Returning to work gave mother-of-two Victoria Hodge a wake-up call she hadn't seen coming.

Victoria Hodge teaches daughter Ruby, 3, how to call emergency services. Photo: Tracy Hardy.

The Tauranga mother found herself at work, picturing the worst, when her un-well mother-in-law was at home looking after Victoria's young children.

'My mother-in-law was not very well at the time. It was a little worrying to have her mind our children, but she was our most reliable option.

'It was always in the back of my mind that if something happened I don't know what the children would have done.”

Victoria's concerns prompted her to develop and market an app for young children, designed to teach them what to do in emergency situations.

She launched the Emergency Call Coach app across New Zealand and Australia, the UK and USA, and is busy trying to get as many children ‘emergency savvy' as possible.

'I gave up my day job last year to try and get this going. It was scary, but I know it was the right thing to do.”

The app runs on iPads and replicates emergency situations in a fun and interactive way. Victoria says it's designed for parents to sit with their children and talk them through the game.

'Children choose a hero and a mission; and they're given a real-life scenario in a comic-style.”

They must call emergency services, and ask for the right service for the given scenario before they can move on.

Victoria's children, both under five, use the app – and Victoria believes it will offer many parents peace of mind.

The app is available for $2.59 on the app store. Victoria is appealing to get 10,000 likes on the app's Facebook page by March 31, and if she succeeds will offer the app free during April. See the Rainythink – Emergency Call Coach page for details.