The resounding success of the American Red Cross First Aid and disaster apps has created a great demand for these simple lifesaving tools in Red Cross and Red Crescent societies around the world.

To help meet this need, the Global Disaster Preparedness Center in May launched the Universal First Aid App Pilot, which will give 17 Red Cross partners access to app development tools. This allows them to localize all of the content - from language to images - and adapt it to their country’s context.

Across the United States, millions of people have used the free American Red Cross apps to access easy-to-follow advice on how to handle emergencies. The First Aid app gives instant access to information on how to handle the most common first aid situations, and includes videos and interactive quizzes. The disaster apps (Hurricane, Tornado, Wildfire, and Earthquake) are filled with expert information that helps people before, during and after emergencies.

Many Red Cross and Red Crescent national societies have reached out to engage the American and the British Red Cross, which developed the original First Aid app, to create a country-specific version of the app for them. By working together with pilot Red Cross partners, the Global Disaster Preparedness Center, in partnership with the Global First Aid Reference Center, is helping to put the app in the hands of millions of users who would not otherwise have access to this technology.

Participants in this pilot manage the translation and localization of their app using a custom-built program that is designed to be easy to use and supportive of multiple languages. Images, video content and other details in the app can be adjusted to be appropriate to each cultural context, so the app feels like it was designed specifically for each country.

The Global First Aid Reference Center, the lead for all first aid guidance for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, is assisting each national society to ensure that their content meets the clinical first aid requirements in their country. Beginning in September, six of the 17 pilot national societies will be releasing their apps to their local markets, providing this new, lifesaving technology to their communities.

The American Red Cross apps are free and available for iPhone and Android users. Find the apps in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store for Android by searching for American Red Cross.

About the American Red Cross The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.