About Avuka-Squad

Avuka-Squad is a C2 combined system to manage location base events

for details please Contact

The System

Avuká-Squad system was characterized, designed and developed over a period of 2 years in cooperation with top Israeli security and army experts in order to provide an extensive C2 solution to Security, Semi-Military and Paramilitary organizations
 

The Need

  • Finding an effective way to launch security forces
  • Receive an immediate feedback on the availability of the forces
  • Receive the forces’ deployment locations
  • Establishing a location based comm channel with the forces in the field - send and receive points and locations
  • Reduce security costs by more efficient management of forces

Solutions

  • Routine - manage security forces
  • Emergency - managing call out, deployment and locations until back to normal
  • Distress - personal location based distress call to dispatch and nearby forces
  • General Alerts - issue an emergency general alert (gas leak, fire etc.)
  •  

Characteristics

  • Manage, monitor and control security forces in routine - guards and patrols
  • Manage and monitor patrol checkpoints
  • Call-out circles - can divide the forces to different call-out circles, don’t have to call-out everybody
  • Event types - can define different event types and drills
  • Location based - can easily send and share locations with the forces on the ground. per event, group or specific personal

Modules

  • Dispatch module - C2 multiple events
  • Security forces module - create  and receive call-outs, beacon, send and receive locations
  • Civilian module - send distress signal
  • Notification module - multi channel notification push module for all the organization’s members

summary

Avuká-Squad system suite was designed and developed to supply a comprehensive location based C2 solution for organizations with complex security needs.

Avuká-Squad system is fully customizable and can be adjusted to your organization’s unique needs

Hoping for productive cooperation,

Avuká development team

 

* Hover over links to see image, Click to open image

Start

  1. Install
  2. Login using Google/Android account
  3. Permissions: Depending on your android version user might be asked to grant the application some permissions ( 1 ,2 ,3 )
  4. Name and Phone: Required so you can be identified and contacted by your Squad dispatch / members.
  5. Squad Code: After entering the code given to you by your Squad Admin, wait for your approval

 

Emergency Events

There are three main event types:
  1. Squad call-out - can be created only by authorized users

    Characteristics:

    A. Title/Description can be pre-defined or created ad-hoc

    B. location - Every event has an event location if not defined the location will be the Squad's default gathering point

    C. Calling Circles: The Squad manager can pre-define different calling circles (e.g. Officers, Medical team, SWAT team etc.)

  2. Distress

    Characteristics:

    A. The event's location will be the user's (mobile device) location

    B. Receivers: Can be nearby users, certain Squad rolls and dispatch

    C. 4 Type Security, Medical, Criminal, Malfunction/Other

  3. Public Alert

    Characteristics:

    A. Title: pre-defined by Squad manager (Fire, Gas leak etc.)

    B. Will be received by all the organization's authorized users

 

Create Event

There are two ways to create an event
  1. Quick creation: by dragging (or 1, 2) the main action button downworth

    When created this way the event's characteristics are default:

    Squad

    A. Title

    B. Location

    C. Circle: All

    Distress

    Type: Security

  2. Regular Creation: Clicking the main action button will open an event build menu - note that in every step you can click (?) for help
    Type - Long click on Squad will open a menu for event type selection
    1. Squad call-out: select location > Send - can also select calling circle, true / drill event
      > If event already exists a pop-up that enables to cancel / add calling circles / create new event will be added
      > If a distress event already exists an option to call-out the Squad to the distress call location will be shown
    2. Distress: distress types > Send

 

Main screen

  1. Status
    When exists an active event, the event's details will be shown: Title, Creator, Time, Circles
  2. Main action button - see Create event for details
  3. Beacon

    When on the user's location is visible to dispatch and to authorized users

  4. Events

    Active events manage screen

    1. Join event - user can have only one active event at a time. if the user has another active event he will exit it and join the other event
    2. Leave event - Event is still active but the user is no longer participating
    3. Cancel event - All participating users will receive back to normal notification
    4. Event details - Clicking on the event's body will open a pop-up with all the event's details
      If the event creator's phone number is available a one click phone call option will be available (might need to grant call permission)

    Note: This button is available only when exist active events

  5. Map button

    watch event map, forces on the ground, locations

  6. Menu

    Configurations menus

Not Available in english

 

* Hover over links to see image, Click to open image

 

Q: What is Avuka-Squad?

A: Avuka-Squad is a C2 (Command and Control) combined system that also includes dispatch application and mobile application, to manage location based events in routine and emergency. The system was developed and designed in long cooperation with Israeli security and army experts in order to provide an extensive C2 solution to Security, Semi-Military and Paramilitary organizations

Q: Who can benefit Avuka-Squad?

A: Avuka-Squad's target users are organizations that need to manage deployed forces (security or others) and to establish location based comm channel

Q: What about privacy?

A: Avuka-Squad is a professional platform and it does not transfer data to any 3rd party

Q: Why does the app need permissions?

A: Avuka-Squad system is an emergency system. Unlike other applications where you can deny a certain permission and, if necessary, give it back (for example, sending voicemails) in an emergency situation there is no time to start granting permissions. Therefore, there are certain permissions that are necessary for the operation of the system. (Details below) In addition, there are certain permissions that the system requests, which although are not mandatory we strongly recommend that you confirm (identity / contacts / phone / storage)

Permissions details

This app has access to:

 Identity/Contacts - Not mandatory!

The authorization of the device identity (Android account identity) also grants access to the contact list and can not be separated. The system uses this permission along with Google's login (login / login) mechanism to verify the identity of the device.
The "Avuka-Squad" system does not read the list of contacts and certainly does not sell or distribute or use it for advertising, commercial or other purposes. Unlike Whatsapp, for example, that its declared economic model is to use user data, including the list of contacts, for profit.

 Location

The system is a location-based command-and-control system, so this authorization is essential for the functioning of the system. It is important to note that as long as the user has not joined an active event and his beacon is off - his location is not visible. Especially if the user chooses to turn off the GPS on his phone.

 SMS

The system uses text messaging to ensure that a new event will reach all users in the shortest possible time. This is a backup of the situation where the device has weak/unstable/no Internet access or home network (WiFi) disconnected/malfunctioned.
Your phone might receive or send SMS messages from/to your your own squad colleagues.
This functionality is automatically disabled while roaming. 

Note: On Android devices 8.0 and higher, in order to use text messages, permission is also required for the phone (next section). This is probably an Android bug but unfortunately this permission is currently required (more information here and here)

 Phone - Not mandatory!

This allows for in-app speed dialing for the group manager / room attendant and event users, although it is not mandatory and is highly recommended.

  Storage (Photos/Media/Files) - Not mandatory!

The system store on the device maps, layers, voice messages etc. Normally these files are stored on the internal memory of the device and not on the memory card. However, if the internal memory is limited or low, the memory card may be used to store this information. In this case, failure to grant access to the memory card may result in faulty system performance.

 Microphone

The system has a sending  breaking voice messages (PTT) module for use in case of emergency as well as voice messages in the internal chat. Microphone access is essential for this capability.

 Device ID & call information

This allows the system to read the phone identifier (IMEI). This information is essential to the situation where the phone is lost and we want to block its access to the system.

 

Q: When is the user's location visible?

A: Only in three cases:

  1. The user activated the Beacon
  2. The user joined an active event - as long as the event is active
  3. The user activated distress mode

Q: What is the fastest way to create an emergency event?

A: Fastest way to create an emergency event is to drag down the main action button

  1. An emergency Squad member can create a Squad call-out or create a personal distress call by dragging the main action button down right or left respectively (see images)
  2. Regular user by dragging the main action button straight down

Q: How to send a location / coordination to the Squad / dispatch?

A: Long click on the map will pop-up a location create menu, name is optional, there are 3 location types

  1. Private - visible only to the user.
  2. Group - visible to all Squad members.
  3. Event - visible only to the event's active members, these locations will be deleted with the event (when cancelled).

Q: How to delete a location?

A: Click on the location's marker > click on the marker's label.

Q: How to cancel (back to normal) an event?

A: Two options:

  1. Enter "Events" menu > click "Cancel" on the event you wish to cancel
  2. Main action button > Avuka-Squad > Cancel Event

Q: How can I identify users on the map?

A: Clicking (Touch) on every marker will open details label. If more than one minute passed since the user's last location update was received, the location's (GPS) timestamp will also be shown.

Q: What are the different markers' colours?

A: Clicking (Touch) on every marker will open details label:

  1. Red: Event's location / Squad gathering point
  2. Green - User with beacon on
  3. Blue - Active user in the current active event
  4. Light blue - Active user on another active event
  5. Purple - Location sent: User, Group or Event