Amazing Apps: eAlarm

 Since the pandemic began, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) directed over 15,000 nursing homes in the US to enforce measures such as prohibiting visitors to control the outbreak for their vulnerable residents. Simultaneously, universities have become COVID hotspots, resulting in students’ - and anyone they come into contact with - well-being at risk. For thousands of Americans, having contact with loved ones has been very difficult with the threat of the virus, quarantine measures, and social distancing.

Dr. Basu has developed a new app, called eAlarm that eases the stress families feel when they’re away from loved ones. In fact, the eAlarm Safety app has a feature called Smart Check-in, a quick contactless option that allows loved ones to let you know they are safe with one push of a button. This is especially useful for people who are socially and physically isolated Additionally, the eAlarm allows users to build profiles with crucial information for first responders and family members. 

I had a chance to interview Dr Basu to learn more.

1.  Why was eAlarm created?

When Sam Mansen and Shub Basu founded BASU, they were each facing a personal concern. Sam was deployed overseas on active duty for the US Air Force when his younger sister was starting college in the Bay Area. He wanted to find a non-violent way for her to deter possible crime and get help without even needing to talk to someone. Shub, a long time Silicon Valley engineer was far away from his home. His dad was a Parkinson's patient, frequently experiencing falling. Both remained worried about their loved ones. The eAlarm product line was henceforth formed with the mission to keep people safe and get 24/7 rapid emergency response on the scene with a single stroke action in a panic situation. 

2.  What sets it apart from other family notification apps?

eAlarm SOS is built keeping an all rounded notification and rapid emergency response in mind. Oftentimes, people are not able to talk or text during an emergency. When an emergency strikes, it is not enough to notify family members or loved ones alone - a professional emergency response is required on the scene.  The outbreak of COVID19 pandemic and several other natural calamities also pointed to the need for “check-in” functionalities to keep families and loved ones informed about their safety on a regular basis. The integrated system differentiates the eAlarm SOS from many of its competitors. 

eAlarm SOS, unlike many of the competition, offers all of these through an integrated end to end solution offering: 

a.  Smart SOS: Just one tap - HELP is on the way; Credentials are already saved and monitored by a dedicated UL certified US based 24/7 monitoring team. When the SOS button is tapped, the monitoring center knows who you are and where you are located based on your real-time GPS coordinates. The nearest PSAP (public safety answering point) team dispatches emergency response cutting down the need for a 911 operator call, or waiting for credential verification or relying on cell tower locations. Up to five of your emergency contacts will also receive a text notification with a live real time emergency event link showing your exact location in seconds.

b. Smart Check In: Once you set up this feature, your loved one will automatically recieve a text from you (the user) that you are safe if you tap on the notification from the app. If you as a user do not check in, your loved ones can check on you immediately. This enhances your peace of mind especially during a crisis.

3.  How can people effectively use apps like this with their loved ones?

When registering through the app, users will have the option to add up to 5 loved ones as their emergency contacts. If there is an emergency and the user taps on the SOS button, their loved ones will automatically receive an Emergency Alert text with a Real-time emergency link showing the user's current location. There is no need for the loved ones to download the app, sign up or do anything different. The live event link shows up using Google maps.  

During the signup process, users also have the option to sign up for the Smart Check In feature if they are living on their own and want their loved ones to stay updated about the user's safety on a regular cadence. When a specific loved one is selected and a specific time of day is selected, the person will receive a text message as the user taps on the SmartCheckIn notification without the need to call or type a text message. If the user does not check in at the scheduled time, the loved one can check back with the user if he/she is safe and sound.