Alexa and Google assistant can help keep people safe

Safety can be a major concern if you’re a caretaker for someone with a disability or have a parent aging in place. It’s important to have measures that allow people to live independently, while still keeping them safe.

But how can you accomplish this? Smart assistants, like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, offer features and integrations that can make life a little safer for anyone. Still, they’re even more useful in the homes of vulnerable individuals. How? Can Alexa call 911? Sort of.

Let’s explore that and six more of the best smart speaker features you can use to keep your loved ones – and yourself – safe.

If you have an Amazon Echo speaker in your house, you might already have access to more safety features than you realize.

Alexa

Here’s where the question, “Can Alexa call 911?” comes into play. Emergency Assist is Amazon’s suite of home security features. With Emergency Assist, you can say, “Alexa, call for help.” This command summons an Urgent Response agent, who can quickly send first responders (fire, police, or ambulance) your way.

Not only that, but the Urgent Response agent can give the first responder information you previously entered into the Emergency Assist area of the Alexa app. This may include your gate code, information about medical conditions, pets on the premises, or anything else pertinent. The agent can even tell the first responder where the call came from—specific to the room your Echo

speaker has been assigned in the Alexa app.

Emergency Assist costs $5.99 per month or $59 per year if you’re a Prime member. Non-members can still sign up, but the fee jumps to $7.99 monthly. Alexa Emergency Assist

From $6 per month at Amazon may be.

Calling a group may mean getting someone on the phone faster if one of them isn’t available and can’t answer. Every second counts in an emergency. Use these guides to learn how to add contacts and add group contacts to your Amazon account.

Nest Aware subscribers can contact 911 via the Google Home app, but there’s no way to make that call with only a voice command. You’ll need your phone to call via the app, but you might as well just call 911 the old-fashioned way at that point. Nest speakers and displays can, however, make audio-only and video calls to contacts from your Google account.

So, if you need help from a loved one, you can simply say, “Hey Google, call Mom,” or whatever the case may be. Use these guides if you’d like to add new contacts from an Android mobile device or web browser.

AMAZON With Amazon’s Echo Pop, you can assign your speakers names and locations in the Alexa app, so you can drop in on specific rooms.

ADMINISTRATION PROVIDED BY NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE According to NASA, this map "illustrates the paths of the Moon’s shadow across the U.S. during the 2024 total solar eclipse. On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross North and Central America creating a path of totality."

AMAZON The Google Nest features three microphones that can be used for efficient calls and broadcasting messages.

AMAZON Nest Aware subscribers can contact 911 via the Google Home app on their phone. If your phone is out of sight, this won’t be helpful.