Personal Alarms FAQ

The technical name for a personal alarm is ‘Personal Emergency Response System’ (PERS) which is capable of providing 2-way communication over the cell phone network. All personal alarms are capable of providing their GPS location to emergency contacts; people chosen by and known to the user of the personal alarm.

Family Monitored: The personal alarm will shortly begin to call the first emergency contact. Depending on which model is chosen, contacts with a mobile number will receive a text message either immediately after the SOS is pressed or after the call is made (sometimes only the emergency contact who answers the phone will receive a text).

If the first emergency contact does not answer the phone, the personal alarm automatically hang up and will call the next contact. This process continues until an emergency contact answers the phone.

We recommend having 000 as the final emergency contact in case no one is answering the call from the personal alarm.

Professionally Monitored: The personal alarm either alerts the monitoring company with a message and they will immediately call the user via their personal alarm. The personal alarm user then lets the monitoring company know what is wrong. If it was a false alarm, no need to worry, the personal alarm user needs to just convey this to the monitoring company – they are very understanding!

For more information, click here.

Automatic Fall Detection technology is still developing.

At the moment, our wearable personal alarms work based on acceleration over a short period of time followed by a quick stop. Meaning, if the device moves quickly and then stops quickly, it may trigger a fall. However, it will allow the user to cancel it by pressing th SOS button (see FAQ below).

It’s not a person or camera watching you and every fall is different, so false alarms or lack of activations may occur. It’s best to never wait for fall detection to activate. In an emergency, press and hold the SOS button for help.

After an SOS activation (via the SOS button or a fall alert), the device will alert the user it has been activated and gives them time to cancel it by pressing the SOS button. That will abort the emergency texts being sent to the contacts and no one will be called. If you prefer, the fall detection can always be switched off remotely by our team. The sensitivity can also be adjusted remotely.

Yes, and they can be tracked on demand, not just in an emergency. On demand tracking varies based on the model but most of the time it’s as simple as sending an SMS code to the personal alarm’s phone number.

In an emergency, contacts with a mobile number can receive an SMS with a link to Google Maps. If professionally monitored, the monitoring company also receive an SMS with a link showing the user’s location.

Note that GPS is always better outdoors and may not be as accurate when indoors (click here).

Family Monitored: When the SOS button is pressed, the personal alarm will alert any mobile or landline number that is previously chosen by the user. They are usually family, friends, neighbours, or carers.

Professionally Monitored: When the SOS button is pressed, the personal alarm will alert a 24/7 monitoring company that has the clients’ details on file. They are permitted to summon an ambulance if requested.

For more info, visit: https://guardiansp.com.au/family-friends-vs-professional-monitoring/

Yes, you can 000 as your last emergency contact. 000 will always answer your call so you know you will always have access to help. However, 000 are only able to act if you communicate your needs to them. 000 cannot see that the call is coming from a personal alarm. If you are unresponsive, there is a high chance that they will hang up the phone call, assuming that it is an accident or prank. If they are unable to communicate with you but they sense that there is an emergency, they may send a police or ambulance or your residental address (as they will not have access to your current GPS location).

It won’t. The NBN only effects in-home devices that link with a landline. Your personal alarm has nothing to do with linking to a base station, landline phone, or the NBN.

A geo-fence is a virtual perimeter for a geographic area. It is used as a way to identify where you want the personal alarm user to stay in or away from (usually stay in). For example, a geo-fence would be setup around the device user’s home that is triggered when they leave the property. This is especially useful for people who are prone to wandering.

This is one of our most common questions.

It’s best to charge the personal alarm while sitting on your bedside table each night. While you may be able to go a couple days between charges, recharging the personal alarm daily is a good habit to get into. Variables that may effect standby time include cell signal strength, programmed options, and of course, usage.

The number depends on which personal alarm you choose. The range is 5-10. 

For more information, click here: https://guardiansp.com.au/personal-alarm-comparison/