RapidReach

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  RapidReach

Inspiration

Every Second counts in an Emergency! - but the average RCMP ambulance response time is 21 minutes. In those critical first minutes, the difference between life and death often comes down to one thing: Whether someone nearby knew what to do.

We looked at our community and saw a broken system. 911 is overwhelmed, response times are rising, and bystanders freeze because they don't know how to help. Trust in emergency services is fracturing, not because people don't care, but because the system can't reach everyone fast enough.

Rapid Reach was built to fix that! We connect people in crisis with trained first responders already nearby, like neighbors, nurses, paramedics off-duty -- before the ambulance even dispatches. Because the best first responder is often someone already in the room.

Rapid Reach turns bystanders into lifesavers!

What it does

Rapid Reach is a two-sided emergency response app:

For the person in crisis: Press the emergency button, describe what's happening by voice, and within seconds our AI identifies the emergency type, writes a triage summary, and gives you step-by-step first aid instructions to follow while help is on the way.

For nearby responders: Registered first aiders, nurses, paramedics and doctors receive an instant alert with the AI-analyzed emergency type, situation summary, recommended actions, distance to the scene, and a live map to navigate there in real time.

No waiting. No confusion. Just the right help, right now.

How we built it

• React Native + Expo SDK 54 — cross-platform mobile app for iOS and Android

• Expo Router — file-based navigation

• Google Gemini API (gemini-2.5-flash-lite) — voice audio and text emergency analysis, real-time first aid chat guidance

• Firebase Firestore — real-time database syncing emergencies and responder locations

• expo-av + expo-file-system — audio recording and audio-to-text conversion for Gemini

• react-native-maps + expo-location — live GPS tracking and map view

• NativeWind — Tailwind CSS styling for React Native

Challenges we ran into

Getting voice audio to Gemini was harder than expected, the converted text version mismatches(SDK), and deprecated packages on Android all had to be debugged one by one before the AI could actually hear what was said

Real-time location sync between the caller and responder required careful Firestore document design so both sides always see live updates without any blockages

Gemini API quotas was our main problem — free tier limits forced us to switch models and also generate and use new API keys, mid-build.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Built a full end-to-end emergency response system in a single hackathon(40 hrs).

Live two-sided map showing both the caller's location and the responder moving toward them in real time. A UI that works under pressure, with clear large buttons, clear steps, animated confirmation so nothing gets missed in a panic

What we learned

Designing for panic is a completely different challenge than designing for normal users, we found every screen has to communicate urgency and clarity at the same time

What's next for RapidReach

• Expanding the responder network with verified credentialing — so users know the responder coming has validated first aid certification, not just self-reported training.

• Push notifications so responders get alerted even when the app is closed, making the network actually reliable at 2am.

• Emergency type expansion beyond medical — fires, mental health crises, drowning — each with its own AI-guided response protocol.

• Responder ratings/response history so the community can build trust in who is showing up.

• Integration with local 911 dispatch so RapidReach alerts and ambulance dispatch happen simultaneously rather than independently.

• Offline mode for the AI first aid guidance so the step-by-step instructions work even with no signal.

Built With

• expo.io
• firebase
• google-gemini-api
• gps
• node.js
• react-native
• visual-studio