This is a review of the Alert911 mobile medical alarm from Connect America, one of the largest medical alert companies in the United States.
The Alert911 is a very simple device that does only one thing. When you push the button (shown on the left in the photo) it dials the local 911 monitoring center and connects you to a professional 911 operator.
It’s dramatically overpriced when purchased from Connect America and has much less functionality than a product like the Great Call 5Star Responder, which costs less than half as much per month.
The unit contains a built-in speaker and microphone.
It cannot make other cell phone calls. You cannot dial in to this unit. It is only for emergency calls to 911.
Since it is smaller than a cell phone it can fit easily into a purse or pocket.
The unit comes with a plug in battery charger and a full replacement warranty.
Cost:
At the time of writing, this unit is $34.95 per month for the unit and the necessary cellular connections. There are no other fees. There is no long term contract and you don’t pay any air time fees. Shipping and activation are also free.
How is this better than just dialing 911 on your cell phone?
It’s easier. And the battery probably lasts longer because it’s only used for emergency calls. Dialing 911 from a cell phone can take several steps: you have to wake the phone up, navigate to the call function, and place the call. In an emergency this could be confusing.
Concerns:
The unit does not have GPS functionality. GPS allows the unit to tell the monitoring center where you are located. It’s not surprising that this functionality is not included, as I’m not sure that 911 centers are set up to take location information from mobile devices. However, it’s definitely something to keep in mind. The person using the device will have to be able to tell the 911 operator their exact location in order for help to be dispatched.
In some areas, dialing 911 on a cell phone is not reliable. You might get connected to an operator in a different region of the state, or even a different part of the country. This will make communicating your location much more difficult.
For customers who always carry their cell phone with them when they go out of the house, this unit might be an unnecessary duplication, especially if you set up your phone so that making a 911 call is easy.
There are also other systems on the market that are more powerful than this system but less cumbersome than a full cell phone.
At least one other company, Lifewatch-USA, advertises this same service for $24.95 per month, or even less if you’re already a Lifewatch customer.
What do you think? Share your insights in the comments.
Go back to the Mobile Medical Alerts page for more reviews of mobile medical alarms.
Or return to the medical alert reviews page.
I would love to see a small no-monitoring-fee one-button 911-only cell phone about the size of the Freedom Alert one button medical alert cordless phone — particularly since all cell phones in Canada, for example, require a built-in 911 capacity even if they are not connected to any other service.
I’m sure such no-fee cell phones could be made available for under $100, since the technology would be very simple. It is only a matter of time before some offshore company, probably Chinese, markets such a phone and it will be sold everywhere, from grocery stores to gas stations and hotel/motel shops.
I think you’re right that this is pretty simple technology and shouldn’t require big expense.
Since the Alert911 mobile medical alarm is a one button emergency cell phone, I presume it, being a cell phone, must by law automatically connect to 911 whenever it is activated, thus a person can own one without any monthly fee and get the same service.
That being so, where can one purchase a unit for a one time price, without ever having to worry about monthly fees?
I would buy one in a heartbeat once we find out where to buy such a one-button unit. It would solve a major problem for hundreds of thousands of people who might need emergency 911 help at key times.
Interesting point, Rudy. I bet there’s a loophole that applies to this unit.