The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is threatening communities across the world. Getting information to the right person quickly can both protect and save lives. We are all in this crisis together, and it necessitates us working together in our communities.
Communication between the general public and authorities is key, but sharing of actionable information isn’t always easy. So, how can we fix that problem? We can empower citizens to contribute and enable authorities to act. What if municipalities had the ability to crowdsource information digitally from the community during this pandemic? What if crowdsourced information could help community leaders get ahead of the COVID-19 spread? Hexagon has a solution – and is offering free trials and discounted subscriptions to local governments to help communities during this event.
Reporting of problems related to COVID-19 must be quick and easy. In turn, this helps local authorities to resolve situations more effectively. Maintaining an open line of location-based information between the local authorities and citizens could be an important factor in preventing the spread of COVID-19 and maintaining the health of communities.
Hexagon’s Mobile Alert is a cloud-based service that provides crowdsourced location information to subscribing organizations such as local governments or utilities. Citizens can download and use Mobile Alert on iOS and Android devices for free to send information to authorities.
Traditionally, citizens and governments have used Mobile Alert to report and manage issues involving anything from graffiti and illegal trash dumping to potholes, burned-out streetlights, or broken signage. A great recent example is how Lodz University of Technology collects information from students, faculty, staff, and local residents to improve its campus. These same capabilities could be used to report COVID-19 related issues, such as locations where there is a shortage of supplies or where illegal gatherings or social distancing rules are not being observed.
The solution could aid in reducing the burden on critical services during this crisis. By offering citizen reporting of non-critical issues using the mobile app, crisis management phone lines are offloaded and thus available for critical life or health issues. It also provides citizens with an opportunity to help their communities.
The process to go live is fast and easy. Most solutions can be up and running within days or even hours. Hexagon provides the total cloud-hosted solution, including the hosting environment, processing logic, and downloadable application. All citizens need to do is download and use the app. Local government agencies receive notifications, can analyze the information in a dynamic map-based dashboard, and can relay information back to the community as needed. Government officials and community leaders can use this information to create policies and take measures to increase the public’s safety.
Hexagon is offering free trials and discounted subscriptions to local governments to help communities during this event. Since we can’t band together physically, we should use the available technology to band together virtually and prevent the COVID-19 spread as much as we can.
Please contact us for more information. We’re willing and able to partner with our government colleagues to find a solution that works best for their communities.
