Pebble puts smartwatches to emergency work with first-responders

The words "first responders" came to the forefront in the aftermath of the September 11th terrorist attacks. However, it really just describes the medical, fire and police people who rush to the scene of any problem, hoping to save lives and property. These men and women need every advantage they can get, and modern technology continues to aid them in their work.

You may think of the smartwatch as something that displays the time and messages for you, but it can be a lot more in some cases. Pebble, the former darling of Kickstarter, is now helping these folks out by bringing the CommandWear app to its platform.

"Today we’re proud to share news that CommandWear -- a platform for using technology to keep first responders heads-up and hands-free when out in the field -- now integrates with Pebble and is live in our appstore for Android devices", says Pebble.

CommandWear specifically redesigned its app to make the best use of the watch, allowing those who need immediate information to get it with a glance at the wrist. "At festivals, concerts and other large public events, noise levels can be at a height where you can’t hear yourself think, let alone hear radio communications,” explains Rod Salem, Director of Emergency Management Operations at BC Ambulance. “We have tried a number of different products, such as headsets similar to what pilots wear. Although they solve the noise issue, they are cumbersome and not conducive to caring for patients in the field".

A vibration on the wrist allows these folks to be alerted to important notifications that could be missed due to noise levels at events. It's good to see the company giving a bit back to the community in this way.