Life in the XXI century may seem to be heaven compared to the lives of previous generations. We think we are always protected, and nothing threatens us while we stay at home, commute to work, or walk in a park. The Internet makes us feel as if the world is a small bubble where everybody knows each other and won’t cause us any harm. Yet, unfortunately, the world is still unsafe.
Therefore, you may need an emergency call button to ask for help in risky situations. Such a panic button is available as an app or device, enabling users to send alerts when something threatens their lives.
Learn more about the reasons to use an emergency call button and how it works below.
Why is Personal Safety a Problem?
According to Crime Data Explorer statistics, in the United States, there were 538,203 violent-crime incidents in 2020 and 640,836 offenses reported by 9,991 law enforcement institutions. That covers 53% of the total population. And these are only the numbers that tell about crimes.
What about health threats? PubMed Central states that chronic diseases affect almost 133 million Americans. That means 45% of the US population is likely to end up in a situation when they need urgent help.
What should you do with this information? – Improve your safety. Try changing your surroundings and move to a safer area if needed. Go outside and run your first kilometer to stay fit and strengthen your body. Choose a baked chicken with salad instead of KFC for dinner.
And the least time- and money-consuming decision is freeing up some storage on your smartphone and installing an emergency call button, a simple alternative to any alarm system.
So What is an Emergency Call Button?
Emergency call buttons are the software you can install on your mobile or wearable device to send instant panic alerts with a GPS location. The only thing you have to do to use them is to install the app, set it up, and get a subscription.
Here is an example of how to use an emergency call button:
First of all, you can make it contact several categories of people during emergencies. These include family, friends, call centers, and 911. For instance, you have an elderly mother that requires medical attention, but you don’t have the chance to support her all the time.
If something happens, you will be notified with a personal call or a notification. No need to search for your name in contacts or write a message. The app sends alerts automatically.
Some emergency call buttons available as separate devices also have physical features. If you are hurt or assaulted, a loud siren will attract attention and either make people help you or scare a robber away. Those are not the only advantages of choosing emergency call buttons.
Main Types of Emergency Call Button Solutions
Smartphone Apps
There are numerous types of devices that support personal safety features. There are tons of them, and we have already discussed several here. If your smartphone doesn’t have such functionality, you only need to install a mobile app.
Safety apps make different activities like late-night walks or traveling by yourself safer. Dangers probably wait in the places we won’t expect, like running in the park on Monday morning or visiting your colleagues who decided to stay at the bar late after a party. Emergency call button apps allow you to start an alarm or send instant alerts with GPS location in an emergency. The apps are pretty versatile, so there will be numerous options to try.
Here is how to pick a personal safety app with an emergency call button:
- Think about the scenarios where you could use the emergency call button. What are your surroundings? What do you usually do? Try thinking about when you feel unsafe or predict dangers in the future.
- Discover what applications enable you to ask for help in an emergency and what features they must have.
- Pick an app that supports the necessary features. Usually, an emergency call button, GPS tracking, and instant alerts are essential.
- Decide on who to call in emergencies. As we’ve already mentioned, you can select several contacts like friends or 911.
- Test the app to ensure it is reliable and won’t fail you at a critical moment.
Wearable Devices
Besides smartphone apps, you can consider a panic button device, like a stylish bracelet synchronized with a mobile app. They are usually more expensive and have certain limitations. It is a good option when caring for elderly relatives and an effective alternative to a medical guardian.
How do they work? For instance, you can buy a necklace with a hidden button to contact your friends or family in case of any dangers. The designs may be different, but most of them are functional in their appearance without drawing too much attention and remaining a natural element of one’s look. These wearables have a panic button the user presses to initiate alerts and inform selected contacts about a threat.
Some emergency call button apps even have advanced functions like AI functioning. For instance, you can start a fake call to avoid stalkers. Scare your offender with a call from someone who will articulate your location and mention it in the dialogue.
What If I Cannot Press the Emergency Call Button?
We’ve already discussed the types of apps that can help people with absolutely different troubles. But our attentive reader might ask the question, “What about the person who couldn’t press the button at the right moment?” Suppose the user has lost consciousness, broken a leg, or cannot reach the phone or emergency device for any other reason.
Monitoring centers don’t pay attention to people who can’t directly message their problems. Up to 50% of the population faints at some point in their life. One can never predict what happens and which biological processes will cause such an accident. We also should not forget about crimes and robberies that occur daily. In all of these cases, you can’t pick up your phone.
AllsWell has a solution to enable users to get help under any condition. Keep reading to learn more about when to use a panic button and what can help you if you cannot reach it.
5 Reasons to Use Emergency Call Button Apps
To show why you need an emergency call button app, let’s discuss the categories of people who use such software and how it helps them.
- The College Campus Will Become a Safer Place
College is a challenging period of life. It brings you the sense of the first freedom as you have nobody to control and regulate your plans and intentions except for yourself. College students focus on their dream jobs, partying, developing social skills, or building relationships. Unfortunately, freedom may bring some troubles. The more power, the greater the responsibility, so it’s easy to understand college students who forget about their safety.
28,500 criminal incidents against people or property happen on US college campuses annually. Young students are occasionally assaulted or harassed. The college administration may dislike you having a pepper spray or a stun gun, so getting an emergency call button app would be more helpful.
Unlike personal alarms and alert systems, you don’t need to buy anything separately. A simple mobile app needs several megabytes and takes a minute to install. Any college student has a mobile phone in their pocket. Modern mobile phones connect to LTE and Wi-Fi, meaning they have coverage anywhere.
- Solo Traveling Will be Easier
Solo trips are riskier and more unexpected than regular journeys. This kind of traveling takes a lot of time and effort. Surely, you don’t want to think about the dangers ahead and plan your every move to have a backup option, so to keep traveling as stress-free as possible, we would recommend using emergency call buttons. No matter what happens, your family will know your location thanks to GPS tracking and help solve the issue or contact local emergency services.
- Senior Loved Ones Won’t Constantly Need Your Presence
Looking after your parents and grandparents may be not only time-consuming but emotionally demanding. They usually don’t like the idea of a nursing home or living with their children’s families. Moreover, their physical and mental skills are deteriorating, which results in additional safety risks.
Emergency call button apps and devices allow caregivers to control the situation without constant physical presence. The most critical aspect of senior care is probably their GPS tracking. Panic buttons are helpful for emergencies that unfortunately happen pretty often. Moreover, there won’t be a need to use an active cellular network connection as many emergency call button apps leverage the GSM technology.
There are many adjustable options for the elderly, so try to analyze your senior loved ones’ needs. Android devices usually give more information about geolocation and health conditions, while iOS options are more secure for exchanging data.
- Workspace Safety Increases
That may be unexpected but just think about it. We all need to keep track of our safety, and employees are no different. Robbers or hackers assault even the largest organizations. An emergency call button app or device will be a good combination with cameras and office security. Especially, since most of this software allows you to send alerts with a button click.
That’s also a good psychological trick to raise your employee’s mood and motivation. Everyone works better when they know they are safe. The customers feel more protected as well.
Most importantly, personal safety solutions can project employees who work in remote locations independently. They enable the company to stay in touch with workers and ensure they are safe and sound.
- You Don’t Have To Worry About Your Kids’ Safety
Being a parent may be tiresome and challenging. Raising a healthy child requires social, financial, and physical support and balancing being strict and giving your child freedom. Emergency call button apps and systems simplify parenting for anyone with a smartphone. Emergency call button apps usually have GPS tracking, so you can see your child’s location and be sure they don’t skip lessons. This software also saves you a lot of trouble with time management. You don’t need to keep track of your kids constantly and can have some time for yourself.
