Smartphones, social media tied into ELERTS emergency system

The lost-child story has a happy ending. But better use of mobile technology probably could have brought that happy ending sooner and eliminated an hour or so of hysterical anxiety for a frantic mother. It is one of the stories that prompted Chris Russo, a veteran deputy fire chief in the Massachusetts coastal town of Hull, to launch ELERTS, an emergency communication system that uses smart phones and social media to communicate with first responders and other emergency personnel.

The lost-child story has a happy ending. But better use of mobile technology probably could have brought that happy ending sooner and eliminated an hour or so of hysterical anxiety for a frantic mother. It is one of the stories that prompted Chris Russo, a veteran deputy fire chief in the Massachusetts coastal town of Hull, to launch ELERTS, an emergency communication system that uses smart phones and social media to communicate with first responders and other emergency personnel.

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