New First Aid App Brings American Red Cross Safety Tips to Smart Phones

Editor's Note: The following is a news release issued by the American Red Cross.

The American Red Cross has launched its official first aid app, putting free and simple lifesaving information right in the hands of smart phone users. 

This app is the first in a series to be created by the American Red Cross, the nation’s leader in first aid and emergency preparedness information. It’s also the only first aid app created or endorsed by the American Red Cross for use on both the Android and iPhone platforms. It gives instant access to information on how to handle the most common first aid situations, and includes videos and interactive quizzes. Users who take quizzes can earn badges they can share with friends through social media to show off their lifesaving knowledge.

Due to the rapid increase in smart phone users, the app takes critical first aid information normally stored on bookshelves and in pamphlets and places it at the fingertips of tens of millions of individuals – which will save lives. The Red Cross app also includes trusted Red Cross disaster preparedness information for a number of common situations.

“American Red Cross First Aid app users have expert advice in the palm of their hands,” said Kathleen Pearson, service delivery manager with American Red Cross Preparedness, Health and Safety Services. “The app is simple to use and will aid those in an emergency, whether it’s in the backyard, in the conference room or anywhere in-between.”

“The American Red Cross First Aid app is a free and easy way to get life-saving first aid instruction and disaster preparedness information anytime, anywhere,” said Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council chair Dr. David Markenson. “Everyone should load this onto their smart phone as an important first step in learning what to do for medical emergencies and in creating a family preparedness plan.”

App features include:

• Simple step-by-step instructions for everyday first aid scenarios;
• Prioritized steps to take during an emergency, with 9-1-1 call button;
• Sharable badges to be unlocked through interactive quizzes;
• Videos and animations to make learning first aid fun and easy;
• Safety and preparedness tips for a range of conditions including severe winter weather, hurricanes, earthquakes and tornadoes;
• Preloaded content that gives instant access to all safety information at any time.

The app is free and available for iPhone and Android users. Find the app in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store for Android by searching for American Red Cross.

The new app builds on the American Red Cross legacy of teaching first aid and life-saving skills to people across the country. An average of more than 9 million people a year receive Red Cross training in first aid, water safety and other skills that help save lives.

Downloading the app is not a substitute for training. To learn more about American Red Cross first aid or register for a course, visit redcross.org/takeaclass.

About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies more than 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or join our blog at blog.redcross.org.