The Taichung City Government on Tuesday launched a GPS-based app to help hikers in trouble, citing data showing that a majority of calls for aid are made in areas of moderate altitude.
People should use the app developed by the Taichung Fire Bureau when they ascend local peaks to mitigate risks associated with outdoor activities, Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) told a meeting at city hall.
The number of medical emergencies linked to mountain activities, including climbing and swimming, has surged following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, Taichung Fire Bureau Director-General Sun Fu-You (孫福佑) said at the meeting.
Photo courtesy of a member of the public via CNA
Wi-Fi towers have been established at major trailheads of Toukeshan (頭嵙山), Anmashan (鞍馬山), Fushoushan (福壽山) and Snow Mountain (雪山) to facilitate drone deployment and supplement the app, Sun said.
The app is designed to transmit location data of the person calling for help to triangulate their position in conjunction with other GPS-based applications running on the phone, he said.
After the caller signs in through a link in the app, the program automatically sends saved photos to first responders to help with the search, while also opening a channel of communication that can accommodate up to three parties, he said.
Nearly 78 percent of all mishaps requiring rescue teams to be dispatched to mountainous areas happen at altitudes of less than 2,500m, he said, citing bureau data.
People seem to consistently underestimate the challenges posed by mountains deemed to be of a moderate height to their navigation and planning abilities, skills and stamina, he said.
The bureau’s measures would increase the efficiency of search-and-rescue missions, and possibly reduce helicopter rescue missions, which cost the government up to NT$500,000 per hour, he said.
People should never hike alone and thoroughly prepare for their excursion by reading local maps, bringing enough supplies and planning for the climb, Sun said.
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