Tech to the rescue!

I tweeted enthusiastically about getting my new Freedom Keychain Bluetooth GPS receiver a few weeks back. It was the last piece (along with TeleNav software) that I needed to make my BlackBerry a fully convergent device. A devotion tool, ministry manager, mp3 player, social networking hub, financial monitor, calendar/task keeper, news device, and now, voice GPS navigation... you get the idea.

Last night, the GPS functionality was of great help.

While coming back from practice and driving through the two-lane back roads of Cabarrus County, NC, I came across an accident. The car was precariously stopped, half off it still seemingly on the road. Something made me stop.

So, I stopped, and saw the driver. He was in a lot of pain (hit a deer), and on the phone with a 911 dispatcher. The dispatcher was not able to get the driver to speak coherently. Neither could the driver's kid brother, who was hurt as well. So, I took the phone and attempted to give the dispatcher our location.

Problem being, Rocky River is a VERY long road, and when I say we were out in the country, we were really out in the country. There were no mailboxes within sight, and walking along a two-lane highway to find one was not something I looked forward to. Unfortunately, she (the dispatcher) had no way of knowing where we were, so help would not be swift in coming.

Then it occurred to genius boy (yep, me): I had a GPS puck.

So, I put it on, paired with my BlackBerry, and was able to give the dispatcher exact cooordinates. The calvary was there in five minutes.

It felt good to be able to help someone in need, and to use the technology at my disposal to do it.