Wildfires force Los Angeles app developer to use his own technology to navigate crisis
Summary
For almost two years, Viktor Makarskyy has been working on an app that serves as a digital survival kit to help people in disaster zones, which are getting more numerous seemingly by the day given the pace of climate change. Aid workers and intrepid travelers can download the GOES Health app and get quick localized tips on how to deal with bug and animal bites, altitude illnesses, rashes and a host of other challenges. Increasingly, GOES, which stands for Global Outdoor Emergency Support, is becoming relevant in a much more widespread way, as people in urban environments have to deal with sudden disaster due to hurricanes, tornadoes and catastrophic fires. Before arriving back in LA, Makarskyy said, he prepared for his return by checking national alerts within GOES, such as high-wind advisories, air quality and the location of wildfires. "GOES was originally developed for outdoor adventurers to prepare for trips and manage wilderness medical emergencies with offline, visual first-aid guides," Barcenas said.