How to summon help?

[millwright]

I use hand held radios too but, I use the GMRS radios They have a little better range $45 for two with a charger when I leave for the shop I take one and give the other to my wife. Although I live in town and always seem to have loiterers hanging around!

[RainsFire]

nope.. no system for me, I figure if something happens everyone will know fairly quick.

[HWooldridge]

Cell phone has worked a couple of times for me. The only problem would be if I was overcome by something and passed out or was knocked unconscious because my wife doesn't check on me. I can go out and not come in for several hours without her noticing.

[Ten Hammers]

Actually, I think this has been a positive thread in that replies straggling in have kept my interest. I have responded to emergencies as a health care provider. You might consider this: The local Amish community has over the years developed safety procedures ( I have taught first aid and CPR years ago to groups ). They have folks that are from their communities that travel and give talks and demonstrations about safety. Locally they have phones ( normally in schools ) and some have cell phones to conduct business. Don't laugh or take me wrong. This is not intended to be a stone thrown at them or their ways. Fact is, they are trying to become safer living in the modern world. I am not writing this to get responses about issues dealing with Amish. AED's are becoming predominant in many areas. I am no longer a health care provider (mostly due to hearing). Having a cell phone ( in my case a tracfone) in the shop should be procedure. Problem is just doing it.

[irnsrgn]

I recall another smith about 40 miles away who used to make a lot of trencher teeth and used the side of the die on his LG25 to draw the rounded cutting edges out. He was very faithful about taking his coffee breaks at a resturant uptown, and when he didn't show up for one, his friends called his wife to see if he was sick, she in turn called the shop, no answer. She called a friend who went to check on him. The friend found him laying on the floor with a severe head wound from one of the tension arms breaking and knocking him out.

So sometimes even having emergency communications handy is not enough, that is the reason I called my first wife regularly when I was out on portable jobs and my present wife calls me regularly when I am on the road alone. And sometimes it pays to have friends who are concerned about your well being. You can't have too many friends or safety concerns.

[Dodge]

I never gave it much thought as I work at home, but I did have a mishap once while working on my truck. I was doing some work on the tranny and neglected to block the wheels properly. It rolled and I wondered, as I watched, if it would roll over me. And was it gonna hurt? As it turned out, it stopped against my rib cage and my fat cushioned the blow No one was home, so I yelled as loud as I could, hoping someone would hear me. My next door neighbor finally did after about 5 or 8 minutes. Probably got tired of the bellering. I didn't have a cell phone then, but who would I call? Wife was at work, and I didn't have neighbor's numbers. I figure I could have lasted until emergency people arrived..... Glad the neighbor heard me tho. Yes it did hurt and and my side had a bruise the size and shape of a tire tread for weeks. I have a cell phone now and keep it on me at all times. (I also make sure vehicles are properly blocked too. No short cut is worth getting injured!)

[the_sandy_creek_forge]

I just yell, ring the bell outside the door, or call on the cell phone. The shop isn't that isolated and usually if it gets too quiet either my parents or my brother or whoever is up to the house will realize I'm not being noisy enough. (p.s. NO i don't live that close to my parents the shop is on the farm because the neighbors in town don't even like bonfires let alone coal smoke....)

Once when cutting firewood we left the radio on and cranked up in the truck to listen to the ballgame on AM. Apparently leaving a radio on all afternoon isn't good for the battery, which we soon realized after the deed was done. Dad looks at the dog and says jokingly "Buffy. Go get Ann. Tell her to bring the jumper cables." The little golden mix runs off towards the house without hesitation (much to our disbelief). Ten minutes later, the dog comes back with a dead rabbit and drops it at our feet. At least we wouldn't have starved......
-Aaron @ the SCF

[m_brothers]

My parents can see me through the window so i don't have to worry about it. But in the future, maybe if you could find a item for people with health problems that has like a wristband, that tells people if you are knocked out or whatever, by your pulse.

[Glenn]

Let us hope that your pulse continues to pulse even if your knocked out.

The parent looking out the window only works if the parent DOES look out the window. After a couple of weeks of looking, it starts to be like watching reruns on the TV and they pay less and less attention.
Ever try watching a pot of water from the cold spigot being heated to boiling on a stove? Whatever you do to occupy the time, is NOT watching the pot. That includes washing the dirty dishes.


Most of the suggestions made on the thread so far must be self-activated to work, or depends on some else being close enough to hear sound. A motion detector that will send out an alert if you are still for a period of time would be a better choice. Anyone know of any such device?

[keykeeper]

Sure do Glenn. We used them in the fire service. They are called P.A.S.S. alarms. We activated them whenever we made interior attack on a structure fire. If a man goes down, the P.A.S.S. will activate after a short time of non movement. It emits a loud, piercing alarm so others can find you. of course, to work for what we want, there would have to be someone to hear the alarm and know what it is.

I think they have systems now that are even more sophisticated, but I'm not up on the technology.

There may be similar systems for elderly folks who live alone, that automatically dial 911 upon triggering. Those would be good for our kind of needs.

aaron c.