In the mobile world, technology advancements are happening left and right. This is especially true when it comes to personal safety. On Apple devices, just the swipe of the Emergency SOS function can easily call emergency services. But, at what point does it become too easy? In some cases, it’s so easy that even your pocket can contact emergency dispatch services completely hands-free. This has actually been a recent problem for many Apple iPhone users due to a new system update and it’s wreaking havoc on emergency dispatchers.  

What Is The Problem?

The recent SOS update for Apple devices allows users to immediately call emergency services after you quickly click the power button 5 consecutive times. In theory, this can cut down the amount of time it takes to dial emergency services, which is important during a dyer emergency situation. It can also prove to be helpful in more dangerous situations where users may not be able to talk to an emergency dispatcher. 

While the intent to improve contact with emergency services is present, the update has resulted in more than 7,000 9-1-1 misdials. Some people have reported that these misdials were the result of common activities, from rough housing with relatives to bumping their Apple Watch while unloading their groceries. 

Since the update has been released, the number of non-emergency, pocket dial dispatch calls has surpassed the amount recorded from the previous year. Apple has taken the majority of the blame for this due to the new SOS update. 

How Is This Affecting Emergency Services?

When incidents like this occur, many people hang up immediately in a panic. When people hang up the phone without notifying the dispatch officer that the call is not actually an emergency, this can result in a lot of time wasted. And in a real emergency, time is everything. 

The actual protocol for an abandoned 9-1-1 call is to immediately call that number back to confirm that the situation is not urgent. That call usually takes a few minutes from start to finish and ultimately is taking time away from real emergencies. 

If you deny this return call, dispatchers will invest time into tracking the location of the call or even sending an officer to the scene. This process is incredibly time-consuming and will always result in a large amount of lost resources. 

What You Should Do If This Happens To You

If you’ve engaged in a call with emergency services, it is important that you remain on the line to ensure the operator understands that the situation is not a real emergency. Do not hang up the phone. If you accidentally hang up the phone in a panic, make sure to answer when they call you back and let them know you don’t have an emergency. 

To avoid these misdial issues in the future, you have a couple different options:

• If this has happened to you more than once, Apple recommends that you disable the feature in your settings. 
• Download a medical alert system, like the Rescu app that connects you directly to emergency services, completely bypassing 9-1-1 dispatchers.

With Rescu, you can quickly send for fire, police, or medical help in just two taps. No talking required and no accidental misdials.

LEARN MORE ABOUT RESCU

New technologies for the deaf have been developed over the past few years, making safety easier for the hearing impaired. Most of the population may rely on sound to communicate danger, but new technology adapted for the deaf community can provide additional or supplemental cues that can help anyone get to safety or recruit help when needed most.

Technologies for Deaf Parents

Parenthood has traditionally been a challenging experience for the deaf community, especially during early infancy. Regardless of the child’s hearing ability, babies often develop their own set of cries and gurgles meant to let parents know that they need something. Missing these hungry cries can spell trouble and is often a recurrent source of anxiety for new deaf parents.

 Fortunately, new technologies for deaf parents are now coming to the rescue, such as:

Chatterbaby

This app acts as a translator that converts a baby’s cries into the basic message they are trying to convey. Its algorithms are based on thousands of sound samples from around the world. By activating the app near a crying baby, it will categorize the cry as either “hungry,” “pain” or “fussy” and interpret the intensity of the cry. 

While not 100% accurate, the algorithm is constantly being fed with new cry samples and is self-learning, so parents can expect results to improve with prolonged use.

Baby Monitors for Deaf Parents

Using the same basic concept, baby monitors for deaf parents convert the baby’s sounds into another sensory element, such as light or vibration. They provide a great basis for a more comprehensive deaf-friendly alert system and, depending on the system chosen, they can easily be integrated with further alarms and alerts.

For example, Infant Babble Band is a baby sound monitor that is placed inside the baby’s crib to detect whether the baby is crying. However, rather than just providing a sound alert or replicating the sound like a walkie-talkie, its accompanying bracelet will receive a vibrating signal for the parent, who can then go and check on the baby.

Other devices, such as Sonic Alert, can also transmit remote alerts when your baby wakes up. Usually, Sonic Alert devices are paired up with alarm clocks, but if you already have a vibrating pillow or light alarm set up, it can provide a soundless alternative.

Traditional Deaf Technology, Redefined

Technological improvements are now permitting traditional devices to expand their functionality and increase their accuracy.

Cochlear implants, one of the most popular types of prosthetics designed to provide a sense of sound for deaf people, are receiving major upgrades with the Nucleus Profile Plus Implant. This new version permits easier access and removal of the implant (which can turn diagnostic testing such as MRIs into a much simpler ordeal), as well as Bluetooth-enabled custom sound alerts.

Other long-established technologies, although not designed exclusively for deaf people, are also being upgraded and improved thanks to new technologies. For example, SoundSense noise cancellation is now being improved thanks to artificial intelligence predictions. Meanwhile, translator apps are now available for sign language interpretation. MotionSavvy UNI can turn American Sign Language into speech using a tablet-sized portable device.

Safety Technology for the Deaf

Safety and hazard alerts are notoriously reliant on loud, intrusive sound alarms, but even the loudest can bypass the needs of the deaf community. Regular home features, such as burglar alarms or smoke detectors require adaptations in order to provide silent, yet noticeable alarms.

Deaf Smoke Detectors

Smart home suites now allow traditional smoke detectors to pair to a much wider array of devices than just speakers. For the deaf community, strobe lights or vibrating devices (to be placed under one’s pillow) can be easily synchronized with existing smoke detectors, either to replace or to add to the existing sound alarm.

Motion Cameras and Doorbell Alerts

Many home security systems now use motion sensors and connect directly to a smartphone or any device connected to the internet. Usually, this is meant to provide remote surveillance, but it is also a useful technology for the deaf; it can effectively replace sound-based doorbells.

Medical Alert Systems

The immediate reaction in case of emergency is to call 9-1-1, which can be impossible or very difficult for the hearing impaired. Fortunately, alternative medical alert systems can help people get the immediate help they need with Rescu, which is the fastest possible method of contacting emergency responders directly. For example, the Rescu app can send medical, fire or police dispatch to a predetermined location with just a few taps of the finger, no talking and lengthy call required.

For the deaf who live independently or are living alone, this is a life-saving option. 

Download the Rescu app today. 

For people who have chronic health conditions (as well as many others), wearing a medical alert bracelet daily is a significant part of their every day safety. But, for the most part, they consist of clunky steel tags or cheap-looking plastic bracelets. 

Whether you have a special event where a tacky metal bracelet just won’t suffice or you just want to be more fashionable with your everyday wear, there are a variety of options to upgrade your medical alert bracelet. This obviously should not be the reason you forego their protection, though. 

What is a Medical Alert Bracelet?

Medical alert bracelets were inspired by military dog tags. They provide soldiers with a way to display their blood type for medical aid while stranded in combat zones without access to medical records. Medical alert bracelets give EMTs access to a case’s health risks such as epilepsy, diabetes, heart conditions, or life-threatening allergies.

To be effective, medical alert bracelets need to meet some basic requirements:

• Location: EMTs and E.R. nurses will always check wrists and necks as part of their normal triage.
• Versatility: Since we never know when disaster will strike, they need to be worn every day. This means they need to be versatile enough to match different styles of clothes, and they should be resilient and water-resistant.

• Legibility: As tempting as it can be to experiment with fonts, the information provided by medical alert bracelets needs to be easy to read and leave no room for confusion.

• Safety: A frail bracelet that may break or get tangles is one that is likely to break before making it to the E.R. In addition, it’s best to avoid serrated edges or sharp textures, which could cause further injury

Stylish Options for Everyone

Whether you are working in an office where suit and tie attire may make you feel like your medical alert bracelet stands out for the wrong reasons, or even if it just clashes with your day-to-day fashion choices, there are suitable design options available. In the mix are a variety of medical alert bracelets for men and also women’s medical alert bracelets. 

Regardless of your situation, medical alert tags have been updated to give you the versatility to neither compromise your health nor your overall aesthetic. Some of the most popular options available are as follows:

Silver or Gold Chains

Delicate and elegant, a neat gold chain will rarely look out of place in the office or during a night out. In addition, they pair well with a back plaque, which provides the necessary space to include your medical information.

Beaded Bracelets

If your style is more boho-chic, a beaded bracelet can serve as a fun-looking alternative. This design option offers some discretion by blending the medical cross symbol into the design of the bead, which will let EMTs know what’s on the back without advertising your condition. These are great womens medical alert bracelets.

Leather Bands

Leather bands offer a much more casual look that is perfect for outdoorsy people or a more mellow feel overall. If you are into trekking, camping, fishing, or simply like to dress the part, a braided leather or paracord bracelet will look right at home. They will be much more resilient and unlikely to attract too much attention. Just make sure you keep them away from water!

Metal Cuffs

These combine all the elegance of a silver or gold chain with an extra edge of ruggedness (plus there’s extra writing space). This makes them an ideal choice for a stylish medical alert bracelet. You can go for a thick silver or steel cuff for a retro rocker look, or choose a slimmer carved model for a more formal occasion.

Onyx Linked Chains

Stronger and often cherished, linked chains are the perfect choice for upscale occasions and black-tie events. It’s not uncommon to use these bands for the larger plaques that will encompass a larger amount of personal information. They offer a wide enough variety to choose from, such as expansion bands, roman cuffs, and even some with a USB drive that can provide extra personal data.These have proven to make great medical alert bracelets for men.

Sports Bands

Relatively cheap, easy to engrave, and with seemingly endless color combinations available, silicone medical alert bracelets are adaptable and casual so you can wear it to the gym, when playing with your kids or when dressing up in your team’s colors.

No matter which stylish medical bracelet you choose to upgrade to, just ensure that you’re keeping the basic requirements in mind for your own safety. Before medical assistance even arrives to look at your bracelet, you’ll need to have a quick and efficient way to get them to you in an emergency. In some cases, slurred speech, numbness, or extreme weakness may make it impossible to talk to a 9-1-1 operator. With Rescu, get professional help 24/7 with just a few taps of your fingers – and once medical assistance has arrived, your stylish medical bracelet will ensure they know what is wrong. 

Get started with Rescu

Smoke detectors are becoming a standard and mandatory fixture in all new houses and apartments. While standard smoke alarms serve a majority of the population, they do not necessarily work for everyone. Nearly 36 million Americans are hearing impaired, a number that is growing as the general population ages, leaving a large percentage of people more vulnerable to housefires.

The ability to detect and escape from a fire is a major part of independence. New fire safety systems have revolutionized the way the vast majority of the population is alerted of fire danger, particularly the hearing impaired.

What Options are Out There?

Classic fire alarms have come a long way since the 90’s, and each technological innovation has continued to vastly improve outcomes for those who are hearing impaired. Some of the most common fixtures include: 

Extra Loud Sound 

If you only suffer from partial hearing loss, a louder-than-normal alarm may suffice. It’s recommended that Smoke Detectors and other Fire Safety devices be equal to or louder than 90 decibels (dB) to work effectively for all individuals, whether they suffer from hearing impairment or not. Typically, with that level of noise coming from a device, it’s not uncommon for a person to actually feel the vibration of sound waves. It is unlikely that you will be able to test this system prior to purchase which presents the dilemma of the system not being loud enough. This, essentially, leaves you at the mercy of the seller’s return policy. So make sure you confirm what theirs is. Plus, hearing loss tends to be degenerative, and what is loud enough now may not be so a couple of years after your purchase.

Vibrating Fixtures

Vibrating fixtures are small gadgets that are usually placed beneath your pillow or mattress and will vibrate if the smoke or CO2 detectors are activated. These systems are usually linked to the typical sound produced by your fire alarms offering an additional layer of alert to those in your home who may not be hearing impaired. They work well as long as your bed is not too big, you don’t have too soft of a foam mattress, or you don’t make a habit of napping on the couch.

Strobe Lights

Flashing or police-siren-like light alarms are easy to install as an add-on to standard sound alarms. It is easily noticeable if you are awake or asleep, offering a visual indicator of emergency as well as an auditory indicator. While this may seem problematic if you are asleep, the flashing lights have proven to be decently effective at waking people. 

Smart Home and App Synchronization

This high-tech option allows you to connect your smoke or CO2 detectors to a “smart home” network, which then sends the alert to your smartphone. Depending on how you program it, these systems can then trigger a VERY LOUD sound, a vibrating alarm, or even an emergency text message to a loved one. 

Combined with a reliable emergency alert system, some apps (such as Rescu) will then allow you to directly contact emergency services.

Can You Trust any Single Type of Fire Alarm for Deaf People?

A thorough emergency system needs to cover all vulnerabilities, bases, and therefore relies greatly on redundancy.

For example, vibration alarms by themselves could leave you unprotected during half the day while you’re not in your bed. Louder smoke detectors designed for Hearing-impaired should also be applicable for anyone in the house, who may be expecting the characteristic high-pitched beeping of a sound alarm.

The best system is likely going to work in cohesion with the current standard for fire detection. Effectively covering your bases means offering solutions that all residents of your home will be protected in the event of a disaster or emergency, including loved ones with hearing disabilities. 

There’s a Fire! What Comes Next?

Most effective fire alarms are designed to make sure all occupants leave the house and get to safety. That is rarely the end of the story: you still need to alert the fire department. For hearing-impaired or deaf people, getting on the phone is not always a viable option.

Rescu: a Mobile App for all Emergencies 

To optimize the process, initiating the steps that immediately follow your evacuation has become easier via next generation mobile apps designed for you to take action during an emergency. This technology automates your call for aid and connects you directly with emergency responders instead of lengthy phone calls with 9-1-1. With Rescu, you can dispatch emergency services immediately, shaving valuable minutes off the response time because you will not need to verbally communicate your emergency information and your location. The Rescu app can be easily used with your smart home smoke, CO2 and other life safety sensors; and once the alarm has been triggered, you’ll be able to send the police, fire truck or ambulance with just a tap of your finger, no words needed.

This is the perfect add-on to tie together a comprehensive fire protection system for the hearing impaired. 

DOWNLOAD RESCU

Alarm Relay: Public Safety Since 1972

After being the victim of two burglaries in 1972, Paul Piscatelli decided it was time for better security and alarm monitoring service. Unsatisfied with the available options, he founded what is now Alarm Relay with a single promise: To provide a better, more affordable way to protect people and their properties. Since its inception, Alarm Relay has delivered on that pledge and has built a reputation as a low-cost leader in the security industry.

Certified and Rated: A Company You Can Trust

Alarm Relay owns and operates a UL-Listed Central Station and maintains an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. Alarm Relay has been UL-Listed for the past 20 years. What that means is we are certified to have met difficult standards—our work is trusted by the industry and the insurance companies.

Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is the largest and best known independent, not-for-profit testing laboratory in the world; so when you are listed by them, you know it’s been tested and it is safe. Look underneath any electrical gadget, appliance or lightbulb, chances are, there is a UL stamp declaring the electrical device has been thoroughly tested and is safe for consumers use. We don’t just make claims but for twenty years we’ve been tested and found to back them up.

Alarm Relay is also proud to be a Five-Diamond rated business with The Monitoring Association (TMA). The TMA Five Diamond designation is granted annually to monitoring centers that satisfy all of the requirements of the five points of excellence:

1. Commitment to random inspections and quality criteria standards by a nationally recognized testing laboratory such as FM Approvals, Intertek/ETL and UL.
2. Commitment to the highest levels of customer service.
3. Commitment to ongoing job-related education and testing by having 100% of its central station operators certified using the TMA online training series.
4. Commitment to raising the industry standards through TMA membership and participation in its activities.
5. Commitment to reducing false alarm dispatches.

We are proud to have our professionalism and customer service recognized by this Five-Diamond rating.

Alarm Relay is a family owned and operated business, helping people be safer for over forty years. While the Rescu app is our newest service, it’s just an extension of what we’ve always valued—your safety and security.

A Real-Life Crisis and the Need for Emergency Help

In 2015, Alarm Relay founder Paul Piscatelli started having terrible stomach cramps. The pain grew progressively worse and he soon realized he needed emergency help. The problem was, his wife was upstairs asleep where she couldn’t hear him calling her name and he wasn’t able to walk upstairs. He managed to get to the phone and dial 9-1-1.

When he reached the dispatcher, the pain was intense enough that it was difficult to talk. The dispatcher had a series of questions to ask him about his location, his address information and what type of emergency service he needed. While he recognized the need for this information, he also felt a rising impatience because of the pain. He managed to stumble through and thirty minutes later an ambulance took him to the hospital.

Luckily, what Paul suffered that night, although scary for him and his family, ended up not being a life-threatening illness, but it could have been. He was grateful for 9-1-1, the ambulance and the doctors at the hospital diagnosed him quickly, ending the pain. He was also sobered by a realization. If that pain had been a heart attack, it could have been fatal. Why, you may ask? Time is why. Time is of most importance during an emergency.

Paul was particularly concerned about the delays caused by the time wasted and consumed unnecessarily answering many questions prior to getting an ambulance to his home. That’s when he thought of a better way. He began writing down what he wanted—a way to send for an ambulance, without talking to a 9-1-1 dispatcher and simultaneously notifying his loved ones automatically. While it would take some time to work out all the features, this would be the genesis for the Rescu App.

The Rescu App is Now Available to Help Your Family in An Emergency

One of the things Paul’s emergency showed him is that people have a feeling of security from knowing the 9-1-1system is there but since they don’t use it, they don’t really know what goes on when they call the dispatcher. It’s only when you go through an emergency that you realize the disadvantages and weaknesses of the system.

When you are in medical trouble, you want to have help immediately. With heart attacks and other emergencies, every minute can be the difference between life and death. While 9-1-1 is a great service, it’s also slowed down by its success. People call for many different reasons, both emergency and nonemergency calls. The dispatcher needs to ask a number of questions to verify that it is an emergency, what type of service is needed, and the location of the caller. If the person is unable to answer, the dispatcher may send a police officer out on a welfare check to see if everyone is okay at the location of the call, but that means even more delay.

9-1-1 is meant to be the fast way to get help in an emergency, but Rescu is faster. Using Rescu, you’ve already indicated what service you need and your location. The Central Station immediately dispatches the requested ambulance. The Rescu Emergency App is the fastest way to get an ambulance, no talking required.

Rescu is a no-talking solution to emergency response

With the Rescu emergency app, you can quickly send out a fire, police, or medical alert and get the immediate help you need—with just two taps on your screen.

Rescu allows you to bypass the 9-1-1 routing process with a faster solution during an emergency.

Rescu for Travelers

Rescu is an important personal safety tool for those who travel frequently. Rescu, a modern personal emergency response system, is highly effective when paired with smart home systems.  For travelers, this is especially true because of the unique way Rescu works. Rescu sends help to your home or other identified address without you needing to be there. Rescu was created to overcome two critical gaps facing those who want great protection for their family and property.  

The first critical gap is the nature of 9-1-1 calls in some emergency situations. Verbal communication is not always possible or practical. Rescu provides a solution that requires no speaking. Rescu gets emergency responders to your dispatch address as fast as possible – likely faster than a 9-1-1 call.

The second critical gap is a location issue that will continue to plague 9-1-1 systems. Rescu allows the user to send help to their dispatch address even if the user is not currently in the same 9-1-1 jurisdiction as their home.  This is a very important point for travelers.

For a frequent traveler, such as myself, Rescu is especially powerful. I can send the appropriate emergency services to my home – from wherever I happen to be.  Combined with smart home technologies that I already have, I can respond to alerts and notifications by sending emergency services. When I get notifications from my cameras, motion detectors, smoke detectors, or doorbell, I can immediately respond. For travelers, this is a peace of mind only Rescu can provide.

Recently, when I was driving across the country with my son, I received an alert from my smart home system about motion in my backyard.  This was at a time we weren’t expecting activity. I was able to view the video instantly in my smart home mobile app and determine that our pool service was working at a time outside his normal schedule.  I did not need to dispatch emergency services. Had it been suspicious activity, I could have dispatched emergency services even though I was 1500 miles away – far outside my home’s 9-1-1 jurisdiction.

When travelling overseas, Rescu’s value is even greater for me because it is more complicated and slower to call emergency services from a foreign country. To do so, I would need to know the phone number for the police, fire, and medical services near my home. I would need to know the country code and dialing instructions for making a call to those numbers. Finally, I am not guaranteed the responders will answer or service a call coming from a foreign phone number. All of that is solved with Rescu – the press of a button, and no speaking required.