Help for the Hub SoS SMS App

Rescue hubs offer assistance to drivers stranded in the area that they serve, such as a nature reserve. The driver's vehicle may be stuck in mud, have a flat battery, have run out of fuel, or whatever. The SoS SMS hub app helps the rescue hub to extend a rescue invitation to stranded drivers.

• The stranded driver may phone the rescue hub and ask for assistance. The rescue hub can use the hub app to send a rescue invite to the driver's cellphone. This is in the form of an SMS message (why SMS?) with some explanatory text and an embedded link. When the driver clicks the link, the stranded driver's app opens in their phone. It asks them to enter some details, and uses the geolocation facilities of their cellphone to pinpoint where they are. The app then sends this together with the other information entered by the caller to the rescue hub.
• Alternatively, the rescue hub may include a rescue invite link in the Contact us page of the nature reserve's website. A stranded driver could open the page and click on this invite link to open their rescue app.
• Or the rescue hub can use the hub app to encode the rescue invite as a QR code that they include in a pamphlet handed to visitors on entry to the area that they serve. The stranded driver can scan this QR code with their phone camera and open the invite link that it contains if the need arises.

Configure the rescue hub

The rescue hub needs to designate a cellphone that will receive calls for rescue, and publish its number. The first time the hub opens the hub SoS SMS app on that phone they will be invited to configure the hub. This means entering its name and phone number. The hub app will use geolocation to get the location of the hub. You can review and edit this info any time the hub app is open by clicking on the checkbox in front of the line Check or change your hub configuration. The information that you enter will be recorded by the app.

If the hub phone is initially configured indoors, geolocation may struggle to get good satellite signals. Please click the Show location on map button and check that your location is right. If not, please take the phone outdoors where it has a clear view of the skies and click the click here button to get a fresh location.

Sending an SoS SMS Invite to a Caller

When a driver in trouble calls the hub, the operator who takes the call must enter the caller's cell number into the app as requested, and click the send SMS button. The app will open the normal SMS app with an invitation already present. All the hub operator needs to do is click the Send button.

Responding to an SoS SMS request from a Caller

When a caller gets an SoS SMS invite from the rescue hub and clicks on the link in the SMS it will open the caller's app. This app will get the caller's location and ask them to enter their name, vehicle type, and a short description of the problem that they have. Their app will meantime get their geolocation. They then click their send SMS button and their request, with their location, will flow to the rescue hub's phone as an SMS message (or WhatsApp if the hub has enabled this). When the hub operator clicks on the link in this message, it will open the hub's SoS SMS app with the caller's details and location displayed.

Forwarding the Rescue Request to a Rescue Driver

The hub operator can then click on the Choose map type button to see where the stranded caller is located. Different map types are offered since some work better than others in various circumstances. The hub operator can then confer with the rescue vehicle drivers on duty to find out which one is best able to render assistance. The hub operator should then click the SMS or WhatsApp button. This will open the normal SMS or WhatsApp app. Choose the selected rescue driver from contacts and the the rescue message will appear. Then click the Send button.

View the call log

The hub SoS SMS app keeps a log of all requests for help received with the time and date of the receipt, and also when the request was forwarded to a rescue driver. This log can be viewed online, or downloaded and emailed to perhaps a PC where the log can be accumulated for future reference and analysis, e.g. which roads have caused the most problems and require maintenance. Click the See log button to view the log.