Imagine an app that uses social media to deliver emergency messages even when cell phone networks have stopped working during a natural disaster.

Or an app that can alert rescue workers when someone is alive under a collapsed building.

Those are close to becoming a reality thanks to a unique, weekend-long global event that brought together disaster professionals and volunteer software makers in the hopes of building a set of mobile and online emergency aid tools.

The teams at Random Hacks of Kindness Toronto (RHoK Toronto) were among some 1,000 people in 18 cities across six continents participating in the hacking marathon, or "hackathon," that unites technologists and humanitarian experts in an effort to solve pressing problems. The Toronto event was held at Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) and teams worked on six projects. The goal was to complete the prototypes for the aid tools by Sunday afternoon.

Random Hacks of Kindness was founded in 2009 by Google, Microsoft,  NASA, Yahoo and the World Bank.

"It's unbelievable that the teams are able to create these mobile apps and online tools in less than 48 hours," said Heather Leson, lead organizer of RHoK Toronto. "By dinner time Saturday, one team here had already programmed a working prototype!

"The best part of Random Hacks of Kindness is that no matter which teams win Toronto's pitch competition, all the participants learn, mentor and share in their world. Plus, some projects will continue and maybe become fully built," she said.