What is DEMP ?

DEMP stands for Decentralized Emergency Management Protocol. It is an open set of rules and guidelines that allows information systems to communicate and share safety-related information securely and in an interoperable way without relying on a central infrastructure or authority.

Beyond its purely technical definition, DEMP promotes an inclusive and community-driven approach of safety, enabling citizens, organizations and institutions to collectively manage everyday emergency situations as well as wide-scale crises more effectively.

How does it work ?

Emergency Management involves reducing risks, preparing for situations, responding to incidents, recovering and improving afterwards. DEMP supports all these activities by facilitating storage, sharing and processing of structured data across federated safety networks of people and organizations before, during and after crises.

Where is DEMP useful ?

DEMP is particularly suitable for situations where relevant information needs to be available in real time and in parallel to many potential responders, affected individuals and stakeholders, such as medical emergencies, public safety threats, missing persons cases, large-scale disasters or any kind of alert condition requiring immediate report, action and coordinated management.

Why DEMP — isn't 911 enough ?

DEMP does not replace emergency services or professionals. Instead, it allows individuals and communities to act independently or alongside with them by fully leveraging information and communication technologies. The goal is not to challenge existing institutions but to address critical and systemic gaps that can lead to avoidable casualties as well as significant economic losses.

Is DEMP already in use?

The protocol has been maturing since 2024 and its foundation is already public and open for anyone to explore, test or contribute to. As of 2026, many projects related to DEMP are getting actively developed, such as SAFE, and will be available for general use in the coming years.

Is DEMP free ?

Yes, by design. DEMP is an open source project. This means anyone can access and study the specification, implement it and build products and services on top of it. There is no subscription, no vendor lock-in and no proprietary API to pay for. The specification belongs to the community that uses and contributes to it.