Age? – Concerned?
- Written by Jack Harvey
Fish ‘n’ Chips in newspaper. ‘Billy Cotton’s Band Show’ on a Sunday Morning. Gravy made from the juice of the roast with some flour and browning. The Beatles debut in Hamburg, Germany, ‘Journey into Space’. Standing at the top of the stairs with an empty glass in one hand and a piece of paper in the other wondering what you were going to do.
Yep! You are close, or even over sixty! Anyway – it’s proven – we ‘Wrinkly Crinklies’ are becoming a majority!
The stage is set for a unique population explosion. As fewer babies are born and we ‘old duffers’ are living longer we are beginning to witness the worldwide emergence of a new generation: the Over-Sixties! In the rich world the old are already one-fifth of the population and soon this pattern will be repeated in the developing world. So what’s all this about – is Jack perpetuating his Senior Moments? And what’s it got to do with security? Just my way of segueing into another hybrid of good old intruder alarm panel technology which, may creak us one ‘fifth-ters’ to ‘one fifth and a bit-ters’. Introducing - The Social Alarm! I once picked up me Mum’s Woman’s Own magazine – ‘yonks and yonks’ ago (translation : ‘more than a couple of dozen’ years) – and was intrigued by an advert introducing a ‘box of tricks’ that had a humping great red mushroom button dead centre.
In the event of an emergency, the user could stagger over to it and bash the button – preferably not with the head! This box had a continuous tape machine with a pre recorded message and a dialling ‘gizmo’ programmed to a nominated telephone number. When activated the tape would say Help! Help! Help! (original eh?) followed by the callers name and address to the agency that answered the phone. This particular Social Alarm was simply an advanced ‘Bandit Alarm’ which was used widely throughout Banks in the late 60’s. In fact one of the first Bandit Alarms I ever came across – as a thirty something youthful alarm engineer - was a beautifully made wooden box – varnished - with dovetailed corner joints and piano hinges on the lid.
Inside was a Garrard gramophone (for non Wrinklies a record player) deck and on the turntable was a pre recorded 45 rpm record – not unlike those you could cut yourself for half a crown in a recording booth in Victoria Station – have I lost anyone under sixty yet? Around the edge of the turntable was a series of pegs – like a giant musical box. When a hand or foot panic button was pressed, the deck would turn and the pegs would strike a relay which pulsed out Nine Nine Nine down a selected telephone line. The record simultaneously began its “Bandit! Bandit! Bandit!” routine followed by location details.
The whole thing was brilliant as long as no one gave it a clump which would send the stylus arm skidding across the grooves and the best the Emergency Services would get would be “Bandit? Bandit! Bandit! …..zzzziiiiittt…..road, London”. The burdening growth of the elderly (must confess I don’t feel elderly or even burdening) on civilized societies due to increased longevity, got the innovative ‘bone domers’ going, to find an alternative to hospital and nursing home costs and to keep us out of establishments that cater for the Permanently Bewildered. What AM I doing with this glass and piece of paper? This offspring of the Intruder/Bandit alarm – and now greatly refined by the ‘whizz bang teckies’ - is designed to assist elderly or disabled people living at home who may be in a risk situation, however the use of the Social Alarm unit is not just intended for Wrinklies only, as there are others in the risk category.
People living alone, parents of children with physical or mental illnesses, epileptics, paraplegics or diabetics – in fact anyone who may need to call for assistance quickly. Short term users could be people recuperating at home after illness or an operation, single parents or those suffering from stress and upset from bereavement. Sort of like a Reboque or Automobile Association for Zimmer Frame drivers! It amused me when I was with Marconi Security, because, as the oldest member of the Company I earned the nickname ‘Zimmer Man’ – and at the time I was a mere stripling of fifty something and an expectant father (again), plus I was keeping up with the ‘Shakers and Movers’ of the Security Industry! (I swear none of them was over fourteen!). Is this a glass and piece of paper I see before me? So where has the Social Alarm got to now?
Well first and foremost it has progressed to a hands free telephone system with a receiver unit plus a small radio transmitter which can be worn as a pendant or a wrist watch. In the event of feeling a bit ‘wobbly’ or even perhaps having taken a tumble, the pendant button can be pressed. This fires off the dialled signal and message to up to four nominated telephone numbers : relative, neighbour, local medical practitioner or a central listening centre that will action the call.
The new Social Alarm devices can also open a hands free speaker and as long as you’ve not been taken queer somewhere around your 4 acre plot or in the Olympic sized Swimming Pool, you should be able to hear someone at the end of the phone and shout your predicament.
Perhaps some genius will build ‘blue tooth’ technology into a hearing aid to avoid shouting! The whole idea is to allow active people – with an acceptable level of marbles in the net - who live alone but have a risk and, who do not want a ‘Granny flat’ tacked onto the West Wing or to ’veg’ out in an Hospital or Nursing Home, but want to maintain their independence with the re assurance that there is a reliable lifeline - available when required.
I understand the Social Alarm has recently arrived in the Algarve, so perhaps when I earn my ‘Zimmer Man’ title proper I’ll apply for one.
Now, the glass and piece of paper, Maria tells me there is a whacking great spider in the bath that requires evicting ………….or was that yesterday?
Jack Harvey has local and international experience in electronic security systems and can be contacted via e-mail on info@ibcsecurity.com
