AirFlare – the Wilderness Rescue App
AirFlare aims to revolutionize outdoor safety by turning the only radio that almost everyone carries–their smartphone–into a uniquely powerful rescue tool. AirFlare’s innovative technology leverages the modern phone’s hardware turning it into a rescue solution that has powerful in-cell-service and out-of-cell service capabilities, dramatically accelerating searches, improving outcomes, and keeping personnel safer in the process!
AirFlare Search Technology never blinks and sees through trees, foliage and other challenging terrain obstacles – enabling detection of lost adventurers who have gotten off trail, sought shelter, are incapacitated, have slipped into a tree well, or otherwise would be invisible to a passing search team.
AirFlare Search Technology makes otherwise formidable terrain searchable. Mounted on a backpack or drone, AirFlare Search Technology can punch through heavy canopies where cameras and thermal imaging devices alone are limited. Detection data is recorded throughout the search and can be analysed at any time.
AirFlare Search Technology is easy to use and readily integrates with standard search protocols and procedures. Compact and lightweight design, configurable within minutes, and easily deployable without extensive technical training – AirFlare Search Technology enhances search effectiveness without sapping resource time and focus.
With features like Location Return, AirFlare Search Technology can often determine a lost subject’s GPS coordinates before a search team can be assembled. In the field, AirFlare Search Technology far outperforms detection ranges achievable by visual sight and sound check. Once detected, AirFlare Search Technology pulls GPS coordinates off the lost subject’s phone within seconds.
When the lost subject is an AirFlare subscriber, AirFlare Search Technology is configured to search for their specific phone, eliminating the possibility of a false detection and more importantly no need to clear the area.
AirFlare’s goal is to be used by as many search teams as possible, so keeping costs as low as possible is in everyone’s best interests. The entire process from search initiation to configuration to deployment can be done in under two minutes. Additionally, AirFlare Search Technology can be deployed to teams not familiar with the technology and with minimal instruction. For teams on the ground and for drones in the air, AirFlare Search Technology is an extremely powerful set of tools with a very low deployment cost.
We want AirFlare to help as many teams and subjects as possible, so we’re making it as easy as possible to bring AirFlare into your team, to be applied however it can benefit the most. Our system can get you signed up, trained, certified, and ready to go in under a day!
Identify the team you’re a member of, and have that membership verified by the published email address for that team
Complete AirFlare training, which consists of informational videos followed by a knowledge test. This is also where you’ll pay the training fee, which goes to support NASAR, our hosting partner
Demonstrate your learning and ability with AirFlare by performing a successful search for yourself
If you’re the first person on your team to join the AirFlare Search Team: formalize the relationship between AirFlare and your team by having an appropriate person on your team sign the (very short) MOU
| AIRFLARE EVERYWHERE |
| $5 (paid to NASAR) |
| Location Request Location Return AirFlare Coverage Map Complete video training at NASAR’s SAR Academy |
Optionally, if you or your team are interested in additional training or components beyond AirFlare Everywhere, please contact us.
| AIRFLARE DETECTOR | PREMIUM TRAINING |
| Proprietary hardware which can locate a subscriber’s phone outside internet service. | Above and beyond extensive online training, Q&A, tech support. 1/2 day option available. |
| AVAILABLE WITH APP USER DENSITY | CONTACT US TO ARRANGE TRAINING |
AirFlare’s technology and service would be nowhere without these visionary organizations, tirelessly dedicated to keeping those they serve–and their teams–safer tomorrow than they were yesterday!
Transforms an adventurer’s mobile phone into a wilderness rescue beacon that provides search teams multiple ways to find them on and off grid. AirFlare adds no weight or bulk to a pack, works with limited or no cellular service, extends off-grid battery life to a week or longer and requires no user action to be searchable.
When an AirFlare subscriber becomes the subject of a search, a notification is sent to their phone. If the phone is in cellular service it will return its exact GPS coordinates. When a Detector comes within range of the lost subject phone, the Detector instructs the lost subject’s phone to return its GPS coordinates to the search team.
An app for search teams used to control AirFlare Search Technology. Search teams use Field Console to ping the GPS coordinates of an AirFlare subscriber’s phone when they become the subject of a search, to configure AirFlare Detector to search for the lost subject’s phone in the field, and to determine the exact location of the lost subject’s phone once a detection is made.
AirFlare Search Technology integrates with common GIS platforms. Search results can be viewed in the field or shared to Incident Command with the push of a button from a searcher’s mobile device. Visualization and analysis of search results provides valuable insights to support ongoing mission planning.
About the size and weight of a deck of cards, AirFlare Detector is used by ground and aerial teams to detect the location of a lost adventurer’s phone. It fits nicely in a jacket pocket or in the top of a backpack, and is specifically designed to be transported in the air via drone. AirFlare Detector performs well through trees and foliage, enabling searchers to see where eyes can’t and often beyond the range of sound check. Once a detection is made, AirFlare Detector offers powerful tools to home in on the location of the lost subject.
AirFlare Search Technology is an extremely powerful second set of eyes designed to be deployed on ground and aerial teams with minimal disruption to existing search protocols. The ability to see through trees and foliage significantly increases probability of detection. When a Detector detects the lost subject’s phone, the searcher is alerted the subject is in the vicinity, and very often can retrieve the exact location of the lost subject’s phone.
LOCATION RETURN:
A Lost Adventurer’s phone’s GPS coordinates are returned to a Search Team when they become the subject of a Search.
OUT-OF-CELL-SERVICE DECTECTION WITH LOCATION CAPTURE
Deployed when Location Return does not return a subject’s coordinates (e.g. out of cell service). Enables a Search Team to
deploy technology in the field to search for a specific phone belonging to a specific Lost Adventurer. The Lost Adventurer’s phone’s GPS coordinates are returned to a Search Team when a Detector comes within range.
LOCATION REQUEST:
Ability for a search team to send a location request via text to a mobile phone with or without AirFlare installed. Upon
receipt and approval, the phone automatically sends its GPS coordinates back to the search team.
LOCATION SHARING:
Ability for an AirFlare user to request the location of another AirFlare user (example a friend or family member) with preapproved permissions.
LOCATION MESSAGING:
An Adventurer can automatically pull their phone’s GPS coordinates into a text message and send to 911 or an emergency
contact.
How AirFlare Works – Usage Scenarios