Rescue Alert Review – This review of the Rescue Alert system will cover usability, costs and other factors so you can determine if this is the right choice for you or a family member.
Rescue Alert Review – What to know
- The devices are best used in and around the home.
- Rescue Alert medical devices are simply designed; buttons are easy to find in case of a medical emergency or fall.
- The rental payment plans are flexible, which makes them affordable.
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Rescue Alert Overview
Rescue Alert was developed by Mytrex, a leader in the medical alert industry, which is based in South Jordan, Utah. The devices and accessories (such as a lockbox and a fall detection pendant) can be rented for a monthly fee.
The company manufactures its own products, according to the customer service rep we spoke to, and is focused on the devices working properly to fully protect customers. In fact, the Rescue Alert system performs monthly test calls to subscribers to ensure devices are functioning the way they should.
Though the Rescue Alert website does not provide a lot of details on its products, calls to the customer service line connected usto very knowledgeable, helpful representatives who gave us all the details we asked for.
How to Sign Up
You can sign up to rent or buy the Rescue Alert system online or over the phone, and the equipment will be shipped to you at no cost.
Installation Process
The Rescue Alert system products come with a step-by-step instruction sheet for setup. As soon as you connect the devices, a dispatcher at the Rescue Alert response center will do a test call with you to make sure the device is working properly.
Rescue Alert Options
Rescue Alert offers two base units—one that uses a telephone landline and another that works using cellular service. These units are sleek and white, about the size of a hardcover book, and are best placed in a central, highly trafficked location in the house, such as a kitchen counter.
Along with the home base units, you get a pendant with a call button to wear around your neck, or if you prefer, a wristband with a call button (people with smaller wrists do better with the Velcro version, according to the customer service rep).
If you need help within 600 feet of the base unit (if, for instance, you’re on a porch or at the mailbox), you press the button on the pendant or wristband and the powerful two-way microphone/speaker on the home base unit will activate. Within seconds, a dispatcher at the response center will come on to ask if you need help.
Note that you can provide the Rescue Alert system with a list of people you would like to be alerted in case of an emergency—a neighbor, family member or friend—in any order you wish.
A big plus: The Rescue Alert landline and cellular base units run their own diagnostics to make sure that the internal batteries are strong and the telephone line is functioning properly.
MXD Landline Base Unit
This sleek unit works by plugging a telephone landline into the back. An obvious bright blue button on the top surface is what you press in case of an emergency. Upon signing up for any base unit, you have the option to receive a wearable pendant or a wristband to connect with the base unit, should you need help.
MXD 3G Cellular Base Unit
A lot of people have done away with their landlines in recent years. That is why the Rescue Alert MXD 3G cellular base unit operates using cell service.
This too is a white rectangular device that has a gray button to press in an emergency and comes with a wristband and pendant, either of which can be used to call for help as long as you are within 600 feet of the base unit.
Wall Button
The Rescue Alert wall button can be mounted to any wall in the house. If you fall or need help, you press the wall button to activate the home base unit which then allows you to communicate with a dispatcher.
The wall button can be placed high or low, near the bed or next to the toilet and features a bright blue help button.
MyActive Alert Fall detection
Falls can be dangerous for older people. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 3 million older adults are treated in the emergency room each year because of falls. To be able to get help after a fall can be life-saving.
The Rescue Alert fall detection pendant features a button with movement sensors that can detect a fall and will automatically signal the base unit to connect to a Rescue Alert dispatcher.
These devices do not detect falls 100 percent of the time, so they also have a large button to press if you fall and need to reach a dispatcher.
It works within 600 feet of the home base unit. If you fall, the response center dispatcher can communicate with you through the speaker on the base unit to determine your situation. If you do not speak, the dispatcher will automatically contact your local emergency medical service or people you’ve designated on your responder list.
Rescue Alert GPS
The Rescue Alert GPS device is the size of a flip phone that you can carry in your pocket, clip to your belt, or wear around your neck. If you need medical assistance when you’re away from your house, you press the button on it and the dispatcher who responds should be able to identify your location through GPS and send EMS to you.
However, two customer service reps I spoke to said that this device is not 100 percent reliable and can often show an incorrect location—which could waste critical time if an EMS team is trying to find you.
Other medical alert device systems, such as MobileHelp, Bay Medical and Medical Guardian, provide GPS buttons or watches that are ideal for active people who are away from home and may need emergency medical help.
Lockbox
When you order a home base unit, you may choose to receive a lockbox for free. This is a small box that holds your house keys so that if EMS personnel need to get into your house, they can use the key instead of forcing a door or breaking in.
Pros and Cons of Rescue Alert Devices
PROS
- The devices are simple to install and use.
- There are no activation fees and plans can be cancelled at any time without penalty.
- The home base units come with backup batteries so if you lose power they will still work for 60 to 80 hours.
CONS
- The website does not provide many details about its products—a call to customer service is necessary for more complete information about their products.
- The Rescue Alert GPS device is not 100 percent reliable.
Rescue Alert Plans
Rescue Alert does not charge activation or initial shipping fees (unless you return the equipment within 30 days) and you can cancel your plan at any time without penalty. Monthly rental fees are listed below but you can pay fees quarterly or annually if you prefer.
- The MXD Landline Base Unit can be purchased outright for $849; you will then pay a monthly monitoring fee of $32.95.
- The MXD 3G Cellular Base Unit has a $42.95 monthly rental fee.
- The Rescue Alert GPS device has a $44.95 monthly rental fee.
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