SPOKANE, Wash.- A new app which will help rescuers locate lost skiers more efficiently has been rolled out at several ski resorts across the inland northwest.
AirFlare is an alpine safety software which utilizes an individual’s cell phone location.
Denis Lee, the app’s cofounder, explained that the digital technology could be used during emergency situations.
“We make it easier for ski patrol and search-and-rescue teams to find you in a mountain environment if you ever need assistance,” Lee said.
While someone spending time in the backcountry for several days may take a satellite locator, most skiers spending a day on the hill do not bring such technologies. AirFlare can help resorts find lost individuals through a device that nearly every person owns, a phone.
“We wind up making the jobs of ski patrol teams a lot easier,” Lee said.
Rather than patrol having to ask a skier where they are, they can now locate that person using the app. In addition to assisting alpine emergency response, the software will help families stay in touch on the mountain.
“We are a search and rescue technology, we make it easier for families and friends to stay connected and share their location when they are out-and-about,” Lee said.
Ski patrol and search-and-rescue now have new a technology to respond to emergencies, and families have a new way to check-in during days on the hill.
