As a team of just one, with a late start on the project, Coronado High School (CHS) senior Padraig MacGabann won the 2017 Congressional App Challenge in the 52nd District with his app “Rescue”.

When he learned about the challenge, his thoughts immediately went to the victims of Hurricane Harvey, and how many of those trapped in homes and on rooftops had to wait for hours, or sometimes even days, before being rescued, partly due to the overloaded 911 system.

The app can be used to summon rescue personnel quickly, even if there is an internet failure, by working via SMS. The user of the app enables location and SMS permissions, and by using simple buttons and options, can quickly summon help via automatic dispatch. The app can also be set up to access medical, and donor information stored in a smart phone’s health app, giving responders crucial information during scenarios where every second counts.

While Padraig fluently speaks a language in which I am barely literate, and has been coding since he was 11 years old, he insists he’s not a prodigy. He’s a regular Coronado kid with an interest in technology, and gives CHS Computer Science instructor Patricia Samora credit for much of his success.

MacGabann will be traveling to the National Conference in Washington, DC in April, to meet with Rep. Scott Peters, Representatives, and other district winners. He plans on attending college to continue his studies in Computer Science following his graduation from CHS in June.