Pebble has long been able to dish up phone alerts and pay for our Starbucks lattés. Now, it may even help save lives.
Pebble just struck a deal with CommandWear System to become a communication lifeline for first responders. CommandWear’s platform aims to help emergency workers stay connected without compromising their “situational awareness,” by adding distractions that can compromise safety.
The mobile device and wearable-based system should allow firefighters, police, paramedics and other rescue workers to keep their senses alert and their hands on important tasks.
According to CommandWear founder and CEO Michael Morrow, “With the Pebble smartwatch, we have a solution that meets the demanding operational requirements of durability, long battery life and simplicity that all first responders need.”
Here’s how Pebble may serve those who serve us.
The Wrist Steps In When Communication Is Critical
For Pebble, the move represents another step forward on its path to becoming a viable workplace wearable.
Originally positioned as a personal device for individual consumers, the startup is expanding into partnership territory with various companies, including Salesforce, LiveEnsure, Strap and Wolfram, with deals pending for more. The CommandWear deal thus becomes another building block in Pebble’s enterprise plan.
The CommandWear system will use Pebble’s two-way texting capabilities, so emergency workers can receive messages from central command and send basic replies, without having to dig out a separate gadget.
However, those capabilities are less than robust. Pebble has no built-in text-authoring tools, like voice dictation—the watch has no microphone—so that essentially means pre-written, canned replies.
Other smartwatches boast voice features, making Pebble seem like an unlikely choice. But after CommandWear tested it with police, paramedics and others, the company found its benefits make up for the missing features.
Its simplicity is key, CommandWear found. Pebble has buttons instead of a touchscreen, so workers can operate the watch even while wearing gloves. The device is also durable enough to use in the field. Pebble has a waterproof rating of 5 atmospheres, which means it’s safe to wear even while swimming, (though not scuba diving). The e-paper display is especially practical. Since screen reflects light instead of being backlighted, there are no visibility challenges in direct sunlight.
Staying Focused On What’s Important
Pebble’s vibration alerts are strong enough to grab the wearer’s attention in situations where it’s tough to hear. “At festivals, concerts and other large public events, noise levels can be at a height where you can’t hear yourself think, let alone hear radio communications,” Rod Salem, director of emergency management operations at BC Ambulance, told ReadWrite. He notes that some workers have tried pilot-style headsets, and they help, but “they are cumbersome and not conducive to caring for patients in the field,” he said.
Pebble also offers long battery life. Android Wear gadgets tend to go for a day or two, at most. Pebble lasts five days on a single charge—perhaps even longer, when its integrated fitness-tracking features aren’t running.
The deal comes as part of the debut of CommandWear 2.0, which gives its mobile app multimedia features for one-touch photo or video uploads and location tags.
According to CommandWear founder and CEO Michael Morrow, “With the Pebble smartwatch, we have a solution that meets the demanding operational requirements of durability, long battery life and simplicity that all first responders need.”
Communication among diverse emergency response units can be a critical issue, particularly when urgent disasters strike. Private and government organizations have been working on improving systems for radio communications and smartphones. Wearables like Pebble might be a big leap forward in helping those who help everyone else.
Lead photo by Nestor Galina; all other photos by ReadWrite
