston College last week, child safety advocate Denise Morcombe urged all students to download the app.

"If you feel like you are in danger, just press the help button and it will send a text message to two people that you have nominated which says 'help me, I am in danger," she said.

"The app is not a tracking device.

"When you press that emergency button, it will only show where you are at that moment."

Mrs Morcombe said the app also allowed users to record any suspicious activity they might see which they could then report to police or an adult at a later time.

"If you see something which is a bit out of the ordinary, you can key that information into your phone," she said.

"For example, you can record a cars licence plate, the colour of the car and the model.

"You can also record how many people were in the car and what gender they were."

The app also features a list of helpful numbers, safety tips and videos.

It can also be used for medical emergencies and conditions, personal accidents, car breakdowns or overseas travel.

The Daniel Morcombe Emergency Help Me Button mobile app costs 99 cents from the Apple store to download.

For more information about the Daniel Morcombe Foundation or the Daniel Morcombe Emergency Help Me Button mobile application, log onto www.danielmorcombe.com.au.