Do First Responders Respond to Emergency Calls from People Who Have Activated Their Life Alert Devices?
Life Alert and similar devices provide a vital service for many people, especially the elderly. These devices are designed to quickly summon help in case of emergency. But how do first responders handle these calls, and how many times do they receive such alerts in a day? This article explores these questions in detail.
Frequency of Emergency Calls
First responders, including emergency medical technicians (EMTs), police officers, and firefighters, indeed respond to emergency calls generated by Life Alert devices. However, it is not practical to provide an exact number of calls received in a day due to the variability based on location and the frequency of emergencies.
Benefits and Limitations of Life Alert Devices
Life Alert devices are a significant boon to many individuals, particularly the elderly. They have improved the overall quality of life for many people by providing a quick means of summoning help. However, these devices are not without their limitations.
False Positives and False Negatives: Two significant issues with Life Alert devices are false positives and false negatives. False positives occur when the device triggers an alarm unnecessarily, while false negatives happen when the device fails to call for help in an emergency situation, such as a person being unconscious or out of range.
The range of a personal emergency response (PERS) device is limited, typically covering an area about the size of a mailbox in front of the house. Therefore, if the individual using the device is mobile, the device may not be in range. Additionally, these devices usually lack microphones, meaning the company must call the user to ascertain if they need help. If help is required and the user is unable to respond, the company or monitoring service may dispatch an ambulance, but this is typically a last resort.
Other Types of Medical Alert Systems
There are various types of medical alert systems, such as bracelets or buttons that can be worn on a necklace. Most of these devices are monitored by security companies that already monitor numerous other devices, making these a natural fit for their business model. However, ambulance services rarely monitor these devices.
When a device is activated, a monitoring protocol is initiated. This generally starts with a call to the person with the device to confirm if the activation was intentional. If necessary, a contact person, such as a family member or neighbor, may be contacted to visit. An ambulance may be dispatched if it is part of the response protocol for that particular user.
Conclusion
In summary, first responders do respond to emergency calls from Life Alert devices, but the frequency varies based on location and the frequency of emergencies. While these devices provide significant benefits, they also have limitations, including false positives and false negatives, and the limited range of the device. Understanding these aspects can help individuals make informed decisions about using these life-saving devices.