Personal Emergency Alert Device: How Does It Work?

Table of contents:

• What is a Personal Emergency Alert Device?
• How Does a Personal Alert Device Work?
• Who Needs Personal Alert Devices?
• Reasons to Use a Personal Alert Safety System Device
• AllsWell App for Personal Emergency Alerts

 

Fifty-six percent of people embarking on a new trip named local safety threats the most worrying type of headlines. When respondents read them before travel, it caused additional stress. What could they do in such cases? A personal emergency alert device is one of the options. It would allow them to ask for help in life-threatening situations during the trip.

Person-to-person alert devices have many other applications. You can use them if you live alone and want protection against everyday safety risks. You can buy one for children, seniors, or any family member. You can provide them to lone workers and other vulnerable groups.

How do personal safety alert devices work? Learn this and more in the article by AllsWell.

What is a Personal Emergency Alert Device?

A personal alert device is a device or application that enables users to send emergency notifications. They can click the panic button to alert emergency services or contacts that something bad has happened. It may be anything from getting lost to burglary. Alerts are SMS, in-app notifications, direct phone calls, or cross-channel messages.

‘Personal’ means that a specific user owns the device and always keeps it at hand. Personal emergency alert devices are lightweight and convenient. Besides, they support GPS tracking and, therefore, send alerts with an accurate location of the user. This way, emergency contacts can quickly locate the person to help them.

How Does a Personal Alert Device Work?

The operation of a personal alert safety system depends on the kind of device you choose. Specialized devices are more complicated, expensive, and usually consist of multiple components. Apps operate based on the functionality of your mobile device and offer easy installation. Here is how both options work:

• Personal alert devices.  If you buy a separate device for sending alerts, it may be supplied with a console connected to your smartphone. This console accepts the signal from the panic button on the device and transmits it to emergency centers or selected people. Many modern devices have no console and connect directly to your smartphone. For example, keychains, lockets, watches, and other wearables with a panic button.

Besides, personal alert devices are monitored and unmonitored. Monitored devices are more pricey since they directly connect users to response centers. Unmonitored devices only send emergency alerts to selected people. Although they don’t allow you to contact the police directly, unmonitored devices are enough for everyday use. After all, once you inform someone you need help, they will take immediate steps to contact emergency services.

• Personal alert apps. If you have a smartphone that allows downloading an app, do it instead of buying a personal emergency alert device. After installation, such apps power your phone with the panic button. They use your phone’s GPS location tracking to send notifications with GPS coordinates to emergency contacts. In addition to panic alerts, apps like AllsWell, also support inactivity monitoring. This feature triggers alerts after prolonged periods of inactivity. For example, if the user who is supposed to interact with their smartphone every 6 hours remains inactive, the app will trigger alerts.

Note that personal medical alert devices and emergency alert devices differ. Personal alert devices are not suitable for medical monitoring. They allow users to ask for help in a health crisis but won’t make a medical team arrive at their homes. It’s the responsibility of emergency contacts to call an ambulance. Hence, we recommend buying personal emergency alert devices for everyday use and personal safety.

Who Needs Personal Alert Devices?

The best personal alert devices can benefit every family member since they are universal. You can customize the content of notifications to match all common emergencies. Overall, the core user categories include:

Adults who live, commute, or travel alone

These people spend the most time on their own, which makes them particularly vulnerable in emergencies. They stay at home, commute to work, travel, and do many other things alone. Hence, even when something minor happens, they won’t be able to ask for help. Personal alert devices and apps can make them better protected in emergencies. When a threat emerges, they will activate the panic button to let their partner, friends, or family know about it.

Adults with minor chronic health issues

If you are likely to faint, feel unwell, or have other health issues that don’t require 24/7 medical monitoring, alert devices may be an option. They will enable you to send emergency alerts when you feel poorly. Your emergency contacts will know they should keep an eye on you or come to visit.

Lone workers

Personal alert devices are an effective security measure for employers who hire lone workers. They can supply their employees with panic buttons and inactivity monitoring functionality to stay in touch. Workers will have a reliable way to report emergencies and request help.

Seniors who live on their own

Those who have aged parents or provide care to seniors know how draining it may be. You constantly worry that something may happen. Personal safety alert devices can bring caregivers peace of mind. They know that if something happens, their loved ones will activate emergency alerts.

Children and teenagers

If you want to protect your kids when they are alone or with friends, buy them a personal emergency alert device or app. You will receive immediate alerts with GPS location when they need help.

Apart from the listed user categories, alert devices are suitable for anyone who wants better personal security. Even if you live with a large family, you spend some time alone and can get in trouble. Personal alert safety system devices allow you to ask for help in emergencies when no one is around.

Reasons to Use a Personal Alert Safety System Device

If you still doubt whether you need a personal alert device, consider its practical advantages. For a small price, you get a personal safety system that can yield many benefits, including:

• Personal emergency alert devices are convenient to use. They are lightweight and wearable. If you choose an app, you won’t even have to purchase any devices. App installation takes several seconds.

• They have versatile functionality for many kinds of emergencies. You will have a panic button, GPS alerts, inactivity monitoring, and other handy features.

• They are unnoticeable. If someone attacks you, you can activate emergency alerts unnoticed.

• They offer an affordable alternative to expensive surveillance systems. Personal alert devices start from several dollars per month, whereas the cost of surveillance systems reaches hundreds. Hence, personal devices and apps are great to cut expenses.

• They are easy to install. You don’t need to invite professionals for installation and configuration since everything is super easy.

• They can be tailored to your needs. You can choose when to send emergency alerts and how.

Hence, by purchasing a personal alert device you get much more than you lose. Several dollars on a monthly subscription fee are definitely worth the enhanced security they bring.

AllsWell App for Personal Emergency Alerts

AllsWell Alert is a personal safety & emergency alert app for people living, commuting, or traveling alone. It combines the panic button functionality with inactivity monitoring, enabling the app to send your emergency contact an alert with your location even when you cannot press a button.

Download the emergency alert app now to start a 30-day free trial and test how it works.