1. A system, comprising: a monitoring device being disposed at a location and communicatively coupled to a communications network, the monitoring device including: a sensor module that is configured to: sense an environmental parameter at the location; generate sensor data that characterizes the environmental parameter; apply an algorithm to the sensor data to detect when an alert condition exists; wherein, upon detection of the alert condition, the monitoring device is configured to transmit, via the communications network, alert notification content that corresponds to the alert condition; a host facility being communicatively coupled to the communications network, the host facility being configured to: maintain information related to the monitoring device, the information including: a device identifier of the monitoring device; alert notification instructions; obtain the alert notification content transmitted from the monitoring device via the communications network; and transmit, via the communications network, an alert notification that corresponds to the alert notification content; wherein the alert notification is transmitted according to the alert notification instructions; software executing on a handheld computing device that is communicatively coupled to the communications network, the software being configured to cause the handheld computing device to: obtain, via the communications network, the alert notification that was transmitted from the host facility; and output a visual or audible representation of the alert notification so as to notify a user of the alert condition detected by the monitoring device at the location.