SafetyCare trumpets new partnership

HACKENSACK, N.J.--SafetyCare--a business that serves the residential market with a particular eye to the needs of the aging baby boomer population--is making a push this fall to attract dealers. At the August ISC East Conference and Exposition in New York, SafetyCare announced a partnership with TeleAlarm, a Reading, Pa.-based manufacturer of wireless communications and emergency call products for the long-term care and senior housing industries. Peter Giacalone, executive vice president of SafetyCare, said both companies benefit from the partnership by sharing customer bases. The alliance expands SafetyCare's residential business by adding services attractive to a growing demographic--baby boomers and people with elderly parents. Dealers who want to develop their account base and increase revenue will be attracted to the program because SafetyCare does not compete with the dealer, said Giacalone. "SafetyCare does not do installations. We will 100 percent go through dealers," he said. "There is no intention to saturate any one area and there will not be exclusive territories," he said. Through its Authorized Partners program, SafetyCare provides traditional security services, including fire, burglary and GPS monitoring as well as family crisis counseling. SafetyCare uses two-way voice systems and a staff of medical and law-enforcement professionals to serve its members. TeleAlarm created a personal emergency response product called Caveo, with a built-in speaker-microphone that may be worn as a pendant or watch. In an emergency, the SafetyCare member pushes a button to talk to a SafetyCare associate who can notify family or neighbors, dispatch emergency personnel, connect them with medical professionals, as well as other services. The product is pre-programmed before it is shipped to the dealer. Other companies, such as ADT and Monotronics, have similar offerings, but Giacalone said those companies target different areas of the market and different dealers. "We're aimed at the well-structured traditional alarm dealer," he said. To give an idea of what segment of the market SafetyCare is targeting, Giacalone said the average cost of an installation, including upgrades, during beta testing was $2,200. He also noted that unlike other players, SafetyCare is not an acquisition company. They do not offer financing or purchase accounts. The marketing effort to draw dealers is multi-pronged, Giacalone said, involving Internet marketing, direct mail, cooperative direct marketing with Authorized Partners, and trade shows. SafetyCare has also retained a public relations firm.