Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service (STARS) will now be able to better serve rural areas with their release of SOLUS, a smartphone app that allows emergency assistance to be requested and received 24 hours a day.

Travellers and residents of remote areas, farmers, and recreationists will find SOLUS especially useful. The app uses location services to track users and will connect the individual to the STARS Emergency Link Centre, respond accordingly and inform the designated emergency contacts.

“We had people asking us for a personal version of the safety and monitoring services we offer larger businesses, so we’ve harnessed those services and put them in the palm of your hand,” STARS’ director, business development, Erin Sharp said. “Our goal for this app is the same as always: to help someone on what is likely their worst day, possibly saving their life. Leveraging our knowledge and resources in a new way to provide a convenient safety tool for people is a natural extension of our regular operations.”

The non-profit's Neighbour Helping Neighbour safety network will be featured on SOTUS, and is a database of medics, first responders, farmers, and other workers. Before medical assistance arrives, these volunteers can be called as a patient’s first line of assistance in an emergency.

“We can quickly and seamlessly co-ordinate emergency responses with provincial health systems and our partners on the ground,” Karen Walker, emergency communications specialist said. “As we expand our Neighbour Helping Neighbour safety network with SOLUS, I’m particularly excited about how we can use it to strengthen the rural emergency response system.”