Introduction

The Family Response Plan sends alerts directly to your nominated contacts, such as family members or friends. When you press your alarm button, the system calls and texts your contacts until someone answers. There is no monitoring centre involved.

This article explains how the Family Response Plan works and who it's best suited for.

How does the Family Response Plan work?

When you activate your alarm, the system contacts your nominated contacts (up to five) in sequence until someone answers. Each contact receives a phone call and a text message with your name and instructions on how to reach you.

The process works slightly differently on the Home Alarm and Mobile Alarm.

On the Home Alarm

When you raise an alert, the system calls each contact twice in sequence. Calling twice within three minutes helps get through if someone has their phone on Do Not Disturb. If a call goes to voicemail, the system leaves a message and immediately moves to the next contact.

Any contact can call back at any time during the alert to speak with you, even while the system is calling other contacts. If someone else is already speaking with you, the caller hears a message letting them know.

Contacts can call you back for up to 60 minutes after an alert is raised.

On the Mobile Alarm

When you raise an alert, the alarm sends a text message to all your nominated contacts and then calls each contact in sequence. When a contact answers, they can speak to you through the alarm.

After each call ends, you can cancel the sequence or let the alarm call the next contact. Any contact can call your alarm back at any time to speak with you.

What makes the Family Response Plan on the Home Alarm different?

We've developed a new approach to family monitoring on the Home Alarm that solves several common problems with traditional unmonitored alarms:

• Always contactable: Any contact can call back during an alert, even while the system is calling others. Traditional alarms can't receive calls mid-sequence.
• Automatic voicemail detection: The system detects voicemail, leaves a message, and immediately moves to the next contact. Other systems can get stuck in voicemail, delaying response.
• Gets through Do Not Disturb: The system calls each contact twice within three minutes, which gets through most phone Do Not Disturb settings.
• Personalised messages: Calls and texts include your name, for example "John has activated their personal alarm, please call to speak to them."
• Reduced confusion: If multiple contacts call back at the same time, the system tells them if someone else is already speaking with you.

How many contacts can I have?

You can have up to five nominated contacts on the Family Response Plan. You can update your emergency contacts at any time.

Who is the Family Response Plan best suited for?

The Family Response Plan is a good choice if you:

• Have family or friends who are willing and able to respond to alerts
• Want a more affordable monitoring option
• Prefer your family to be the first point of contact in an emergency

Can I use the Family Response Plan over home internet?

Yes, but with a limitation. If your Home Alarm is connected over home internet (WiFi or Ethernet), it can still raise an alert and your contacts will receive their calls and text messages as normal. However, your contacts will not be able to call you back through the Hub unless it also has 4G connectivity. This is a technical limitation of internet-only connections.

If callback is important to you, make sure your Hub has mobile signal, or consider the Professional Response Plan, which supports full two-way calls over home internet.

Can I switch between plans?

Yes. You can switch between the Family Response Plan and the Professional Response Plan at any time with no penalties. Give us a call to make the change.

How much does it cost?

The first year of the Family Response Plan is included free with every Mobile Alarm purchase.

For current pricing, visit www.umps.com or give us a call.