The Bottom Line
Pros
- A color-coded response system helps those with little training find the right equipment.
- The software was intuitive to use.
Cons
- The price of the First Voice kits are too steep for the benefit of a talking first aid kit
- CPR instructions do not provide enough time to switch between compressions and ventilations
- First Voice ResQR software is limited by the computer hardware that runs it.
Description
- Think-Safe's flagship first aid system is a color-coded first aid kit in a pelican box.
- First Voice ResQR software is designed for use on a computer or handheld device.
- The kit contains a voice module that tells rescuers what to do.
- Think-Safe also offers color-coded kits without the voice unit.
- For tight budgets, buying the kit first provides a way to test-drive the product before committing to the software.
Guide Review - First Voice Self-contained Emergency Treatment System
The first thing that struck me was the application of a product like the one I was using. The First Voice ResQR software is designed to be used on a computer or PDA. I could see its use on a handheld device, but a computer would need to be near the victim for the software to provide any use.
Kits advertised on the manufacturer's Web site come with color-coded packs that match each emergency on the voice module. That, in my opinion, is the most helpful aspect of this system. Indeed, I doubt a color-coded system would have to have any sort of voice instruction to be useful. Sometimes it's hard for non-trained rescuers to know where to start - having a pack with only the equipment necessary directs help where it's most vital.
Rescuers need to be able to identify certain basic emergencies in order to get started, necessitating a minimum level of training for users of the system.
Unfortunately, the self-contained kits that provide both the voice module and the color-coded emergency supplies range in price from $599 - $1,299. The value is in the color-coding and systematic function of the device.
This system has a future in industrial or commercial applications. I think the voice system needs work, and I'm curious to see how it evolves.
