Understanding the Feasibility of a Location-Aware Mobile-Based 911-Like Emergency Service in Bangladesh

Abstract

In this paper, we present the design and implementation of a location-aware mobile-based emergency service for Bangladesh, a developing country, which lacks any central 911-like emergency service. Our goal was to investigate the feasibility and acceptability of such services that do not require building any new infrastructure or changing the existing infrastructure available in Bangladesh. To achieve our goal, we iteratively designed and deployed two location-aware mobile-based emergency services in Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh. These deployments provided a deep insight about user experience, acceptance, and sustainability issues. We learned that users considered these services effective, felt comfortable using these during emergencies, and expressed a need for integration of additional services. Our findings indicate that it is feasible to design a location-aware mobile-based emergency service in Bangladesh. We believe that our proposed design will help to provide a low-cost alternative to the central 911-services, especially for the developing countries.