Emma Pritchard|

While Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and Tik Tok remain the most popular apps downloaded to smartphones, there is one app which Grafton Fire and Rescue 306 Station Captain Garry Reardon would like all Clarence Valley residents to have on their home screen.

And it’s one which could save your life.

The Emergency Plus app allows the user to pinpoint their location from anywhere in Australia in the event of an emergency by using the existing GPS functions of their smartphone which enables latitude and longitude details to be instantly relayed to an emergency operator.

An additional feature of the app is what3words, a unique form of technology which divides the earth into 3m squares and gives each one a unique three-word identifier, meaning any location can be communicated effectively using only three words to promptly identify the caller’s location.

The app is also designed to operate efficiently in remote areas with extremely poor reception.

Describing it as an easy to use and very useful tool, Captain Reardon said the Emergency Plus app has been designed to assist people to contact emergency services including Triple 0, SES and police.

“I think it’s an app everyone should have on their smartphones because it can help you to save a life,” he said.

“Unfortunately, no one can predict when an emergency situation may occur, and the beauty of the Emergency Plus app is it makes it easy to contact the appropriate service and it accurately records the caller’s location, which is really important.”

Captain Reardon said while a large number of emergency calls are made from mobile devices, many callers are not aware of their location, especially if they are in a remote area or on their own.

He said the Emergency Plus app helps emergency services respond quickly, saving time and potentially, a life.

“I’d recommend everyone have it on their phone.” he said.

The Emergency Plus app is free to download and is available from iTunes and Google Play.