What happens when you press a medical alert button?

Pressing a medical alert button triggers a precise sequence of events designed to get you help as quickly as possible.

Step 1 - Signal sent: The moment you press the button (or a fall is automatically detected), the device sends an alert signal to the provider's monitoring centre. This happens over cellular or landline connection in seconds.

Step 2 - Agent connects: A trained monitoring agent answers your call, typically within 30-60 seconds. They will speak to you through the base station or the device itself using two-way audio. For in-home systems, the base station acts as a speakerphone. For GPS wearables, the device itself has a built-in speaker and microphone.

Step 3 - Situation assessed: The agent speaks with you to understand what has happened. They will ask if you are okay, whether you need emergency services, and whether you need them to contact a family member.

Step 4 - Help dispatched: Based on your response (or lack of response), the agent will either call 911 and emergency services, contact your designated emergency contacts, or both. All reputable Canadian monitoring centres maintain your personal profile, including your address, medical conditions, medications, and emergency contact list.

Step 5 - Follow-up: The monitoring centre will follow up with your emergency contacts to let them know what happened and what assistance was arranged.

If you press the button accidentally - which happens - simply tell the agent it was a false alarm. There is no penalty and no cost for accidental activations. Agents are trained to handle this calmly.