CrisisCircle

🌟 Inspiration

CrisisCircle was born out of the realization that, in times of recurring crises—whether it's hurricanes like the recent Hurricane Milton in Florida or other natural disasters—staying connected with loved ones becomes more crucial than ever. In these moments, the need for swift, reliable communication and resource-sharing is not just a luxury; it's a lifeline. We were inspired by the resilience of communities that face these recurring challenges and wanted to build a service that helps individuals find reassurance and safety when it matters most.

🌐 What it does

CrisisCircle is a government-backed service that empowers citizens during times of crisis. It allows users to track the live location of their close ones, receive critical public announcements from the government, and seamlessly donate or request resources in real-time. By providing an easy way for citizens to check in on their loved ones and ensure their safety, CrisisCircle strengthens community ties and provides a streamlined method to share resources when they are most needed.

🛠️ How we built it

We built CrisisCircle with a modern tech stack focused on simplicity and real-time performance. Using Python and FastAPI for the backend, we connected to Firebase for secure, real-time data storage and TailwindCSS to create a responsive and clean user interface. Firebase Realtime Database enables the dynamic updating of locations and your close circle's statuses, while FastAPI handles efficient data routing. This integration provides a robust system where users can feel reassured about their loved ones and contribute to relief efforts at the same time.

🧠 Challenges we ran into

Let’s be real—we ran into ourselves as the biggest challenge. We pivoted away from this idea midway through the hackathon, only to circle right back to it at the end! Coming up with other ideas felt like going around in circles, but in the end, we trusted our instincts and committed to this life-saving project. Oh, and don't even get us started on those annoying centering div issues that took way longer than they should have... (Why is centering always harder than it seems?!)

🚀 Accomplishments that we're proud of

Our proudest achievement is knowing that CrisisCircle can truly make a difference in times of need. We’ve developed a solution that connects people with their close ones, offers timely updates, and facilitates community support, all while maintaining ease of use. In times of crisis, having a reliable tool to track the safety of loved ones and contribute to relief efforts is a game-changer, and we believe CrisisCircle has the potential to do just that. All of us in our team have only created personal projects that benefit a small scale or a small target group, so to know we can have a huge impact and potentially save lives.

✍️ What we learned

We learned the value of trusting our instincts and sticking with a project, even when faced with uncertainty. The journey taught us to believe in our vision and push through the challenges, knowing that the end result would be worth it. Beyond that, we refined our technical skills, especially around real-time data handling with Firebase and FastAPI. And, of course, we learned (again) that centering divs is always trickier than expected!

🤝 What's next for CrisisCircle

Looking ahead, we want to expand CrisisCircle to serve even more communities around the world. By adding new features like offline modes for those without internet access and incorporating more resource-sharing capabilities, using TMobile's Network as Code. We hope to make CrisisCircle an indispensable tool during any disaster. Our vision is to ensure that, no matter where someone is or what they are facing, they can feel reassured knowing that help and connection are just a few clicks away.

Built With

• fastapi
• firebase
• leaflet.js
• python
• tailwind