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Rural/Metro Medical Services is launching a new service designed to help the homebound and seniors in case of emergency.

Many people will remember the television commercials in which an elderly woman pushes a button on a wearable monitor for help after falling. Rural/Metro’s HomeHelpLine service offers a similar service with a major difference: Calls come in to trained emergency medical dispatchers who respond using Rural/Metro’s network of local hospitals and ambulance services.

“When you call a LifeLine or other national providers, calls come through security companies or you’re really dealing with a call center that could be anywhere in the country,” says Jay Smith, public affairs manager. “Our dispatchers are medically trained EMTs and emergency dispatch. We’re local and we’re trained.”

Launched in mid-December, the service has signed up 60 customers so far with a goal of 500 by the end of Rural/Metro’s fiscal year in July. The service is currently available in Erie and Niagara counties, but plans call for extending service into all eight Western New York counties.

The company is targeting seniors and homebound individuals, as well as the children of such people who worry they can’t check in on their loved ones as often as they’d like. Smith says the company is relying on brand recognition and Rural/Metro’s reputation in the region to close the deal.

Additionally, the company is targeting individuals recovering from surgery; those with chronic conditions; and anyone who lives alone or spends several hours at home alone on a regular basis.

The service is available for $24.99 per month. That’s lower than some national services, enabled in part by Rural/Metro’s existing equipment and infrastructure that results in less overhead, Smith says.

Based in Scottsdale, Ariz., Rural/Metro Corp. (RURL) is a national provider of emergency services in 22 states.

Locally, the company has more than 550 employees, including 450 EMTs and paramedics, and a fleet of 90 emergency vehicles that responds to more than 100,000 calls every year.

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