AirFlare is a phone-location service built into the Medic52 Dispatch map. When someone calls for help but can't tell you where they are, you enter their mobile phone number and AirFlare returns their live location as a pin on your map. This article explains what AirFlare is and how to run a locate from the Dispatch map as a dispatcher.
What is AirFlare?
AirFlare is a third-party location service (from the makers of the AirFlare outdoor safety app) that Medic52 partners with. It can locate a caller two ways:
- AirFlare subscribers — people with the AirFlare app on their phone can be located directly. When you enter a subscriber's number, AirFlare confirms who they are (name, device type) before you start the locate.
- Everyone else — for a caller without the AirFlare app, AirFlare texts them a location-request link. When the caller taps the link and allows location sharing, their position comes back to your map. The caller does not need any app installed — just a phone that can receive an SMS text message and share its location from the browser.
The caller's location is only shared when they actively share it (subscribers have opted in through the AirFlare app; non-subscribers must tap the link and allow it). AirFlare coverage is currently available in the United States and Canada.
Demo mode and live mode
Every resort can try AirFlare in demo mode at no cost. In demo mode the panel shows a yellow DEMO badge, results are simulated, and no real search happens — use the built-in test numbers (see below) to walk through the whole flow safely.
Live searching — locating real callers — requires an active AirFlare agency agreement for your resort. To set one up, or to see a full demo, contact AirFlare at denis@airflare.com. Once your agreement is in place, Medic52 activates live search for your resort and the DEMO badge disappears.
Before you begin
- You need permission to create incidents (write access to Dispatch). Read-only users won't see the GPS or NEW INCIDENT buttons on the map.
- Open the Dispatch map — the AirFlare panel lives in the Create Incident location card, below the What3Words section.
- You need the caller's mobile phone number. If a phone number is already recorded on the incident you have open, Medic52 pre-fills it.
How to locate a caller with AirFlare
- On the Dispatch map, click the GPS button in the incidents panel. The Create Incident card opens.
- Find the AirFlare section.
- (Optional) Type the caller's name in Caller name. AirFlare compares it against the name on the subscriber account, which helps confirm you have the right person.
- Enter the caller's mobile phone number and click Locate.
What happens next depends on what AirFlare finds for that number:
- Subscriber found — the panel shows the subscriber's name and device. Click Locate to start the search.
- Name doesn't match — if the name you typed differs from the name AirFlare has on file, the panel shows both and asks "Same person?". Click Yes, locate to continue, or Reset to start over.
- Not a subscriber — the panel offers Send SMS locate. Click it to text the caller a location-request link. Tell the caller to expect the text and to tap the link and allow location sharing.
- No AirFlare subscriber found — nothing is registered for that number and no SMS can be sent to it. Double-check the number, or fall back to What3Words or latitude/longitude.
- Multiple records — more than one account matches. Click Open AirFlare console to pick the right person in AirFlare's own console.
What the status messages mean while you wait
After the locate starts, the panel updates as the search progresses:
- "Request sent — waiting for the subject to share their location…" — the search is running. For an SMS locate, the caller hasn't opened the link yet.
- "Subject opened the link — waiting for location…" — the caller has tapped the SMS link; their phone is being asked to share its position.
- "Location received and placed on the map." — the fix arrived. The pin is on your map at the caller's position.
- "Timed out waiting for a location." — no fix arrived within 5 minutes. Click Reset and try again, or call the caller back and ask them to tap the link. If the caller opened the link but no location came through, their phone's location services are probably off — see What do I do if a caller's location services are turned off?
Note: on a resort with live AirFlare search, a successful fix automatically creates a new incident at the caller's location, with the caller's name and phone number carried onto the patient record — you don't need to click Create. In demo mode the pin is dropped and you confirm with Create yourself.
If you opened the location card with Move Incident instead of Create Incident, the fix repositions that incident's marker rather than creating a new one.
Which test numbers can I use in demo mode?
In demo mode, click Test numbers in the AirFlare panel to show the built-in test numbers. Each one simulates a different outcome so you can practise the full flow:
| Test number | Simulated outcome |
|---|---|
| 555 0100 | No subscriber found |
| 555 0111 | Subscriber — locates successfully |
| 555 0122 | Subscriber — locates successfully |
| 555 0133 | Multiple records — opens the console step |
| 555 0144 | Error |
| 555 0155 | Non-subscriber — SMS link flow |
Frequently asked
Does the caller need the AirFlare app to be located?
No — a caller does not need the AirFlare app. AirFlare subscribers (people with the app) can be located directly, but anyone else can be sent an SMS location-request link. They tap the link on their phone and allow location sharing; no app install is needed.
Can the caller be located without their knowledge?
No. A subscriber has opted in to being locatable through their AirFlare app settings, and a non-subscriber must actively tap the SMS link and allow their phone to share its location. If the caller does nothing, no location is returned and the search times out.
How long does an AirFlare locate take?
A subscriber locate typically returns within moments. An SMS locate depends on the caller — the search waits up to 5 minutes for them to tap the link and share their location. If it times out, click Reset and send the request again.
Why does my AirFlare panel say DEMO?
The DEMO badge means live searching is not yet activated for your resort — results are simulated and no real search is made. Live search requires an AirFlare agency agreement. Contact denis@airflare.com to get set up.
Where does AirFlare work?
AirFlare coverage is currently available in the United States and Canada. The phone being located needs enough connectivity to receive the request and send back a position.