What is the Pick Guardian alarm?

The Pick Guardian combines an app on your phone with a bluetooth trigger button for a fast, reliable and accurate way to summon an emergency service response.

Why we’ve developed it

In 2022, there were over 2 million violent crimes recorded in the UK.

If you were one of the two million, how would you raise an alert for help quickly? 

With Pick Protection, there’s an even quicker, more efficient way to alert emergency services if you find yourself in a threatening situation than making a call on your phone, and trying to explain the situation and location.

The Pick Guardian can give you a fast response, sharing your location with emergency services and notifying your key contacts, all without having to find and unlock your phone. We do this with an in-app alarm and wearable bluetooth button.

How our Pick Guardian Alarm compares to other safety options 

The highest level of response

Pick Guardian SOS alerts feed into a 24/7 Alarm Receiving Centre, which has the highest level of training and accreditation standards available. This means that operators are able to request a level 1 police response in the event of an emergency, bypassing the 999 switchboard to go straight to a police control room, saving precious time. 

Operatives waiting to take calls from the Pick Guardian answer calls eight times faster than the UK average for police. They know how to handle an SOS, what information to gather and how, and when emergency services are needed. They keep listening in while relaying information to emergency responders, and the app records so that audio can be used if later needed such as if an incident leads to criminal prosecutions. 

And this is all done with a simple double click alarm activation, without having to confirm your call once you’ve tapped, clicked or swiped your phone.

We do one thing, and we do it right, to ensure the most robust personal safety app available to individuals in the UK right now. Because we only offer an SOS function, operators will treat all alerts from the Pick Guardian as a high priority. 

Simplified safety 

We’ve kept it as simple as possible for the Pick Guardian. You raise an alarm with a double  click, and the app interface only has the information and features you need. That means, it’s easy to set up and navigate, and ultimately, user-friendly. 

Not only is the bluetooth button discreet, but it’s easy to activate in a high-stress situation. Trying to remember how you configured your iPhone to send an SOS, or unlocking your phone, pressing SOS, then confirming your call is not easy when you feel threatened, as basic cognitive functions are affected by extreme duress. 

Simplicity makes all the difference between an effective and ineffective alarm. All you have to do is press the button twice to send an SOS to operators. You just need to have your phone within the 15 metre range, so it can be in your bag, back pocket, or even your car if it’s close by.

Sharing your location for faster help

Once the alarm is activated, the Pick Guardian app will use your phone’s GPS to provide location updates every six seconds. So if you’re on the move, responding emergency services can get an accurate location and find you more easily. By sharing your location, you don’t need to worry about finding what road you’re on, or providing other information which might be difficult at that moment.

How an alarm is sent

What makes this a quick and effective way to raise an alarm, is that you don’t need to confirm a call once you’ve made an SOS. Pressing the button opens communication with the operatives, who will listen into the call for 20 seconds to determine the emergency and how to respond. 

This listening time is important, as you might not want those around you to be aware you’ve raised an alarm.

If the signal in your area is too low to support a call, operatives will still receive the alert along with your location and can act on this information. Our SOS is sent using mobile data, and only needs a small amount of coverage to do so. The Pick Guardian app uses data across any available networks. 

When to use it

The SOS is there for when you feel in danger. Activating the alarm opens a call with a 24/7 monitoring centre, and an operative will listen in to determine the cause of the activation. If the situation warrants it, they will request emergency services.

How we got here

Origins in a personal attack alarm

Rebecca Pick started Pick Protection while studying at Strathclyde University. When a neighbour was attacked, she realised that there was no effective safety device on the market. She launched her prototype attack alarm, and her business, gathering a lot of interest along the way:

To be able to grow the business, Pick Protection shifted from personal alarms to a lone worker system. As we’ve brought on new customers including the likes of British Red Cross, Majestic Wine and Arnold Clark, we continued to receive requests to make this available to individuals.

A recent integration now makes this provision possible, so we’re able to offer our tried and tested, reliable product to you!

What organisations have said about our lone worker product: 

“It is something that is in the background and gives them reassurance when working alone” – Fettes College

“Knowing it’s there gives our teams the confidence that they have a simple and reliable means to access help if needed.” SSE

“It’s always reassuring to know that it’s just a click away, and they can activate an SOS and access support if they feel they need to at any time.” – British Red Cross

Why we need your support now

While we have a tried and trusted product in the B2B market, creating and promoting the Pick Guardian for individual use is new territory for us. That’s why we’re looking for backing before we fully launch to a whole new market. 

Your support in helping us reach our goal will mean we can market the Pick Guardian UK wide, so that those who would feel better having access to a fast response and reliable SOS alarm on their phone know about us.  

We also want to offer a range of wearable buttons to suit your life and style. You might want to stick with a plain button to attach to your keys, or choose a range of colours and styles to  wear it on your wrist or around your neck.