Home Security Monitoring: Real Life Personal Stories
You hope nothing bad will ever happen to your home or family. But if it does, it's good to know ADT is on the job, ready to mobilize the help you need without delay. To find out how ADT home security services helped each of these ADT customers, click on the names below.
George Fleishman – Disabled Veteran Credits ADT with Saving His Life
Disabled veteran George Fleischman had gotten used to his routine – transfer from his wheelchair in the house to the portable power wheelchair in the garage using a ramp. Although difficult to maneuver, the transfer had always gone relatively smoothly. However, on a recent evening, the transfer went horribly wrong.
As he was wheeling the manual chair down the ramp and getting himself in position to transfer, the wheelchair tipped over. Fleischman fell to the ground and the wheelchair rolled on top of him, trapping him beneath the 490-pound chair. The chair landed on his neck, with the pressure cutting off circulation to his brain.
“I couldn’t reach my cell phone, and I wasn’t strong enough to lift the wheelchair off me,” Fleischman recalls. “I felt myself losing consciousness. The last thing I did before I blacked out was to press the button on my Companion Service pendant and talk to ADT.”
Customer Care Representative Roy Yeager took the call. He notified the Clackamas County police in Oregon and called two other contacts on Fleischman’s call list to inform them of the accident. Officers arrived on the scene minutes later, and found Fleischman trapped. They lifted the wheelchair off and gave him the medical attention he needed.
Fortunately, Fleischman wears his ADT Companion Service pendant around his neck at all times. That foresight gave him the means to call for help. Today, Fleischman is fine, and credits ADT with saving his life.
“The ADT Companion Service Personal Emergency Response System allows physically challenged and elderly adults to live independently in the comfort of their own homes, knowing that help is just a button push away,” says Cate Steccato, Director of Home Health Security Services, Palm Harbor, Florida.
Click here to learn more about ADT Companion Service
Mike Edwards returned to his home after work and began preparing dinner. As the food cooked, Mike went into another room to relax and fell sound asleep. A fire broke out, activating the heat sensor of his home security monitoring system in his kitchen. Before a smoke alarm went off, the heat sensor immediately sent a signal to an ADT Customer Monitoring Center. Within seconds the local fire department was notified.
As the firefighters sped to the house, an ADT associate called Mr. Edwards' wife at work. She said that her husband was indeed home, but that the door was likely dead bolted. Firefighters did, indeed, have to break down the door and paramedics found Mr. Edwards lying near the door, overcome by the thick smoke. They dragged his lifeless body from the burning house and promptly tried to revive him. After twice shocking him with electric paddles, they still could not detect any signs of life. Finally, after a third try, they were able to bring him back to life.
Weeks later Mr. Edwards stood in his charred home with his ADT salesperson, thinking about the ADT security monitoring system that had only been installed four months earlier. He thanked the representative stating, "If it weren't for you insisting that I needed fire protection that went beyond the battery-type smoke detectors, I'd be dead right now. I'll never again be without an ADT system in my home."
At approximately 11:30 p.m. on a February evening, the ADT Customer Monitoring Center received an alarm transmission from the security monitoring system at Heather Cates' residence. Following notification of the proper authorities, ADT's swing shift associate called the premises and inquired as to the reason for the medical alarm signal.
ADT Associate: Are you OK?
Ms. Cates: I'm holding on. I'm nine months pregnant with my third baby and my water just broke!
Immediately, the ADT associate began to solicit additional information from Ms. Cates in order to update the medical team heading to her home, while at the same time making sure that this mother-to-be remained calm. Staying on the phone line, the ADT associate was conscientious enough to enlist the support of an outbound teammate who was able to relay crucial information until the paramedics arrived. The paramedics provided verbal confirmation that Ms. Cates was stable and ready to be transported to the hospital.
With her husband John lying prone on the floor from a fall, Mary Brown signaled ADT for help from her home security monitoring system. Following an expeditious notification of the appropriate medical agency, a swing shift team member continued standard operating procedure and phoned the premises. A very distraught Mrs. Brown answered the phone wondering when medical assistance would arrive.
The ADT security monitoring associate first attempted to calm Mrs. Brown, assuring her that an ambulance was en route to their residence. The associate then went on to ask a variety of questions that would afford ADT the opportunity to provide an in-depth update and disclose pertinent information regarding the gentleman's medical history to paramedics upon their arrival. As a result of thorough probing, the associate was able to notify the medical response team of Mr. Brown's respiratory condition at the time and alert them that the 76-year-old patient had experienced prior bouts with kidney disease and strokes.
The ADT Customer Monitoring Center received a medical alarm transmission from the home of Joe Jones. Within six seconds, an ADT outbound associate took operator action on the signal, made careful note of account special instructions, and then promptly notified the proper authorities of the situation. The associate followed up with a call to Mr. Jones' residence where he spoke directly to the very concerned customer.
ADT Associate: Is everything okay?
Mr. Jones: No. I'm very short of breath! I don't know if I'm going to be alive or dead!
After informing Mr. Jones that help was on the way, the associate then offered to stay on the line with the gentleman until the paramedics arrived. In a dual effort to both calm the customer and solicit additional information pertinent to the event at hand, ADT's associate discovered Jones' desire to be taken to a hospital and his immediate need for oxygen. Following proper procedure, the ADT call center representative then made a follow-up call to the city fire department to provide this critical additional information.
