There is a place in the world for the “big red button†personal safety hardware solutions and that is for medical emergencies, particularly for the elderly. The big red button hanging around one’s neck is an easy target to hit in a medical emergency. The reality is that not all emergency situations are of a medical nature. Teachers dealing with a behavioral issue or caught up in an active shooter scenario are facing a very different situation than someone experiencing a medical emergency. Hardware solutions allow for only ONE call for help: send the SWAT team. All emergencies are the same to a hardware solution. Emergencies come in different forms and require different responses.
Software-based solutions allow for a number of ways to signal panic, both obvious and discrete. Overt panic signaling is easy to do: explicitly swipe the UI and help is on the way. This is the equivalent of hitting a big red button. Importantly, the modern mobile device allows for a number of additional and non-obvious ways to signal that help is needed. These methods are enabled by sensors in the devices themselves, sensors that dedicated panic hardware solutions do not possess.
- “Rip Cord†Signaling: Blueforce’s patent pending approach to capturing hardware events allows for an act as simple as pulling one’s headphones from the smartphone to signal a panic event. This “ripcord†function allows the user to focus on escape and calling for help via a covertly executed action.
- Button Mashing: Blueforce’s patent pending approach to personal security includes means to mash (i.e., push intently on hardware buttons) various buttons on the device itself to signal a need for help.
- External Button: Should one see a benefit of having a dedicated button separate from the phone itself, various buttons that connect via Bluetooth to the smart device can be used. The form factor of this button can attach to a key chain, reside in a pocket, and some resemble jewelry.
BlueBeacon is a highly secure software based emergency notification system that provides a safety net. The product delivers location services, secure text communications, covert emergency camera triggering, “listen live†capability, and provides situational awareness of end-user movement and position. Built on Blueforce’s patented location and sensor fusion platform,  BlueBeacon endpoints can be autonomously monitored where no personnel are required and panic notifications are done with email and SMS.  When BlueBeacon is used with Blueforce Web Command Center (WEBCC), users can be monitored by dispatchers in real-time on the WEBCC map with visual and audible alerts when a user triggers a “panic†event.
To learn more, call us at 866-960-0204 or download our new eBook: “5 Benefits of Software Based Personal Security Solutions”.