Silent emergency app pitched as potential lifesaver for domestic violence victims

A smartphone app that would allow users to contact emergency services without speaking and automatically share precise location data is being pitched as a potential lifesaver for people caught in violent or medically compromised situations.

Transport dispatch specialist Joel Eliades is developing the Police, Fire and Ambulance app to enable triple‑zero (000) dispatchers to pinpoint a caller’s exact location and maintain contact through a callback function without the user having to utter a word. The app, still in development, has been presented to governments around the world as a tool to address extended ambulance wait times and improve emergency response coordination.

Developers say the app would allow users to summon police, paramedics or firefighters with a single tap and maintain ongoing safety checks until the user confirms they are safe. The app records a user’s last known location and can provide latitude and longitude data to responders when callers are unable to speak or do not know where they are, a capability its creator says will be useful if victims are driven to remote locations.

Domestic violence survivor Anne‑Marie told the Daily Mail that the app could have changed her circumstances during abusive episodes when making a phone call was impossible. "One partner I had was aggressive, so that (app) would have got me out of a lot of compromising positions, I'd say, where I couldn't actually make a call to anyone," she said. She described situations in which abusers monitored phone use or questioned who was on the line, making covert calls unsafe.

Eliades, who runs Transport Dispatch Solutions, said he developed the concept after working with dispatch systems in a rideshare company and observing gaps in emergency services technology. "What's the biggest dispatcher in the world? It's emergency services, which is across all countries," he said. He also described a personal medical incident in which he drove himself to hospital with a broken back because he found the 000 call process burdensome, and said an app-based option would have encouraged him to seek help sooner.

The app can store voluntary medical information — such as allergies, blood type and disabilities — to assist responders, though Eliades said none of that data is compulsory because some users may not want to share medical details. He said audio and location data captured by the app could also be used by police as evidence or to support rescue operations.

Eliades said the system can locate users "within three squared metres anywhere in the world," and that the app’s utility increases the more information a user provides. He said a callback function is designed to prevent abusers from dismissing responding officers at the door by ensuring follow‑up until the user confirms safety.

At present, the project is at the pilot stage and seeking investment and government support. Eliades estimated that A$1 million would complete development and A$5 million would scale the system with multiple languages and global coverage so Australians could have support abroad. He and his team are lobbying governments and courting private investors to move past delays in official adoption.

Advocates and emergency service officials have long cited difficulties when callers cannot communicate verbally or do not know their location. Proponents say technology that improves dispatch accuracy and reduces call handling time could help address ambulance ramping and long waits, while providing additional options for vulnerable people who cannot safely place a call.

The app remains under development, and its creators say wider rollout will depend on funding, interoperability with existing emergency dispatch systems and government approvals.