Growing up, I can remember feeling extremely safe in my school and neighborhood. My friends and I were perfectly safe to ride our bikes all over the neighborhood, I never felt threatened or scared at school, and even though my mom talked to me about “stranger danger”, I never had to refer to any of those tips she gave me because a situation like that never once occurred. As a kid, I had it pretty great growing up.
When my son was born, I wanted all of those things I enjoyed growing up for him also. However, the neighborhood has changed. Most of the families that lived in our neighborhood have moved. Neighbors aren’t so keen to be friendly anymore. I’m not sure if the traffic has changed or I just never noticed, but I don’t let my son go off on his scooter because of how fast people drive through now. Although I feel very confident in the safety measures in place at his own school, you just never know what can happen these days. I hate that he can’t be the “free-range kid” I was growing up, but as his parent, it’s my responsibility to keep him as safe as I can. It’s a job I don’t take lightly.
But what about those times when you can’t be there physically for them? Does your child walk to school? Are you concerned about their safety to and from school? How about while they are at school? Of course you are. Your older children may have their own cell phones for the above times and it probably makes you feel a little better knowing that you’re only a phone call away of they need you. However, sometimes a cell phone can be expensive and then what happens if you’re unavailable when an emergency call from your kid comes in?
The GreatCall 5Star Urgent Response is a tool that can keep kids safe during their walks to school or while in class. Whether your kid is lost, feels threatened or scared, or is in an emergency situation, all he/she has to do is press one button and they are immediately connected with a NAED (National Academies of Emergency Dispatch) Certified Response Agent who can conference in the user’s emergency contacts, access the users’ medical information, connect to a live nurse, or dispatch 9-1-1 emergency services. The agents will remain on the line with your child until the situation is resolved. It’s also a GPS so if the user can’t state where they are, they can still easily be located. You have to admit this is pretty great, right?
The 5Star Urgent Response works indoors or out and is powered by one of the nation’s largest most reliable networks, so it’s always available, 24/7, when you need it the most. It’s NAED agents are 100% US based and trained in CPR and other emergency procedures. If your child is in trouble or scared, just one press of the button will connect them to fast, reliable help when it counts. Want to see it in action? Watch this brief video below.
MY THOUGHTS
I’ll admit I have seen the commercials on TV for the 5Star, but I never really paid much attention to them. I feel pretty confident in my family’s safety, but I’m not so naïve to think we would never need help like this. Right out of the box, the 5Star impressed me with how small and compact it is. This can fit in your child’s pocket or clip to a backpack or keychain easily.
To activate the device, I registered my account at mygreatcall.com, simply turned on the power button, waited for the welcome message, and then waited for the test call to come in on the device. It was that simple! I could hear the operator loud and clear and she confirmed that their GPS was pulling up my location perfectly. I am SOLD on this service. I love that my son can feel safe at school and that we can even feel safer in our own home. I hope we never have to use this service, but I am so grateful that we have it.
HOW MUCH IS YOUR SAFTEY WORTH?
Before I even investigated the price of the 5Star Urgent Response, I naturally assumed that service of this kind would be pretty expensive. I was definitely wrong. The GreatCall 5Star Urgent Response device is $49.99. 5Star is just $14.99 per month with no contracts and no cancellation fees. Service for each additional device is only $8.99 per month. You can also get $10 off the $35 one-time 5Star activation fee when you activate online. I think this is a very reasonable amount for peace of mind 24/7 and for smaller children, it definitely beats the monthly service price of a cell phone.
I am so impressed with this device and I think every family should have one. I could see this coming in handy not only for kids at school, but if your family travels, this is also wonderful to have in case you get separated. If you don’t have children, what about elderly parents? This is a perfect solution for helping them feel a little safer if they live alone.
LEARN MORE
To learn more about the GreatCall 5Star Urgent Response, please visit their website. Also, if you have a child heading back to school, click here for some great safety tips. You can also connect with the brand on these social networks:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/+GreatCall/posts
http://www.linkedin.com/company/133799?trk=tyah
A portion of the proceeds from the 5Star sales go to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), the charity founded by John Walsh, host of America’s Most Wanted and GreatCall partner.
GIVEAWAY
I am SO excited to be able to give away to one of my readers a GreatCall 5Star Urgent Response device and 3 months of FREE service! To enter, please use the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway ends September 23, 2013 at 12:00 AM CST. US ONLY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.
I would love to win this for my dad as he suffers from Macular Degeneration and I would feel so much better knowing he had this.
I need this I don’t have a cell phone and i’m disabled and if I travel I would love to have this in cause my car tears up on the road so I can call someone for help
My son could use this.
I would love to win this for my dad who had a heart attack in December of last year.
I would feel much better if he had this with him at all times.
jweezie43[at]gmail[dot]com
my granddaughter she doesn’t live in the best neighborhood. so she doesn’t get to go anywhere down the block the kids come to her house she goes no where