situation which may warrant assistance), triggering a silent alarm. If the button alarms a private security company, a fee may be charged for each time the button is used. This prevents misuse, and often aids in the employees judgment of the situation; whether or not it warrants the fee to have help to deal with the situation. Medical alert A medical alert panic button or medical alarm is an electronic device worn on a bracelet or necklace as part of a medical alert system. When pressed, it sends a wireless signal to a home console which dials alarm monitoring staff and alerts them of an emergency condition. Depending on the severity of the situation, alarm monitoring staff will summon friends, family, or emergency services. A panic button alarm is a self-contained electronic device powered by an internal long-life battery, typically Waterproof and designed to be shock resistant and highly durable. In a medical emergency, the advantage over a simple cell phone is that the person in distress may not have the ability to dial the three digits for 911, and may not have the capability to vocalize. The end user does need to enter information prior to when it will be used. Holdup alarms Holdup alarms are alarms that require a person under duress to covertly trigger the alarm to summon the proper authorities. These types of alarms are most commonly found in retail establishments and financial institutions, but are sometimes an integrated feature of home burglar alarms. The trigger could be a push button, electronic money clip, a foot rail, or a number of other things. Either the person under duress or a witness can activate this kind of alarm. For example, if someone is ambushed outside of their home and told to disable their alarm system they can possibly enter a special duress code that is different from their normal deactivation code to notify authorities without arousing suspicion. These alarms are almost always silent and usually require a manual reset with a key or a special code. Taxi alarm The purpose of a taxi alarm is for situations when either the driver or the passenger feel unsafe due to threatening behavior by the other or by an outside party, access to an alarm, silent or traditional sound, both to scare off the attacker and to summon help. Personal alarm A personal alarm is a small hand-held electronic device