Everything you need to know about GoodSAM - from registering as a Responder to governance and press enquiries.
Once you have registered, you will be sent an activation email with details of how to activate your account. If you have not received one, please check your spam or junk folder. You can request a new activation email by following the link here.
You can click here and enter your email to receive a new verification code. Please note that if your email is already verified, you will see an error message.
You can click here and enter your email address. We will then email you a password reset link.
Log into the website at goodsamapp.org/login and go to 'Change your password' under the 'My Details' tab.
If the app does not locate you automatically, please make sure your location services are enabled. Please have a look at our Troubleshooting page for further guidance.
For iOS, please follow this guide from Apple.
For Android, please follow this guide from Google.
We take your data and privacy seriously. For information on how we handle data, please see our Data Protection Policy.
If you are a GoodSAM Volunteer, please email enquiries@instant.help with the email address you registered with and a member of our team will process this for you.
If you have been given an account by your organisation, please contact your organisation's IT or support team.
Please confirm that location services are enabled for your device using this guide.
You can then open the app, go to the 'Me' tab and use the location accuracy slider to adjust the location accuracy for your device. By default, we recommend the slider is set to 1/5 - this uses cell tower triangulation only and consumes just 1-2% of your battery. The higher the setting, the more accurate your location will be, but more battery will be used.
If you are using an Android device, you will also need to set 'Report On-Duty' to 'On'. This toggle is under the 'Me' tab in the app and prevents Android's battery optimisation from blocking background location updates.
Please confirm that push notifications are enabled for your device using this guide.
If the app is open and in the foreground, the device will not make a sound. Please put the app in the background to test the notification sound.
Make sure your device is not on silent or do-not-disturb mode, and that your notification volume is not set too low (check your device settings).
Then log in to our website and send yourself a test push notification from the 'Manage' section of your profile.
If the above still does not work, force-close the app by swiping it off screen, reopen it, leave it on the map screen for 10-15 seconds, minimise it and try the push notification test again.
On iPhone, if the app is in the foreground or if the phone is connected to an Apple Watch, the notification may not make a sound. This is controlled by Apple's guidelines.
Note: On the latest version of the app, the 'Simulate an Alert' feature does not make a sound. To test notifications, please use the website method described above.
Please see Apple's official guide on how to configure your watch notifications.
We verify all Responders' identities and qualifications prior to enrolment. The following people can register:
The minimum age is currently 18 years old.
Yes, but you will need to have completed a first aid or basic life support course and upload a valid certificate.
If you are a doctor, nurse or paramedic, please upload your photo work ID or badge. If you are an EMT, Community First Responder, St John Ambulance or Red Cross member, or a medical or paramedic student, please upload a copy of your basic life support or first aid qualification.
Your qualification must be uploaded via the registration form or through the link displayed in the app when an ID has expired. Qualifications should not be emailed or sent as attachments for governance and data protection reasons.
The photo must be clear, well lit and include the whole document or ID card, uploaded in a photo format (e.g. JPEG or PNG). Other document types will not be accepted.
Screenshots of the HCPC website or any other health organisation website are not accepted as proof of ID. Registration numbers must be typed into the 'Reg' field on the registration form.
Expired qualifications or government ID cards will not be accepted. Personal identification documents (e.g. passport or driving licence) are not accepted as evidence of CPR training.
Individuals who register as a GoodSAM Cardiac Responder using the online RCUK Lifesaver training will be asked to upload a photo of either a passport or driving licence to begin the training.
Individuals with an NHS.net email address can register by logging in using the NHS Single Sign-On option in the app and on the website.
In most parts of the world, GoodSAM works on smartphones through push notifications.
However, in some areas smartphones are not available or mobile data coverage is poor. If you live or work in such an area, or if you do not have a smartphone, you can register to receive alerts by text message (SMS) where push notification is not possible. (This service is not currently active in the US.)
If you do not have a smartphone, you can still update your location by logging into your account on the website and using the 'Manage' page.
Verifying Organisations can only approve Responders who are affiliated with them - for example, employees, volunteers or those they have trained. If your organisation is listed in the dropdown menu when applying, please select them and they will review and approve your application directly.
For everyone else, select 'GoodSAM' as the Verifying Organisation and our in-house team will process your application.
You can change your Verifying Organisation or submit new ID by logging into your account area here. Please note that any changes will need to be re-approved by your Verifying Organisation before you can access the Responder app again.
Each icon on the map represents a Responder. If you press an icon, you can see their name (where the Responder has consented to this). Green icons represent fellow Responders from your own organisation. Red icons represent Responders registered under a different organisation.
GoodSAM hosts the world's largest AED registry - thanks to our community. We know that the majority of AEDs are not in fixed locations but carried in kits or in the back of cars. That is why we created the world's first Mobile AED Registry. Responders who have an AED with them can indicate this through the app and appear as a Mobile AED Responder, shown with an AED backpack icon. There is a toggle button under the 'Me' tab for this.
Some shifts or activities may require an individual to work alone. Where an organisation uses this feature, the Responder will be prompted to turn on this setting in the app. This allows individuals to be monitored for safety and welfare whilst on duty.
All AEDs on our registry have been validated by our in-house team. Red AEDs have an additional layer of validation where a local service (e.g. ambulance or fire) has also performed a check on the device. If you have a choice of AEDs nearby, we recommend choosing a red AED.
Some ambulance and emergency services use GoodSAM to dispatch their own staff and Community First Responders to a range of incidents beyond cardiac arrest - this is the GoodSAM Pro system. The 'On Duty' button under the 'Me' tab should only be selected when you are taking part in a specific scheme. If your service is not using GoodSAM Pro, you will only be alerted to cardiac incidents.
GoodSAM has a messaging feature so that you can communicate with Responders around you. Tap on the Responder icon of the person you wish to message, select 'Buzz', and you will be able to send them a text or audio message.
You can check that the system is locating you correctly at any time. Go to the 'Me' tab of the app and select 'Show Where I Am'. This will generate a link sent to your registered email address, valid for twelve hours, showing a map of your location. You can increase or decrease location accuracy using the slider at the bottom of the 'Me' page.
During a GoodSAM alert, we share all information directly from the ambulance service or the relevant organisation. When you accept an alert, key information - such as patient address details (where shared with us) or stand-down messages - can be found by pressing the Messages icon on the grey bar at the top or bottom of the app screen.
No. If you are unable to respond - for example, if you are in a meeting, caring for children or have consumed alcohol - simply hit 'Reject' and the next nearest Responder will be alerted.
Your safety is paramount. If for any reason you suspect that it may not be safe for you to attend, we strongly advise you to reject or drop the call and leave it to the emergency services.
Absolutely not. Because you should only be alerted to incidents very close by, it will almost certainly be quicker to go on foot. If driving, you must do so in accordance with all applicable road traffic legislation.
Yes. Once you attend any alerts, there will be a record under the 'Reporting' tab in the Responder app. Alternatively, you can log in to the website and access the logs from the 'Manage' page.
As with all hoax emergency calls, there is no simple way to prevent them entirely. However, any repeated false alerts will result in the associated accounts being disconnected from the system.
This is a complex area and varies by jurisdiction. However, a lack of clarity should not stop lives being saved. By following our Code of Conduct, you are highly unlikely to face criticism.
United Kingdom - First Aiders: The Social Action, Responsibility and Heroism Act 2015 provides some protection for those who act in good faith. While there is no complete protection from litigation, following our Code of Conduct makes the chances of successful litigation extremely small. You may also wish to check with your local first aid organisation regarding indemnity cover.
United Kingdom - Medical Professionals: Your current medical indemnity likely covers Good Samaritan acts, but please check with your provider. The Medical Protection Society has confirmed that they consider responding to the GoodSAM app as falling within their definition of a Good Samaritan act, provided the member complies with our Code of Conduct.
Duty of Care: There are many reasons you may not be able to attend an alert - you may not hear your phone, you may be at work, or you may have consumed alcohol (in which case you have a duty not to attend). The statutory services will still have been notified and will be en route.
Australia: Most states and territories have some form of Good Samaritan protection, generally offering protection when care is provided in good faith.
USA: Good Samaritan laws vary by jurisdiction, including who is protected and under what circumstances. Not all jurisdictions provide protection to laypersons.
The GoodSAM platform has many uses for emergency services, first aid charities and training organisations. Staff and volunteers for these organisations have skills that can be used to save lives in their local community - GoodSAM enables this.
Verifying Organisation status allows these organisations to enrol staff and create a network of their own Responders. From the dashboard, organisations can see and communicate with Responders in real time. Those approved under Verifying Organisations receive reminders when they need to refresh their training.
There is a wide range of Verifying Organisations - from Fire, Police, NHS Trusts and other emergency services with large numbers of CPR-trained staff, to first aid charities with trained volunteers, and training organisations themselves.
By becoming a Verifying Organisation, you have a responsibility to ensure that you only approve those who are linked to your organisation and have the relevant skills - currently a minimum of a 'First Aid at Work' certification and are over 18.
Verifying Organisations tend to be larger organisations with the capacity to approve 100+ Responders. For smaller organisations, we are happy to help - please contact enquiries@instant.help to request our promotional materials.
We require Verifying Organisations to adhere to our governance principles so that GoodSAM can continue to be a highly governed and secure system. We reserve the right to withdraw Verifying Organisation status at any time. As a Verifying Organisation, you agree to:
All other Responder registrations should be referred to 'GoodSAM' as the Verifying Organisation.
Yes! If you meet the first aid requirements and are over 18, simply select 'GoodSAM' as your Verifying Organisation when you register. Your application will come through to us and will be reviewed by our in-house team.
Governance is paramount. Putting this at the heart of GoodSAM has enabled services around the world to have confidence in the platform.
All Responders undergo ID and certification verification. When qualifications expire, Responders must renew their certification or they will no longer receive alerts. This ensures that only current and qualified Responders are part of the GoodSAM community.
All Responders attending an incident can be tracked and communicated with in real time. A Code of Conduct has been developed with ambulance services and can be reviewed here.
GoodSAM works with ambulance services across the world, delivering alerting and dispatching solutions. Each service defines how they would like to use the system - for example, the radius of each alert, the number or skill set of Responders alerted, or the type of incident. This provides a highly bespoke platform that meets the governance requirements of each individual service.
We greatly appreciate all the work done in the community to promote GoodSAM. We are immensely proud of our global network of Responders, Alerters and Verifying Organisations.
If you wish to use the GoodSAM logo or make reference to GoodSAM on your website, clothing, vehicles or business materials, please contact enquiries@instant.help with details of how you intend to use it. If the logo is used without permission, we reserve the right to enforce its removal.
Please note that GoodSAM does not endorse any organisations or enter into exclusive agreements.
We are always happy to work with the press to share our story. For press enquiries, images or interviews, please contact enquiries@instant.help and our team will be in touch.
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