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A hair tie that sends your location in seconds debuts at the Arganda festivities
Arganda del Rey has launched an unusual device during its Fiestas Patronales: a hair tie with NFC technology capable of sending an alert and real-time location to contacts previously chosen by the user. The Town Hall prepared more than 3,000 units with a design inspired by the colours of La Función.
The system needs to be set up before use. Once trusted contacts have been selected, the user must unlock their phone and bring it close to the NFC sensor integrated in the hair tie. According to the Town Hall, the alert can reach those people in less than five seconds, along with the real-time location.
The idea is not to connect directly with Policía Local, Guardia Civil or emergency services. The Town Hall itself warns that the hair tie does not replace emergency phones or police services: it serves as an additional way to quickly notify family, friends or other previously selected people.
There is an important detail for those learning about the initiative now. The municipal distribution took place at Casa Rosa on 3 and 4 September, from 10:00 to 14:00. As of 8 September, the Town Hall has not publicly announced a new location or new distribution dates, so it should not be presented as if the hair ties can still be freely collected throughout the festivities.
The devices arrive at festivities that continue until 15 September and feature more than a hundred activities. Security has also been reinforced in other ways: each day, more than a hundred personnel are involved, including Policía Local, Guardia Civil, Protección Civil and private security.
The Recinto Ferial also has a control centre from which camera surveillance is managed. The municipal operation includes real-time capacity control, thermal cameras and a mobile command post to respond more quickly in areas with larger crowds.
The hair tie thus adds a different layer to the operation: it does not detect assaults or automatically request police presence, but allows a person to send their location quickly when they feel uncomfortable or unsafe. Its usefulness therefore depends on having completed the initial setup correctly and having an unlocked phone to activate the NFC.
The Fiestas Patronales de Arganda will continue until Tuesday 15 September. Those who have already collected one of the devices will be able to use it during the remaining days, but for now there is no record of a second municipal distribution campaign.