Metro Aviation provides MetroAlert, a smartphone application that facilitates rapid communication from the field for an emergency helicopter transport, to its operations customers free of charge. Since introducing the app, Metro has dedicated a team of developers to increasing its functionality and introducing several customer-suggested features. Recently, Metro rolled out one of the biggest updates to date.
With the latest version, Metro’s family of operations customers can now use their own custom icon for the app to allow for more brand visibility in their respective areas. In the past, the app appeared as a red square with MA in the center for all users, no matter which program they were launching. Now, Metro customers have control of their app icon, making it more intuitive and brand specific.
MetroAlert is a lifesaving tool for first responders and allows them to alert a helicopter with the push of a button, sending their exact GPS coordinates to their respective communication centers. Once the helicopter is launched following local protocols, users have a real-time estimated time enroute (ETE) bar to track the aircraft in flight.
Using a secure transit layer that encrypts protected health information (PHI), first responders can share photos, patient details and other relevant information with hospital staff. Sensitive PHI such as photos are not saved on the device and deleted immediately after being sent.
Users can also pull up resource documents provided by the program, such as how to set up a landing zone, clinical resource documents and local protocols.
“MetroAlert has been a game changer for our operations customers,” said Metro director of business integration Todd Stanberry. “Sending the precise coordinates of the ground crew allows our aircraft to save time when flying to rural areas. One instance resulted in a five-mile variance between the location reported by the first responder versus the actual location per the app. That variance might very well have been the determining factor in whether a life was saved.”
MetroAlert has always been a value-added service for operations customers and will continue to evolve as customers needs and wants change to meet industry demands.
“We are dedicated to our customers’ success and will continue to do everything in our power to equip them with the tools they need to do their jobs safely and efficiently,” said Stanberry.
