Family
First offers the safest and most reliable 24-hour medical alarm monitoring
service that is currently available in the United States at the most competitive
price for your family.
Call Toll Free: 1-(888) 877-9169
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)
Do I have to
sign a long-term agreement?
"No. Family
First Medical Alarms does not have any long-term agreement. With Family First
you can cancel anytime without penalty and we will also refund your balance for
the time that you do not use the service upon receiving your equipment back."
How does it
work?
"Basically what
would happen is the subscriber would have a small pendant that they would wear
either around your neck, or on your wrist. It is completely water proof
(not water resistant) so you can wear it in the shower or tub or even a pool.
The important thing is if the subscriber ever need help, all they have to do is
push the button on their person. In approximately 20 seconds, one of our trained
specialists at one of our central stations will begin to have a live two way
conversation with the subscriber through a small piece of equipment called a
medical console base, that is plugged in at your house. At this time the
subscriber may say something to the monitoring station like, " I don't need an
ambulance but would you please call my son or daughter, neighbor, or friends?" A
paramedic it not always required however the central monitoring station will do
whatever it is that you ask. However if we are unable to speak with you or you
say it's an emergency, we would immediately dispatch the local paramedics to
your house or follow any specialized instructions the subscriber might have on
file such as call my son before anything else."
Who responds
when I press my emergency button?
"One of our
monitoring centers, both of which are located here in the United States. You
will be answered by a caring trained professional who will respond to your needs
24-hours a day."
Does the
service work outside of the home?
"Yes. If you
should have a problem outside your house, anywhere within 600 feet from where
you place the medical alarm console base, the system will still work. However,
we may not be able to speak with you or hear you if you are outside with our
monitoring center. However, the monitoring center will know that you are in
trouble and will dispatch emergency services to your residence if you were in
that situation unless you specify otherwise.
PLEASE NOTE,
at Family First will always tell you the truth about the equipment and its
limitations. The only way to know for sure is to try it, we provide a walk test
which involves having your loved one move throughout the entire inside and
outside of the home (if they are able), while moving they are communicating with
one of our monitoring centers through the console base by speaking out loud into
thin air while one of our trained specialists answers as to whether or not they
are able to hear them. After the inside walk test we can provide an
outside of the home, radius activation test. This involves having the subscriber
or family members go to the areas in question such as the mailbox, garden,
garbage area, laundry area, etc. and press the emergency responding button. We
will make sure that if there is more than one area of concern, that it will be
tested in the outside radius test. At Family First Medical Alarms the safety of
your loved one and your peace of mind is of our utmost importance and
responsibility."
Will the
Family First Medical Alarm work with rotary phone service?
"Yes! Our system
will work with either a rotary, pulse or tone telephone service."
Can I take
the system with me if I move?
"Yes. Simply
call our toll free telephone number or E-Mail us to let us know the exact dates,
the new address, telephone number, and any change of the order that we handle
the contact call list. Family First Medical Alarms will also change the
telephone numbers for the emergency services if the move is outside of their
area of service. Family First Medical Alarms has many situations where our
customers have a summer home and a winter home, if they leave at the same dates
each year to go to and return from their homes we can enter it into the computer
system that we have had specially designed for tracking the dates and notifying
our center to make the necessary changes. Family First Medical Alarms always
confirm the day prior with the subscriber or their family when the subscriber is
in our automated change of address system."
Is the
emergency button difficult to press?
"The emergency
button is designed to be pressed firmly in order to prevent accidental
activations, however there is no need to put a lot of strength behind it.."
What if I
accidentally press the emergency button?
"If you should
accidentally set off your alarm, there is no need to be concerned. Simply tell
your personal emergency response specialist, who speaks to you through the
console base that you have accidentally pressed the button, or that you are just
testing the equipment. They will then disconnect the live two way voice
connection and no further action will be taken. We are there for you 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week, and we are always happy to assist you."
Note: Do not
try to stop the alarm in the process of contacting the monitoring center. If the
monitoring center receives your alert and the alarm is turned off or deactivate
before someone can speak with you the monitoring center will not be able to
confirm it was just a accident.
If I live in
a rural area, can I still use this service?
"We offer
nationwide service. We can provide our custom tailored service to you or your
loved one anywhere in the United States."
How do I
plug it in (install questions)?
"You simply plug
the alarm in just like you would a cordless telephone. You will also snap it
into a wall telephone jack and whatever is in the wall telephone jack now, you
simply snap into the back of our alarm unit. Also, please visit our
Equipment & Pricing
page by clicking on the blue button marked accordingly on the left side of our
website. There, you will find detailed pictures of how the equipment is shipped
and the detailed instructions that are attached to each of the two cords that
require connection. When you visit the Equipment & Pricing page, please make
sure that you make special note of each one of the detailed instructions, it is
here that you will find subtle reasons as to why Family First has earned the
reputation for being the safest and the most reliable provider of nationwide
medical monitoring services.
Another not so
subtle reason why Family First Medical Alarms has earned the reputation for
being the safest, and the most reliable medical alarm service provider, please
visit the Equipment and Pricing page, and scroll down about midway through the
page until you reach the red font that says VERY IMPORTANT.
The Family First Medical Alarms patented, Dead Telephone Line Restoration
Filters further separate us from any of our competitors. Please make
sure that you understand how these fail safe filters ensure that the service
will work when your loved one needs to use their service. If you have any
questions as to how they work, please do not hesitate to call us at: 1-(888)
877-9169 so that we can describe the importance of them and how they can make
the Family First Medical Monitoring service Fail Safe, bringing you the most
peace of mind."
Do I need to
modify the telephone jack in my home in order for it to work?
"No special type
of jack is required in order for The Family First Medical Alarm to work. However
you will need a regular modular phone jack (RJ11) to plug your alarm into. It
will work off your existing modular phone jack and will not affect your
telephone or any other item plugged into the jack"
How long
will it take to get a response if I activate the alarm?
"Only 20
seconds or so after it is activated, a trained staff member located at one
of our central stations will begin to have a live two way conversation with you,
the live conversation, of course does not require you or your loved one to have
any hand held devises. All that is required is for you to speak into thin air. "
If something
should ever go wrong with the equipment, how do I get it fixed?
"If this should
happen, simply call our toll free number (1-888-877-9169) and we will attempt to
troubleshoot the problem with you over the phone. If for some reason we cannot
resolve the problem with you over the telephone, we will send a NEXT DAY MAIL a
replacement unit to you at no charge."
Can I make
changes to the contact information after it is in my home?
"YES! Just give
us a call, E-Mail us, or mail us a letter letting us know what you wish to
change."
What payment
options do you offer?
"We currently
accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover Credit Cards. We also
accept personal checks."
My mom
and dad both need this, do I have to pay extra for two people?
"No, the
monitoring fee remains the same per month. There are also NO additional
fees for the additional emergency responding buttons."
What happens
if I am unable to speak after I press the emergency button?
"If our
monitoring center is unable to speak with you, we will immediately call the
telephone number at your residence. If you do not answer your telephone, we will
immediately dispatch emergency services to your house or start calling
Responsible People on the list you provided us ahead of time. Responsible
People are neighbors, family members and others you have specified on the
paperwork accompanying the Family First Medical Alarms.
PLEASE NOTE,
that if you would like us to change our standard monitoring center procedures,
we will custom tailor your account to be handled as you wish as long as it is in
the best interest of the subscriber." Many of our subscribers have decided to
have the Responsible People on their list called before Emergency Medical
Services (EMS).
How will the
equipment get to my home?
"We send the
system to you Priority Mail via the United States Post Office. There is no
charge for priority delivery and we ship the equipment the same day that you
order it as long as we receive it by 2:00 PM Central Time. You should expect to
receive the equipment two to five days after you place your order (Saturdays
included.) If you need it the very next day, that can be arranged for a fee of
$18.00. If you are ordering it on a Friday and you need it by Saturday there is
no extra fee. Family First also has the most convenient return plan, at no
charge whatsoever to you. All you need to do is bring the alarm to any US Post
Office with some packing to ensure it will not become damaged and ask for a
Free Flat Rate Box. Place the equipment with the US Post Office receipt
(Approximately $8.00) for the shipping in the free box and note how you like us
to reimburse you i.e. check or credit card and once we receive the equipment we
will issue a credit to you for the shipping cost.
Can you ship
it to my parent and bill me for it?
"Yes. If you
choose to we can charge your credit card, or we can send you a bill in the mail,
You decide."
What happens
when my electricity goes out, or if the AC adapter gets knocked out of the wall?
"The system has
a battery backup that will operate the unit for up to 20 hours after an
electrical outage. When the power is restored the backup battery will then
recharge itself, and it will be ready for any additional power outages. At
Family First we program our equipment to silently seize the telephone line and
report any power outages as well as power restorations. If the power fails to
restore after 8 hours, we will first notify the subscriber and find out if it is
a electrical outage, or if the equipment has become unplugged from the AC
outlet. If we are unable to correct the problem, we will immediately start to
contact the responsible parties to notify them of the situation so that it can
be resolved."
How do the
emergency services get into my home?
"Should our
monitoring center have to call paramedics, they would immediately call any
friends, neighbors, or family members on your contact list (Responsible People)
that have a key to your home and live close enough to meet the emergency
services and open the door. We also suggest hiding a key outside and we will
document the location on your account so that the monitoring center can let the
emergency services know where the key is located if they have to be dispatched.
Please keep in mind that in an emergency, paramedics are in a hurry to get in
and help you or your loved one. The only way to ensure that damage will not be
done to a window or a door to gain entry is to purchase one of our realtor type
lockboxes. We program a 4-digit code of your choice into it. It is then placed
around the main entry doorknob to the home. A house key is to be placed inside
of the lockbox and in the event that emergency services need to be dispatched
the monitoring center will give them the 4-digit combination so (EMS) Emergency
Medical Services can get the house key and enter the home without damaging
windows or doors. The cost of the lockbox is a one time charge of $40.00."
How large is
the console base and the emergency button?
"The console
base is about the size of an average telephone and can be placed easily on any
table or it can also be mounted on a wall. The pendant measure about 1 half inch
by 1 full inch. The pendants are very lightweight, less than an ounce, and are
not cumbersome in any way. Please visit our Equipment and Pricing page to see
pictures of all of our equipment. The second picture from the top is where you
can see our console base and our emergency responding buttons."
How close to
the console base do I need to be in order to hear and be heard?
"The Console Base has a very loud speaker and a very sensitive microphone.
The microphone in the console base is unlike anything that can be purchased in a
store. In a home as large as 1400 square feet with multiple levels you should
have no problem being heard, and as far as us being able to hear you, that is
based on how soft your voice is. Generally, we are able to hear our subscribers
throughout the entire home.
Please be
wary of some of our competitors who employ commission paid sales people. These
commission paid sales people may give you unrealistic information about the hear
and be heard abilities of their equipment. You may also find that these same
commission paid sales people also exaggerate the other features and benefits of
their equipment. Here at Family First we do not employ commission paid sales
people and we only use the most technologically advanced equipment on the market
today. We also have the ability to increase the hear and be heard radius of you
or your loved one. Family First Medical Alarms has the ability to connect up to
two remotely located microphone, speaker units. These units each have 1
additional loud speaker and another 1 sensitive microphone in them. They can be
placed in any areas of the home that you may have concerns about the hear and be
heard radius of the original placement of the console base. There are no
additional charges for the remotely located speaker, microphone units
themselves. We do have a one time fee for the wires that run from the original
console base to the remote speaker, microphone units. That fee is $30.00 for
every 50 feet of wire that you request. Please make sure and visit our Equipment
and Pricing page to view these remote speaking and microphone devices. The third
picture from the top shows and describes the details about the remote speaker,
microphone units."
Is your
service covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or insurance?
"Yes it is in
some cases, with Medicare or Medicaid there is a one to two year wait period
depending on which state that you live in. You will need to go to the local Area
on Aging in the town or city where the subscriber lives. If there is no Area on
Aging located in the town or city where the subscriber in question lives, you
will need to find the closest one. From this point you will need to make an
appointment with a case manager who will see if the subscriber in question will
meet the income qualifications. If the subscriber in question meets the income
qualifications, he/she will be placed on the list. If you are in need of service
and are unable to wait for the one to two years period, we will gladly set up
your service and bill the party of your choice, upon the end of the one to two
year wait, we will change the billing from the responsible party's name and
begin billing Medicaid or Medicare. As far as personal types of insurance, every
plan is different. Many plans have reimbursements for Medical Alarms. All that
you have to do is call the insurance carrier and ask them if they cover the cost
or have any reimbursement aid for Medical Alarms."
Unconditional Price Guarantee
Best
of all find a better price and let us know! After you have finished
gathering information from other companies like Family First, if you
have found a more competitive price, give us a call and we will
match their offer. This guarantee is also good even after you have
become a subscriber. With Family First Medical Alarms you will
always be paying the most competitive price for monthly monitoring.
Family First offers the safest and
most reliable 24-hour medical alarm monitoring service that
is currently available in the United States at the most
competitive price for your family.
Call Toll Free: 1 (888) 877-9169 or
ORDER NOW |