SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) – Following last month’s deadly earthquake and tsunami in Japan and political uprisings in the Middle East, one of the problems facing people has been a difficulty in relaying information to each other.

But now, there’s an app for that. The Democri-C app was developed by a loose-knit group of programmers, who started developing it after last January’s Haiti earthquake.

“Programmers from different parts of the world actually got together using a network of Twitter and Facebook and put this app together rapidly,” said developer Scott Douglas.

KCBS’ Patti Reising Reports:

The group came up with a computer software application which creates an instant communications system using technology that each person can control by themselves.

It’s for urgent communications during a crisis and Douglas said users can tap in commands on their phone, which would be converted to Morse code.

“Another party application uses pre-stored sound files that are out on the internet that say, go north, go south, run away or meet here,” he said.

Douglas said the app has life-saving implications.

“We hope in areas where there’s regime change that people’s lives are saved because they get away from the bad guys and can organize and come together,” said Douglas.

The app costs 99-cents at the iTunes Store.

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