Federal contractor turned entrepreneur creates public safety app for smartphones

John South has created a Reston-based company called Patrocinium Systems and has built a smartphone app called ArcAngel that provides its users with public safety information and services.

ArcAngel is available in basic and premium versions. The former costs $4.99 per month and pushes alerts to users who may be in danger because of extreme weather, a shooting, an explosion or other public safety incident. The premium option runs $19.99 per month and includes the ability to call on the company’s staff, many of whom have military or other tactical experience, if a user finds themselves in need of help. The app is not an alternative to 9-1-1 or local law enforcement, South insists, but can be used in less dire situations.