LIFEGUARDS drag an unconscious surfer from the waves.
ON his wrist is a bracelet engraved with the basic information that space will allow: name, medical condition, allergies.
But where is this man from? Who is his next of kin? His doctor? What is his Medicare number? Enter the Safe Mate, an internet-era twist on the medical bracelet that is capable of digitally storing this information and more. The plastic band, being trialled at Sydney’s Manly beach this week, can store a library’s worth of messages, names, addresses, medical conditions and other pertinent information. It can even link to a wearer’s electronic health record and digital copies of passports, driver’s licences and Medicare cards. Soon, if consultations with the NSW Ambulance Service go to plan, it will also send the information to approaching paramedics, saving vital minutes when they arrive, creator Ewan Le Bourhis said. “It’s all about accelerating the rescue process and providing accurate information,” he said. Le Bourhis says the system can save up to 10 minutes during the so-called “golden hour” – the period after a traumatic injury when treatment has the best chance of being effective. “Talking with many other surfers, they have all experienced a situation where things got out of control,” he said. “I thought, ‘What I could do help myself if someone had to rescue me’, and the key thing is information.” Customers can buy the waterproof wristband for $25. They then link it to a personal account on Safe Mate’s servers, where they can enter their details and upload documents. Rescuers and lifeguards can access the information by waving their Android smartphone over the wristband, via the same technology that allows contactless credit card payments. Le Bourhis admits the platform could have privacy implications – anyone is potentially able to grab private information with the tap of a smartphone. The company has therefore made two apps – a basic one for members of the public and a specialised one for credentialled rescuers. The public app can only display basic information such as a wearer’s name and whether they have a medical condition or allergy. Safe Mate also monitors usage to prevent, for instance, somebody scouring beaches with their smartphone, trying to nab names and phone numbers. The specialised app, by contrast, can access all information. The trial began on Sunday with the Nippers at Manly beach. If all goes well, Le Bourhis hopes it will expand quickly. “We are ready to scale the program at any other beach or any other program in Australia,” he said. Surf Life Saving Australia has not been formally briefed on the trial, but safety manager Anthony Bradstreet said the organisation welcomed safety innovation and new technologies and would review the outcomes of the trial.