Guardian24’s US subsidiary operation – Guardian MPS – has signed a contract with the City of Philadelphia. The City’s Department of Human Services (DHS) has become the first US organisation to adopt Guardian24’s Mobile Personal Safety solution.
Guardian MPS has achieved vendor approval for the State of Pennsylvania. Meanwhile Guardian MPS plans to establish its US headquarters in Philadelphia.
City of Philadelphia Mayor Michael A Nutter says: “Guardian MPS is the latest in a long line of innovative, technology companies that are choosing Philadelphia as their home. By working with a city government that is open to new ideas and approaches, Guardian MPS discovered that Philadelphia was the natural choice for their U.S. operation. I am excited to welcome yet another British-owned company to the Philadelphia marketplace.”
The City of Philadelphia social workers, in particular, operate daily in stressful situations throughout the greater city area. A US survey* confirmed that 58pc of social workers have experienced violence at work. A trial of 27 DHS users has run for three months. As a result of this DHS has now confirmed the first phase of a contract with Guardian MPS.
The Guardian MPS solution turns a range of mobile and smart phones into Mobile Personal Safety devices. With Guardian MPS the user can schedule their activities and timings. If the social worker ‘overstays’ their current appointment, the product will contact them to confirm all is well. If they can’t enter a PIN or enter a duress code then the system moves to ‘alarm status’. The software dials into the phone (while the phone appears to be off) and listens live to what is happening. Central Station Monitoring, working on behalf of the city, can listen in and advise the police or relevant responders. The software also details the device location at the same time to aid in that response.
Anne Marie Ambrose, Commissioner, Philadelphia Department of Human Resources says: “Our social workers do a great job for the City. Their services and dedication are of enormous value to everyone in the community. But they do work in challenging situations so I am excited that we can now help them become safer as they deliver care and support for the people of Philadelphia. We have rigorously tested the Guardian MPS system and the Central Station Monitoring service. We now know that Guardian MPS can measurably increase the safety of our social worker field staff. This is the reason for our investment and commitment and we look forward to a continuing and developing partnership with Guardian MPS.”
