Inspiration
What it does## Inspiration
During my third year of university, everything changed. I had just returned home from my exams when I found my father on the verge of passing away. He wasn’t sick. There were no warnings. I froze. He looked at me from the door — I will never forget that moment. I lost all sense of what to do. My sister reminded me, “Maryam, give CPR — you know it.” I did. I tried. But he didn’t respond.
We called an ambulance — they didn’t pick up right away. When they finally responded, they couldn’t find the route to our house. We lost crucial time. That moment shattered me. I felt everything had ended.
But when I returned to university, my supervisor gave us a project idea — “Build something that helps in emergencies.” That hit straight to my heart. I knew this was my chance to build something meaningful — something that might save someone else’s parent.
What it does
Alerto is a real-time emergency response app that connects people in crisis with nearby rescuers.
- Allows users to request emergency help quickly
- Shares exact GPS location with the nearest available rescuer
- Live tracking for both the user and rescuer to reduce delays and confusion
- Real-time status updates and submission with photo evidence ## How we built it
- Developed core logic and UI in Flutter
- Used Firebase for Authentication, Firestore, Storage & Cloud Messaging
- Google Maps API for live map tracking & route calculation
- Designed a simple UI with help from my sister, focused on clarity in stressful situations
- Chose the name Alerto
- Architecture, decisions, and guidance were supported by my supervisor
Challenges we ran into
- Reliving a traumatic night while designing the solution — emotionally intense
- Building the core version in 2 months — working long hours with little sleep
- Ensuring real-time sync of GPS using Firebase Firestore
- Designing a UI that works smoothly under emergency stress
- Exceeded Google Maps’ Directions API free limit — reached out and received sponsorship: they waived charges, and I only paid $12.47
Accomplishments that we're proud of
- Turning personal pain into purpose and innovation
- Built a fully functional emergency system with live GPS & status updates
- Received Google Maps support during development
- Designed a clean, fast, panic-friendly interface with help from my sister
- Mastered Firebase services & APIs as a student developer
- Positive responses from people saying “This could save lives” — biggest reward
- Completed this as my Final Year Project — poured my soul into it
What we learned
- Technology built from the heart can change lives
- Deep Flutter skills for building cross-platform, performant apps
- Integrating and optimizing Firebase services for real-time operations
- UI/UX design for emergency situations — fast, intuitive, calm
- Kindness exists — the Google Maps API team’s help was unforgettable
- Grief, when channeled into action, can become purpose
What's next for Alerto – Emergency Response App
- Launch real-world production version 🚀
- Expand features: automated SOS, live call, multi-rescuer coordination, etc.
- Collaborate with local authorities, hospitals & emergency responders I want this app to be used in real emergencies and save lives
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