ARFCOM first responders, lend me your iPhone!

I just published an iPhone application which may be of interest to first responders and I'm looking to give away some promotional codes for a free download.   The application is called HazRef 2008 and it gives you the ability to browse and search over 3000 hazardous materials as identified in the US Emergency Response Guide.  It also has a visual database of DOT placards grouped by hazard class and all 62 emergency guides from the 2008 ERG.  You can browse the guides, or go directly to the appropriate guide for the material or placard you've browsed to.  If you are familiar with the ERG, it's basically parts of the ERG broken down and stuffed into your iPhone.

I'm hoping to generate some buzz for my application, but more importantly I'm looking for feedback from first responders to find out what I can do better.  I have a laundry list of features that didn't make the initial version:

- Initial Isolation and Protective Action Distances
- Table of Water Reactive Materials Which Produce Toxic Gases
- International Hazard Codes (Kemler Codes)
- Glossary of Terms
- Compatibility Group List
- Various Contact Information Present in the ERG
- A full decoding of hazardous materials transportation codes (CFR 172)
- Rail and trailer identification guide

I will be adding these features ( and others you recommend! ) as time permits.  

I will send promotional codes to the first 20 people who send me an IM requesting one.  I'll send you a code and directions on how to redeem it through iTunes.

Thanks for looking and post here or send me email if you have questions, comments or concerns.

Update @ 5:10p CST: 13 promotional codes left
Update @ 8:05p CST: 9 codes still up for grabs!
Update @ 12:00a CST: 3 codes for the asking.
Update @ 9:30a CST: All twenty were given away, I have an additional 4 codes since response has been great!
Update @ 3:00p CST: 3 codes remain for the asking
Update @ 8:00p CST: Down to the last two codes
Update @ 9:05p CST: All codes spoken for!  

Sounds good. IM sent.

IM sent!

IM sent.

IM sent!

IM SENT.  I also like this app called Epocrates, very good for drug id.

There's every chance that it could be ported, just not by me I'm afraid my skill set doesn't currently include Flash.  Can you elaborate on your needs?

Yeah I was afraid of that.  Is it a standalone Flash player on your phone, or part of a web browser?  I think it would be relatively easy to build a web-style interface to all the data ( which is something I could do ), but the Flash part is a deal killer for me.  I wouldn't object to sharing out my data with someone motivated to provide a Flash interface.  The data isn't really mine, it is provided by the .gov.  My value add is the iPhone interface.

Edit: I can't believe I just wrote "value add" with a straight face.

Bumping the thread for the evening crew.  Two promotional codes up for grabs still.

I'm really looking forward to feedback from you folks!

Thanks ARFCOM!  I've exhausted my supply of promotional codes! I hope HazRef 2008 proves useful to you. Remember to send me email if you run into problems or have questions or comments.

Is it on the app store?  For how much?

Yes, it is in the App Store under 'Reference' for $3.99, listed as 'HazRef 2008 - Hazardous Material Reference'.  I plan on extensive content update in the next six months and if you buy it once I won't make you re-buy to get new content.

Thanks for your interest!

Just for fun, here are the numbers so far for HazRef 2008:



Thanks to everybody who has redeemed their code!

What percentage of the sales does apple get?

It wont let me DL it...

damn, i can't believe i missed this.


i want i want i want i want.



truth be told, i was thinking of doing the same damn thing but you beat me to it.


edit: just bought it.

It's a 70/30 split ( I get the 70 ), and they issue you a 1099 ( as I understand it, I haven't seen a nickle out of this yet ).

Thanks for your business!  I've failed to get the support forum working due to.. other demands ( kids, wife, work ) but please send me email if you have problems, questions or comments.

Well, I'm sorry you are having trouble.  Can you give me alittle more information to go on?

I figured it out.. I forgot i got a new CC that was why.

Whew, wasn't sure how I was gonna debug that one!

Have you check out Texas-Fire.com yet?

I have not, thanks for the heads up!

Quick feedback for you Erik_O.  When browsing by name the full 4 digit number comes up, yet when browsing for the number only the first 2 digits come up not allowing to actually find the number you are looking for.  Other than that it is a nice piece of software.  Thanks.

Doh!

Thank you! New version will be forth coming along with some other minor bug fixes.  I'm also working on a 'Lite' version which has the full functionality but only a small subset of the materials available.  I'm hoping that a taste will help people decide if this is what they are looking for.  

Thanks for the bug report!

This would have been a great tool to have when going through Hazmat training for the Army!  Day late, dollar short

I miss all the good stuff.  

Let me know if you do any more promo codes, I'd be glad to give feedback.

Tag.  I've got the NSF Pacific Strike Team coming to give classes for the next month here, they will probably be interested in this.

Saw it was only $4 so I bought it.

Are the evacuation distances in there or am I missing them?

First, thank you!

Evacuation distances are not in there .. yet.  I definitely plan to add evacuation distances ( and tanker id silhouettes and hazardous gas formation tables and Kemler codes and static installation codes .. )  I don't have a definite time schedule for when those features will become available, but I will do my best to make it sooner rather than later.  I wish I could give a more specific time frame, but I have toddlers and my time is rarely my own

I can understand that!  I have a couple running around.  The main things I think I would be looking for right away are PPE, evacuation distances and what techniques to use.  It would be nice if you could key off the iphones clock to know if it's day or night and give the proper evacuation distances based on that, with a button at the top or bottom to switch between the two (day and night distances).  

Also, I have a repeated crash that you might try to recreate.  I clicked on search.  Started typing in "propa" for propane and then try to pick it off the list and it crashes out of the program.

Will you be making this application available for BlackBerry's? I have the new Storm and would love to have this.

I have just now started extracting all that data out of the ERG and munging it into something I can use.  I like your idea of using the current time to cue which distances to display first with a toggle between them.   I was planning on showing those distances graphically using a diagram similar to the one found on page 299 of the ERG ( I think I will also display them in table form since what works for one person often doesn't work for someone else and it costs me nothing to do both ).



Weird.  I can recreate it on the phone but it doesn't crash the simulator. Thanks for the bug report, I will get cracking on that one too.   Version 1.1 is currently in review by Apple.  I'm hoping it should come up in the store sometime next week.  The 'Lite' version should also be in the store sometime next week.  Version 1.2 with the crash fix will follow sometime after that, version 1.3 ( barring new bugs ) will have the evacuation distances in it.

Thanks for the feedback and thanks to all you ARFCOMers who left me a review, much appreciated!

Found it, I think.  The keyboard is autocorrecting 'propa' to 'props' which doesn't appear in the catalog anywhere.  I will turn off keyboard auto-correction and put some checks in to make sure we don't ask for something that isn't there.  I'm going to hold off submitting this to Apple until version 1.1 is through the review process.  If I submit the new bug fix, it will reset the clock on the review process and I'd like to roll up any more bug fixes in v1.2.

I don't currently have any plans to port this app to the BlackBerry.  I'm a one man show who happens to have an iPhone and a knack for programming.  I would be more than willing to collaborate with somebody who has the BlackBerry know-how, but I don't see that happening any time soon.  Sorry!

For those of you who received promotional codes, I mentioned that the support forum wasn't yet available.

It is today

If you have problems, comments or suggestions please feel free to visit:  Symbolic Armageddon Forums

For those of you who bought the darn thing, you are welcome too!

Thank you ARFCOM first responders!

Ok, Ill bite. We have something like this on our MDC's too. Brings up about three pages of info. Its certainly a good tool.

Get those evacuation distances in there tho. That's probably the most important thing a first responder should know!

ETA: Ok, what do all the special provisions mean?

Oh man.  All of those things are defined in:

[Code of Federal Regulations]

[Title 49, Volume 2]

[Revised as of October 1, 2007]

From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access

[CITE: 49CFR172.102]



[Page 333-354]

 

                        TITLE 49––TRANSPORTATION

 

   CHAPTER I––PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, 

                      DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

 

PART 172_HAZARDOUS MATERIALS TABLE, SPECIAL PROVISIONS, HAZARDOUS 

MATERIALS COMMUNICATIONS, EMERGENCY RESPONSE INFORMATION, AND 

 

      Subpart B_Table of Hazardous Materials and Special Provisions

 

Sec.  172.102  Special provisions.

1885 lines,  16282 words, 111197 characters of definition.  It will take me some time to slog through that to produce the magic decoder ring.  I will do it, but I'm working on initial isolation distances first.

For all you all that missed out on the promotional code give away, I have released a 'lite' version of HazRef 2008 called... 'HazRef Lite'!  It has all the functionality of the full version; browse and search for materials, visual placard catalog, all 61 emergency response guides.   The only difference is the reduced material catalog.  The full version will get you the complete catalog of nearly 3000 materials listed in the ERG and US Code of Federal Regulations concerning the transport of hazardous materials.

Give it a spin and give me your feedback.  So far your feedback has focused my efforts to add initial isolation and protection distances ASAP, followed by a complete decoding of the all the transportation special provision and transportation codes.

Thanks again ARFCOM!