Response system with emergency response equipment locator

Abstract

This document relates to systems and techniques for providing response to emergency situations, such as traffic accidents, cardiac arrest, or other medical emergencies. The systems and techniques include systems and techniques for identifying and accessing emergency response equipment during a medical emergency.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 receiving a request for emergency services and receiving information that identifies a location associated with the request;   identifying, from among a plurality of individuals registered as potential responders, one or more registered individuals who are currently nearest to the identified location;   identifying one or more pieces of emergency response equipment nearest to the identified location;   identifying registered individuals associated with the identified emergency response equipment; and   transmitting, to one or more of the one or more individuals registered as potential responders and one or more of the registered individuals associated with the emergency response equipment, information that identifies the location.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 transmitting to the one or more individuals registered as potential responders an invitation to respond to the request for emergency services;   determining whether a first of the one or more individuals registered as potential responders has responded affirmatively to the invitation; and   transmitting information that identifies the location to the first registered individual.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 transmitting to the one or more registered individuals associated with the identified emergency response equipment an invitation to respond to the request for emergency services by providing the emergency response equipment;   determining whether a first of the one or more individuals associated with the identified emergency response equipment has responded affirmatively to the invitation; and   transmitting information that identifies the location to the first individual associated with the identified emergency response equipment.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 registering a plurality of individuals as potential responders; and   registering a plurality of individuals associated with emergency response equipment.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein:
 registering the plurality of potential responders and the plurality of individuals associated with emergency response equipment comprises using a sign-up software application that is internet accessible, and registering volunteers using the sign-up application.   
     
     
         6 . A method comprising:
 receiving a request for emergency services and receiving information that identifies a location associated with the request;   identifying, from among a plurality of individuals registered as potential responders, one or more registered individuals who are currently nearest to the identified location;   identifying one or more pieces of registered emergency response equipment nearest to the identified location;   accessing status information associated with the emergency response equipment nearest to the identified location;   filtering, based at least in part on the status information, the identified registered emergency response equipment to determine a subset of functional emergency response equipment; and   transmitting, to the one or more registered individuals, information that identifies the location associated with the request and identifies locations for the determined subset of functional emergency response equipment.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 transmitting to the one or more individuals registered as potential responders an invitation to respond to the request for emergency services;   determining whether a first of the one or more individuals registered as potential responders has responded affirmatively to the invitation; and   transmitting information that identifies the location associated with the request to the first registered individual.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising registering a plurality of individuals as potential responders by using a sign-up software application that is internet accessible, and registering volunteers using the sign-up application. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the information that identifies locations for the determined subset of functional emergency response equipment comprises a map having icons identifying the emergency response equipment. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the icons are configured to provide status information for the emergency response equipment nearest to the location associated with the request for emergency services. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the icons are color-coded to provide status information. 
     
     
         12 . A method comprising:
 receiving a request for emergency services and receiving information that identifies a location associated with the request;   identifying, from among a plurality of individuals registered as potential responders, one or more registered individuals who are currently nearest to the identified location;   identifying one or more pieces of registered emergency response equipment nearest to the identified location;   accessing status information associated with the identified one or more pieces of emergency response equipment; and   transmitting, to the one or more registered individuals, information that identifies the location associated with the request and identifies locations and status information for the identified one or more pieces of emergency response equipment.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 transmitting to the one or more individuals registered as potential responders an invitation to respond to the request;   determining whether a first of the one or more individuals registered as potential responders has responded affirmatively to the invitation; and   transmitting information that identifies the location to the first registered individual.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising registering a plurality of individuals as potential responders by using a sign-up software application that is internet accessible, and registering volunteers using the sign-up application. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the information that identifies locations for the determined subset of functional emergency response equipment comprises a map having icons identifying the emergency response equipment, the icons being configured to provide the status information for the emergency response equipment. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein transmitting the information that identifies locations and status information for the emergency response equipment comprises transmitting information to provide color-coded icons with the color of each icon being based on the status of the associated emergency response equipment. 
     
     
         17 . A computer program product comprising instructions to cause a processor to:
 receive a request for emergency services and receive information that identifies a location associated with the request;   identify, from among a plurality of individuals registered as potential responders, one or more registered individuals who are currently nearest to the identified location;   identify one or more pieces of emergency response equipment nearest to the identified location;   identify registered individuals associated with the identified emergency response equipment; and   transmit, to the one or more individuals registered as potential responders and to the registered individuals associated with the emergency response equipment, information that identifies the location.   
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 17 , further comprising instructions to cause the processor to:
 transmit to the one or more individuals registered as potential responders an invitation to respond to the request for emergency services;   determine whether a first of the one or more individuals registered as potential responders has responded affirmatively to the invitation; and   transmit information that identifies the location to the first registered individual.   
     
     
         19 . The computer program product of  claim 17 , further comprising instructions to cause the processor to:
 transmit to the one or more registered individuals associated with the identified emergency response equipment an invitation to respond to the request for emergency services by providing the emergency response equipment;   determine whether a first of the one or more individuals associated with the identified emergency response equipment has responded affirmatively to the invitation; and   transmit information that identifies the location to the first individual associated with the identified emergency response equipment.   
     
     
         20 . The computer program product of  claim 17 , further comprising instructions to cause the processor to:
 register a plurality of individuals as potential responders; and   register a plurality of individuals associated with emergency response equipment.   
     
     
         21 . The computer program product of  claim 17 , further comprising instructions to cause the processor to:
 access status information associated with the identified one or more pieces of emergency response equipment; and   transmit, to the one or more registered individuals, information that identifies the location associated with the request for emergency services and identifies locations and status information for the identified one or more pieces of emergency response equipment.   
     
     
         22 . A system for coordinating actions by responders to an emergency event, the system comprising:
 an equipment database that includes location information for emergency response equipment;   a responder database that includes information about a plurality of individuals registered as potential responders;   a computer configured to
 receive a request for emergency services and receive information that identifies a location associated with the request; 
 access the database that includes information about a plurality of individuals registered as potential responders to identify, from among the plurality of individuals registered as potential responders, one or more registered individuals who are currently nearest to the identified location; 
 access the equipment database to identify one or more pieces of emergency response equipment nearest to the identified location and identify registered individuals associated with the identified emergency response equipment; and 
 transmit, to the one or more individuals registered as potential responders and to the registered individuals associated with the emergency response equipment, information that identifies the location. 
   
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the computer is further configured to:
 transmit to the one or more individuals registered as potential responders an invitation to respond to the request for emergency services;   determine whether a first of the one or more individuals registered as potential responders has responded affirmatively to the invitation; and   transmit information that identifies the location to the first registered individual.   
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the computer is further configured to:
 transmit to the one or more registered individuals associated with the identified emergency response equipment an invitation to respond to the request for emergency services by providing the emergency response equipment;   determine whether a first of the one or more individuals associated with the identified emergency response equipment has responded affirmatively to the invitation; and   transmit information that identifies the location to the first individual associated with the identified emergency response equipment.   
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the computer is further configured to:
 access status information associated with the identified one or more pieces of emergency response equipment; and   transmit, to the one or more registered individuals, information that identifies the location associated with the request for emergency services and identifies locations and status information for the identified one or more pieces of emergency response equipment.