A socially acceptable emergency alarm system

An alarm system is described which is aimed at the elderly and disabled at risk when alone in their own homes widely dispersed in the community. It uses a personal radio transmitter operating at 97 kHz and a receiver/telephone autodialler installed in the home of each vulnerable person. A novel unmanned computer-controlled central station is provided to process the calls for help. These are directed firstly to voluntary helpers but finally to an official service only if unanswered. The first helper to answer can handshake the central station to cancel remaining calls. The system offers considerable savings in man power and can cover both town and rural areas effectively. It has undergone a public trial in Harrow and is to be adopted and extended by the local authority. Technical recommendations for future development are made.