Which best describes a personal emergency response system?

• A. A smoke detector.
• B. A door contact switch.
• C. A central fire alarm annunciator.
• D. An in-home transmitter or a two-way radio device which a monitoring station or other telephone number is alerted to an emergency and assistance can be summoned.

Answer: (D)

A personal emergency response system is a device that lets a person summon help quickly when they’re in distress, often using a wearable pendant or wristband or an in-home unit that communicates with a monitoring center or a designated contact. This setup is designed specifically to alert someone who can provide or coordinate assistance, rather than just sounding an alarm locally. That’s why the description involving an in-home transmitter or a two-way radio device that alerts a monitoring station or another telephone number best captures what a PERS does.

The other options describe building safety devices: a smoke detector detects smoke and warns occupants, not a monitored responder; a door contact switch detects when a door opens, not a call for help; a central fire alarm annunciator is part of a building’s fire alarm system that displays status and initiates alarms, not a personal emergency response.