Since its Indiegogo crowdfunded launch in 2013, Canary’s smart security cameras and monitoring service have focused on protecting people and property at home. In partnership with Noonlight, Canary subscribers now have a personal Safety Button for automated emergency response regardless of location.
Noonlight’s emergency response app costs $3 per user per month purchased from the developer. Canary subscribers get the button for all family members at no extra charge beyond the $10 monthly Canary fee per residential location.
Canary subscribers with relatives living at the same location who aren’t registered with the application can send invites so those people can register and have access to the Safety Button immediately.
The personal Safety Button is in the updated Canary mobile app. After a user sets up a personal Noonlight account, any time or place when they feel uncomfortable all they have to do is start the app and tap and hold the Safety Button.
As long as a user’s thumb is on the button icon, nothing happens. Releasing the button starts a 10-second countdown. If the user correctly enters their four-digit Safety Button PIN within 10 seconds, nothing happens. In any other case, when the countdown reaches zero the app sends a distress signal to the closest emergency service dispatcher with the user’s name, identification, and location.
According to Canary, the Safety Button app’s location identification is faster and more precise than 911 services. Canary claims the Noonlight app determines the precise location with 5-meter accuracy within five seconds while average 911 calls determine location with a 50- to 300-meter accuracy and can take more than six minutes.
If you’re in a threatening situation and need to connect with emergency services, the Safety Button doesn’t require any talking. You don’t need to know your location and you don’t need to attract the attention of someone within hearing distance who is already making you nervous.
If you use the Canary Safety Button and don’t talk to anyone or add any information, the service sends police to your precise location. If you used the Safety Button because other than police response is needed, such as a fire or injury that requires an ambulance, you can also send a text message or speak with the emergency service to share more information.
“With Noonlight, Canary customers can access an added layer of security that extends beyond their physical environment, equipping them with a personal safety net and empowering them with even more ways to take action in an emergency,” Canary Chief Marketing Officer Bob Stohrer said in a statement.