StayReady wins Rep. Lateefah Simon’s 2025 Congressional App Challenge in California’s 12th District

When asked what inspired the creation of StayReady, Adan Allen said, “I was inspired to create StayReady after an experience at school last year during a fire safety assembly. A fire safety expert visited and talked to us about how to respond to fires and how to stay prepared for emergencies. We also participated in various exercises simulating natural disasters, where we acted out different scenarios like evacuations and emergency responses. During these activities, I realized that many of the people around me—including myself—did not actually know very much about how to stay safe during fires or other disasters.

“This experience made me see a real problem: although emergencies can happen at any time, most people in my community lacked practical, actionable knowledge about disaster preparedness. I noticed that even small, everyday actions—like knowing evacuation routes, having emergency supplies, or understanding local risks—were often overlooked. The idea of creating an app that could help people be prepared and informed stayed with me.

“When I had the opportunity to choose a project as part of the Hidden Genius Project, I decided to focus on disaster preparedness for my own community. I wanted to build something that could take complex information—like hazard maps, local risk factors, and safety guidelines—and turn it into a tool that anyone could use to protect themselves and their families. I wanted StayReady to be both educational and practical, offering personalized guidance based on a user’s location so that residents could take concrete steps to prepare for earthquakes, floods, and wildfires.

“The assembly and exercises also helped me realize that technology can be a powerful way to reach people and make important information accessible. By combining coding, data analysis, interactive maps, and AI-driven guidance, I could create an app that not only informs but also empowers users to take action.”