Traveling this summer? A San Diego company is solving the weak link in your smart home

By Michelle Stansbury | June 21, 2021

Companies like Vivint, ADT, and Brinks offer professionally installed systems come with 24/7 private monitoring in case of an emergency, but also come with hefty start-up fees and high monthly subscription rates. So, many savvy-shopping San Diegans are turning to self-monitored security systems like Ring, Cove, Simplisafe, and others.

But there’s just one problem…Self-monitoring systems not only require a healthy level of vigilance, but they also create a hole in your safety plan. You can check the video feed and see that an intruder managed to break into your house through one of the windows, but what then?

If you call 9-1-1, you’re connected to a dispatch center closest to your location. So, if you’re out of state or even just a hundred miles away from home, sending responders to your address will be difficult. Your best option would be to contact your closest neighbor or a nearby family member to call 911 for you. Your neighbor may be mowing the lawn when you call to tell them what happened, or the first family member you try to reach may be out getting groceries. But by the time the police arrive, there’s no telling what the damage could be.

Luckily, there is now a faster option! San Diego-based Rescu launched an app-based emergency dispatch service. With Rescu, you can send emergency services like fire, police or ambulance to your home no matter where you are.

With Rescu, users can communicate non-verbally to an emergency dispatcher. This means a user can silently send for help in Rescu’s mobile app interface if an intruder enters their home or a user can request an ambulance in the event of a medical emergency, without needing to speak or hear. Rescu is the most efficient way to get emergency help during an emergency.

When founder Paolo Piscatelli’s father, Paul Piscatelli, had a medical emergency and called 9-1-1, pain made it near impossible for him to talk, delaying the arrival of an ambulance. Paul eventually got the medical attention he needed, he and his son were inspired to create a solution that offered a faster way to get help. They created the Rescu app that eliminates the time wasted communicating address and personal information to traditional 9-1-1 verbally on a phone call. Instead, location and other data can be pre-programmed into the app, and Rescu offers the ability to select the nature of the emergency, Fire, Police, or Ambulance services, with just one click. The app also automatically sends a text message instantly notifying family members and emergency contacts. 

Paolo Piscatelli, CEO of Rescu, shares, “It took over 30 minutes for an ambulance to respond to my Dad. With heart attacks, strokes, and other emergencies, a single minute can be the difference between life and death. So, we created a faster and easier way to get help during an emergency.” Piscatelli continues, “We are grateful to have partnered with over 30,000 local fire departments, police stations and ambulance networks to dispatch emergency help in seconds – together, we are providing better response and safety to our communities.”

Rescu turns your smartphone into a mobile emergency alert system, allowing you to send fire, medical, or police services to your home. It cuts out the middleman, instantly dispatching emergency services as soon as you send an alert, saving crucial seconds in a crisis. By putting the power back in your hands, Rescu enables you to travel anywhere in the world, knowing that as long as you have a network connection, you can send help home in an instant.