Medical Alarm FAQ

How does a Medical Alarm system work?

With your medical alarm system, you will receive a base unit plus a small help button that you wear. There are three choices for the button. You can wear it as a pendant, clip it onto your belt or wear it as a wristband. In the event of an emergency, all you have to do is push the help button you are wearing. In less than a minute our monitoring station is going to call your home. If the monitoring station is unable to reach you, they will start calling the names that you have provided.

What all do I get with my medical alarm system?

You get a base unit, plus a water resistant personal help button that is worn on your person. There is an A/C power adaptor and phone cord. There also is an owner’s manual included.

Can the help button unit be worn in the shower or bath?

YES! We recommend that you wear your pendant, wristband, etc. unit in the shower or bath. The help buttons are water resistant but not water proof. It is best if you do wear it in the shower or bath as this is where a lot of slips and falls occur.

What happens when I push the help button?

The first thing that will happen is that a call will go into the monitoring station. You will hear a siren like noise and when the noise stops, you know that the monitoring station has received your signal. They will then call your home to rule out a false alarm. If you don’t answer the phone, they will start calling people on your call list – family, friends, neighbors, etc.

Who responds to my call for help?

A dispatch operator at the monitoring station will call you. If you are able to get to the phone and talk to them and let them know that it is an emergency situation and that assistance is needed, they will call the people that you have listed on your call list.

What happens if I cannot answer the phone after I have pressed my help button?

If you cannot answer the phone, the monitoring station will start to call people on your call list. They will continue through your list until they are able to reach someone who can check on you and provide whatever attention is necessary.

Who should be called in the event of an emergency?

Before you receive your medical alarm, we ask that you consider who would be the best person(s) to respond to your needs. This could be a son, daughter, neighbor, etc., or anyone that you would feel comfortable coming to your home and helping you in the event of an emergency. We would ask for their names, phone numbers at work or at home or cell phone numbers.

What other information would I have to provide?

If you wanted to include information such as allergies, special prescriptions, medical conditions, etc., this could be included on the form submitted to the monitoring station.

Does the Medical Alarm System work outside?

Typically the system is designed for indoor use in a range of 100-200 feet. The system may still work outdoors depending on such variables as distance from the base unit and home construction materials. To know what the range of your system would be, we suggest that you place the system in test mode and activate the button in various locations to test the range.

How will emergency personnel get into my home?

If emergency help is required, the monitoring station would call family, friends on your call list to have someone with a key to open the door. There is available an outdoor key lock box.

Can I take my medical alarm with me if I move?

Certainly! First thing you do is to let us know when and where you are moving. We will then need an updated call list and your new home phone number and address. To move the unit, all you need to do is simply unplug the unit from the wall and take it with you to your new location.

What happens if my electricity goes out?

The system has a battery back-up that will operate the unit for up to 24 hours after an electrical outage. When power is restored the battery recharges, so it is ready for any additional power outages.

What is the battery life of the personal help button and communicator unit?

The personal help button has a battery life of approximately 5 years. The medical alarm base unit is plugged into the A/C outlet, The monitoring station is notified of a low battery in the personal help button and base unit and will notify First Line Security and/or the owner of the unit.

How is the medical alarm installed in my home?

The medical alarm system can be installed by one of our many dealers or by yourself. It is very easy to install.

What is required to have a medical alarm installed in my home?

All you need to have is a power outlet and phone jack. This spot should be easy to get to and in a prominent place for family and friends, etc to access.

Can I set-up the Medical Alarm system myself?

Yes! It is very easy to do:

Plug the base unit into the power outlet.
Plug the phone cord into the telephone jack.
Plug the phone into the base unit.
Test the system using the instructions that are provided.

How do I plug it in? Do I lose my telephone jack?

NO! You just simply plug the system into an AC outlet just like you would a table lamp. If you have a telephone, you simply plug your phone into the base console and our base console into any existing phone jack in the home. You do not need a special phone jack in order to make the medical alarm work and it will not affect your existing phone line.