Why was FreedomAlert created?
This product was created because of the great need of loved ones or a disabled person to be able to instantly contact a Friend, Family member, or the 911 operator in the event of an emergency. These individuals want to lead more independent and safer lives. Countless accidents and deaths occur every year that could have been prevented if help was available quickly.

How does FreedomAlert work?
It is very simple. You just push the blue button on the wearable pendant and you can speak directly to a Friend, Family member or the 911 operator from anywhere in or around the home. You do not need to reach your regular telephone.

Does FreedomAlert use Cellular Service?
No! The FreedomAlert uses your standard home phone line.

Do you have to be near the base station for someone to hear you?
No! Because the FreedomAlert is the world’s smallest cordless speakerphone, you can speak directly to a Friend, Family member or the 911 operator instantly from anywhere in or around the home. This is the only product that allows you to speak from ANYWHERE in your home, not just within 50 feet of a speakerphone. The pendant range is up to 600 feet in a free-space environment! It will cover typical American home and even a short distance outside your home into your yard.

Can I test the range?
Yes.  Simply use the test button on the back of FreedomAlert. Hold the button in for 5 seconds and you will hear a system check.  If it says “All systems are OK”, then you are within range of the base unit.  You can walk around your home and test this feature at any location to see if it will work from there.

Are there any monthly charges or contracts?
Absolutely Not! There are no monthly charges, no monitoring fees, no contracts, ever. You purchase the FreedomAlert and it is yours to keep and use forever.

What happens if I am unable to speak?
If you are unable to speak, the FreedomAlert can still provide important information by utilizing the caller ID system. If the person you are calling has caller ID, they will instantly know that it is you that is calling.  If the FreedomAlert is set to the 911 setting, the 911 operator will know your address from which you are calling. 

How do I install FreedomAlert?
Just plug it into your existing phone jack.  You will need to program the Friends and Family phone numbers, if you so chose.  For the simplest installation you can simply select the “911 Only” mode and your emergency call will go directly to the 911 operator.

Is FreedomAlert legal to use?
Yes! The FreedomAlert is completely legal to use in all 50 states and Canada. The product meets the requirements of the FCC and is in compliance with standards set by NENA (the National Emergency Number Association –“911” group).

Does FreedomAlert use a battery?
Yes, the FreedomAlert uses special rechargeable Lithium-ion battery.  There are 2 batteries included. The battery standby time is 2-3 months and it can be tested at any time by pushing the test button on the pendant.  When the battery test shows that the battery is low, you simply replace the battery with the second battery that is charging in the base unit.  And just swap the two batteries around every month or two.

How can I deal with power outages?
The FreedomAlert comes with 4 rechargeable batteries that are installed in the base unit.  These batteries are constantly being charged while the base is plugged in the wall outlet.  When the power fails, the FreedomAlert automatically switches over to these rechargeable batteries which will provide over 24 hours of back-up protection.   There is no maintenance needed for these backup batteries.

I keep hearing “Base and Pendant Out Of Range” voice prompt from the pendant when the System Test or Emergency button is pushed on the pendant:
The pendant was not properly paired to the base.

Simply relearn the pendant to the base.

1. On the pendant, Push and Hold both the gray System Test button and the Blue Emergency button at the same time.  The pendant will respond with “Synchronizing Mode”.
2. On the base, Push and Release the red Code Learn button (do this quickly after pushing the buttons on the pendant) using a pencil tip.
3. Both the base and pendant will respond : “All Systems are OK”
4. Pendant is paired with the base.

 FreedomAlert seems to act “funny” and sometimes “locks up” but then starts to work correctly later:
We have found that if the user is trying to do things too quickly – programming numbers too fast, pushing the test button on the pendant and then pushing the blue emergency button, the software can get “lost” for a moment.

When programming or testing the FreedomAlert, be slow, deliberate and wait for the FreedomAlert to respond.

When in doubt, push the reset button on the back of base to be sure that the unit has reset the software and memory buffers are filled correctly. 

There is an echo heard from the pendant or on the telephone side of the call:
This will show up occasionally on phone calls depending on the connection with the telephone company and the person being called. Remember, this is an emergency phone used for short emergency messages – not used for social calls.  If the emergency call can be placed and the emergency message can be understood, the product has done exactly what it was designed to do.

How many Friends’ phone numbers and in what order are the Friends’ phone numbers dialed?
There can be up to 4 Friends’ numbers programmed (though you do not need to program all 4 numbers) and/or 911.  The calls are placed in the order that they were programmed in to the unit.  If the first person does not answer, the unit hangs up and calls the second number.  If they don’t answer, it will call the third etc. 

How does the FreedomAlert know that a person has picked up the emergency call and not an answering machine?
Once a call is picked up, about 15 seconds into the call a message is played "This is an emergency call, to continue this call press 5 now otherwise we will hang up and call the next contact or the emergency operator".  If “5” is pushed by the person receiving the call, the call continues.  If “5” is not pushed, the FreedomAlert hangs up and continues to the next number.  This makes sure that the call has been picked up by a live person that wants to help rather than an answering machine or young child.

How do you end an emergency call?
There are 3 ways to end the call:

1. Pushing the gray System Test button on the back of the pendant ends the call, hangs up and resets.
2. The FreedomAlert should detect the other person has hung up and will automatically hang up in 20 to 30 seconds and reset.
3. If the FreedomAlert pendant detects 60 seconds of silence, it will automatically hang up and reset.

I programmed 4 Friends’ phone numbers but it does not dial the first Friends’ phone number when I push the blue button on the pendant.
If the FreedomAlert did not dial the first number but then dialed the second number programmed, more than likely a mistake was made while programming the Friends list.  The phone numbers need to be preceded by # to enter the memory location.

Every time I push the blue Emergency Button on the pendant, the FreedomAlert calls 911 rather than the Friends’ numbers that I programmed into the unit.
If the FreedomAlert is only calling 911 – even if the switch is set to Friends’ Only, there are no numbers properly programmed into the Friends’ list.  More than likely a mistake was made while programming the Friends list.  The phone numbers need to be preceded by # to enter the memory location.

When programming telephone numbers into the unit and the FreedomAlert does not respond with a voice prompt, is the number recorded?
No number is recorded into the memory of the unit unless the unit responds back with the correct voice prompt.  This is why it is so important to be slow and deliberate when programming telephone numbers.

If a number is pushed and the FreedomAlert does not respond with the voice prompt – try pushing the same number again until you hear the appropriate voice prompt.  Only numbers that you hear a voice prompt from are recorded into the memory.

If the FreedomAlert still is not responding to the telephone’s buttons – try using another telephone to program the unit.  We have found that there are some telephones that can not be used to program the FreedomAlert.

How do you erase previously programmed Friends’ numbers?
All previously programmed Friends’ numbers are erased when a new Friends’ number is programmed.  If one of the Friends’ numbers is changed, all of the Friends’ numbers will need to be reprogrammed.

Also, if no Friends’ numbers are programmed into the FreedomAlert it will call 911-regardless of the switch setting.

Does is matter which telephone jack is used for the telephone line and the telephone on the FreedomAlert?
On the FreedomAlert it does not - the 2 jacks on the back just act as a phone splitter

I keep getting a message from the telephone company that there are too few numbers being dialed after the FreedomAlert dials the Friends’ number.
On some phone systems, the FreedomAlert dials too quickly after getting a dial tone.  Program “**” before the Friends’ number (*= 1 second delay, **= 2 second delay).

Is FreedomAlert water resistant?
Yes, the FreedomAlert can be used in the shower even though we don’t recommend it as a normal practice.  Its best to just lay FreedomAlert on the floor just outside the shower area so that it can be reached if needed.

What is the warranty on FreedomAlert?
One Year Limited Warranty 

VoIP Systems:
Special Note If Your Phone System is VoIP:  Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a telephone service that sends your call over the Internet instead of through the regular telephone system. This may seem minor, but the differences with VoIP are great when it comes to 911 service. 

Traditional phone lines physically connect a specific location to the phone company - so when you call 911 the phone company can report to the 911 center exactly where you are located. When 911 services are offered by a VoIP provider the VoIP system will report your registered address to the 911 center. Due to the nature of the internet, the VoIP provider does not know the physical location the phone service is being provided to - only the registered address which is typically the billing address. As a result, with VoIP it is sometimes possible for a 911 center to dispatch help to the wrong address, particularly if you have moved without updating the provider.

Because of this, in all cases where VoIP is used we recommend calling the VoIP provider to ensure that both 911 service is available to you, and that your current physical address is on file with the provider so that help will be dispatched to the correct location.

If you are unsure if your phone system uses VoIP, or to find if it is capable of calling 911, please contact your telephone service provider. 

Installing FreedomAlert on VoIP Systems:  Many VoIP services, such as Vonage, use a special internet adapter. This adapter typically has a phone jack on it into which a regular phone is connected. The FreedomAlert will connect to the adapters jack in place of the regular phone jack in your house. 

Some VoIP systems, such as Verizon's FIOS, are seamlessly integrated into regular phone jacks, completely replacing traditional phone service. This allows you to connect the FreedomAlert to your existing phone jack as described in this manual, and no special connections will be required.

Other VoIP systems use special computer software/headsets, or sometimes a special phone which connects directly to the USB port of a computer. Unfortunately, FreedomAlert will not work with software or USB systems unless a provision for connecting a regular phone is also provided. 

In general, if your VoIP system can utilize a regular phone then the FreedomAlert will work just fine. However, if you have both a working traditional phone line AND a VoIP phone system we recommend connecting the FreedomAlert system to the traditional phone system.

The FreedomAlert will not dial correctly when connected to a VOIP modem.
Always use the area code with the local number when programming a Friends’ number into the FreedomAlert.  Even though you do not need the area code when manually dialing the local number, VOIP systems seem to often require the area code.