Alert1 Aids Family During SuperStorm Sandy

Williamsport, PA (PRWEB) November 06, 2012

Alert1, a leading national provider of medical alert systems, provided comfort and assistance to many families during SuperStorm Sandy. In addition to helping people who needed to contact family or get local assistance, Alert1 was a lifeline for one family in particular, caught in the flood waters.

The Alert1 monitoring center knew SuperStorm Sandy would create a higher call volume than usual, but they never anticipated the importance of their role during the storm. The daughter of an Alert1 subscriber, Jackie Digangi, was calling from New Jersey that evening as the storm hit. “It was like a tidal wave, like a tsunami hit the house. We have a chain link fence and it literally bent it up. We were starting to flood. I started calling the police department, but they had their own problems and they weren’t answering the phone. I called 911 and no one answered there either. My mother, in a desperate attempt, pressed her life alert and the operator that came on was just wonderful.”

The responder, Marissa, knew exactly what to do. “I answered the call and I could tell Jackie and her mother were very scared. Jackie said her mother’s house was flooding and they were trapped. In the mass confusion brought on by the storm, they were unable to get a hold of emergency help. That’s when her mother pushed the Alert1 button and they were connected to me.”

Marissa’s presence was what Jackie and her mother, Dolores, needed to make it through the storm. “She just kept talking to us through the box and she kept in contact with us. She let us know that she had our information and she was going to try very hard to pass it along. She put us on hold several times trying to reach emergency services. Every time she tried, she’d get back and she’d tell us ‘I tried. I tried and nothing. I will try again. I hope you are alright.’”

Through all of this, Marissa remained on the line comforting the women as the water rose. “I tried repeatedly to contact emergency services for Jackie and Dolores, but nobody was responding. I knew in that moment my only priority was to be their support system when they didn’t have anyone else. I wanted them to know that someone could hear them and cared about their safety.” Marissa was able to stay on the line for about two hours until flood waters went over the unit and cut off communications. At that point Jackie assisted Dolores to the safety of the second story where they waited until rescuers arrived.

Alert1 operators are trained to be a calm, reassuring presence in the event of a natural disaster such as this. “Marissa was wonderful to us. She really was. She was comforting. Just hearing another voice and she kept trying. We greatly appreciate what she did.”

“Alert1 is committed to providing our customers with confidence that they can get help quickly, in any emergency,” said Ritch Haselden, VP of Sales for Alert1. It’s extremely gratifying to provide our service to thousands around the nation and hear how our service truly makes a difference. Thanks to Marissa, Alert1 was able to play a small part in providing relief during this very stressful time.”
About Alert1 

Founded in 1988 and headquartered in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Alert1 is committed to helping seniors live safely and independently in their own homes by providing affordable and reliable medical alert systems. The Alert1 service provides emergency response to seniors at the push of a button – 24 hours a day. Alert1 is a national provider of medical alarms and offers several different pricing plans to best serve the needs of its customers. Alert1 is a trusted partner to healthcare professionals and provides a dedicated support team for senior caregivers.