Thursday, July 3, 2008

Pinal County Sheriff’s Office Community Programs Unit Is Updating Their Home Alone Safety Program

The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office Community Programs Unit is updating its Home Alone Safety Program & needs feedback from unincorporated Pinal County participants already signed up for the program.

Home Alone phone kits are provided by PCSO & the Pinal County Attorney’s Office. The kits include an emergency device that is programmed to a home telephone & will dial three chosen neighbor numbers & an emergency number if the pendant, which is worn around the neck, is activated by the push of a button. The pendant will continue calling these numbers until someone answers & will forgo answering machines.

The program is undergoing an update to become even better, but this means reprogramming is needed for the kits already owned by program participants. For this reason, PCSO needs participants to turn their kits back in to reprogram & update participant information. If these are not reprogrammed, they will not work when the program is updated.

The purpose of the Home Alone Safety Program is to alert emergency services when a citizen has an emergency. The around-the-neck pendant is waterproof & can be used in the bath or shower. If the pendant is activated, it automatically dials emergency personnel from a home phone so they can respond to the home.

There is a one-time donation fee of $50 for a new Home Alone kit. Volunteers of the County Attorney’s Office install the program at no additional charge, with no monthly fees or service charges. Existing participants will not have to pay to reprogram their kits. Please contact Sgt. Stormee Wallace of the Community Resources Unit at (520) 705-9454, (520) 866-6129 or stormee.wallace@co.pinal.az.us.