My injured father lay freezing for hours when his 911 call didn’t go through. Here’s how I’m fixing 911.

[Commentary] Despite all the ways that technology has transformed our lives over the last 50 years, when we need technology most we are trapped using dated infrastructure. The result is that though applications such as Uber allow you to call a car to your precise location -- reaching first responders generally requires dialing a number and having a detailed conversation where you articulate your precise location and type of emergency.

With the help of the 911 community, we developed RapidSOS One-Touch-911, a mobile application that with one-touch transmits data off of your device (including your precise location, type of emergency, contact information, and medical/demographic data) directly into 911’s existing system. The technology is universally compatible with every dispatch center across the United States. The result is a system that dramatically increases the information available to dispatchers, accelerating response times, and saving lives. The technology will ultimately work in over 135 countries globally -- putting first responders one-touch away regardless of where you travel and what language you speak. For the 60 million Americans that are non-native English speakers or the 8 million Americans that are hard of hearing -- this technology dramatically increases access to emergency services. Together, as one voice, we are going to transform emergency communication and save millions of lives annually.

[Michael Martin is a co-founder of RapidSOS and is currently completing his MBA at Harvard Business School]