Turn Smartphones Into Personal Safety Devices On College Campuses with FrontDoorSoftware's New MEA App

    DENVER, CO, May 01, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- With the national discussion about sexual assault on college campuses reaching a fever pitch this year, many have asked what can be done to help students stay safer on campus. FrontDoorSoftware has recently released a mobile app that could aid co-eds in protecting themselves by turning their smartphones into personal safely devices. The new app, called Rescue ME Alert or MEA, uses the company's patented lock-screen technology to provide easy-access buttons to silently call for help in dangerous situations.

According to the rape prevention organization OneInFourUSA.org, one in four college aged women report experiencing rape or attempted rape in their lifetime, and studies have shown that the presence of a bystander makes completing rape 44% less likely. The MEA app provides a way for people to call for help in a quick, quiet and discreet way if they find themselves in a compromised position or fear for their safety.

"Our app, which is installed and programed in mere seconds, could help save countless people from the physical and emotional trauma of sexual assault or violence," remarked Carrie Hafeman, president of FrontDoorSoftware. "When someone recognizes that they might be in danger, the simple push of a button will send a silent alert with GPS location to multiple contacts requesting help. If immediately responded to, sexual assault and other crimes can be stopped before it's too late."

The MEA emergency alert system is built into an ownership display screen that appears before or with the lock screen for Android devices and immediately following the lock screen for iOS devices. Unlike other personal safely apps on college campuses, the MEA app works on and off campus with no geo-fencing restrictions, and the user can program the emergency contacts with people they trust, such as close friends, roommates, RA's or the school's security office.

MEA is an acronym for the three call buttons on the screen and stands for Medical, Emergency and Arrival. Each button has a customizable, preprogramed message and GPS location link that can be sent to up to four pre-selected contacts when tapped on the screen.

- The message sent for "M" medical emergencies reads: "I am in trouble. I have XYZ medical condition. Please send help to my location. My phone number is xxx-xxx-xxxx." This feature is useful for people with pre-existing medical conditions making it easy for them to call for help without unlocking the phone, scrolling through numbers and making a phone call.

- By using the "E" emergency button, a silent text will be sent communicating, "I am in trouble and am sending a silent text. Please DO NOT call me back, but click on the map link of where I am and send help to my location." This button can potentially prevent people from becoming victims of assault or abuse and is like the mobile phone equivalent to silent alarms in banks or gas stations. The assailant does not know a call for help including a GPS map-link has been sent to up to four people, which could provide enough time for help to arrive before a tragedy occurs.

- The A button is to send a simple notification to friends or family members of one's safe arrival at a destination. The communication reads, "I have arrived," and includes a GPS link to the location the text was sent from.

"It's important for people to take precautionary measures to ensure their safety, and using the MEA app is something that has the potential to save lives," Hafeman said. "Research has shown that when someone can recognize threatening cues in a situation that could turn into assault, the more likely they are to resist or escape. The MEA app provides a way to help someone escape from danger by calling in for reinforcements before it's too late."

The Rescue ME Alert app costs $2.99 on Google Play and Apple App Store and offers a priceless amount of peace-of-mind for users to know that they have several ways to easily communicate in case of emergency situations.

To purchase the app for Android devices on Google Play, click here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.frontdoorsoftware.app.paid

To purchase the app for iOS devices at the Apple App Store, click here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/rescue-me-alert-mea/id909066761

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