FirstCall User Guide Ver3 Nov 2013
Contents
1. Will the alarm still work with the internet also known as ADSL DSL or broadband connected to my telephone line Yes but if you have an ADSL service you must have an ADSL filter connected in the telephone lead to the FirstCall alarm See the section on ADSL filters My telephone service is going to be changed to a wireless cable or Internet service Will this affect my FirstCall It may Call FirstCall for assistance The NBN is being installed in my area Will this affect my medical alarm The FirstCall Medical Alarm has been tested and works correctly when connected to the NBN service through via the UNI V Voice ports or via an ATA connected to the UNI D Data ports An NBN battery back up power supply must be installed and even then the NBN will only work for a few hours during a power failure Tell everyone installing your NBN service that you have a FirstCall medical Alarm Please see www firstcallmedicalalarms com au for the latest information about the NBN How do clean the equipment Use a mild detergent on a damp cloth Do not use harsh detergents or chemicals or too much soap or water 24 Q Notices Telephone Network Performance This equipment makes telephone calls in order to summon help If unsuccessful the equipment will continue making calls to the maximum number of call attempts allowed by Government telecommuni cation regulation Although modern telephone networks are very reliable2. correctly It is essential that the user develops operating procedures which include regular system testing and consideration of other forms of communication to call for assistance in the unlikely event that a malfunction occurs To ensure that the system performs as designed it must be installed operated maintained and regu larly tested in accordance with the information contained in this Guide and other supporting documen tation The user has the sole responsibility for maintaining and testing of the alarm Use of the FirstCall Alarm is acknowledgement that you understand and agree to these conditions If you do not agree to these conditions please return the alarm equipment to FirstCall Medical Alarms at the address shown at the back of this manual within 30 days of equipment purchase for a refund of all money paid less delivery charges Choosing Your Responders You can choose who takes your calls depending on your needs Your calls for assistance can go directly to your family and friends thus avoiding any on going fees FirstCall can also be configured to send all your calls to a professional 24 hour alarm monitoring serv ice We can arrange this service for you either at the time of purchase or at any time after Several days notice is required for changing from family and friends to the 24 hour monitoring Option If you choose to have your family and friends take your calls you should have at least three people who are willin
3. for dial tone If you cannot hear dial tone recheck all the connections Remove the house telephones lead from the wall socket and plug in the large adaptor plug Plug the house telephone lead into the rear of the adaptor plug as shown in the diagram Old style Telephone lead Pick up your telephone handset and check for dial tone wall socket to house telephone Telephone lead If you cannot hear dial tone recheck all the connections to Alarm Unit Steps Unwrap the Radio Antenna The loose wire from the rear of the Alarm Unit is the radio antenna Stretch it out to it s full length and let it hang out behind the Alarm Unit Switch On the Alarm Unit Switch on the power on the rear of the Alarm Unit and check the lights flash on the front panel If the lights do not flash or if a light remains flashing yellow or red check the transformer is fully pushed into the power point and the Power switch power point is switched on Down is on The blue light may remain flashing for up to one minute If after one minute the blue light is still flashing check the telephone lead con nections If you have fixed the problem the blue light will stop flash ing within one minute Red light Multi colour The yellow light will remain on until you operate the pendant or Flashing light watch for the first time Blue light Yellow light Important Test FirstCall through to your responders after installation or relocation or
4. User Guide BIBNISNY Ul apep rar y Medical Alar If this equipment does not make a call to the Monitoring Service when activated or if help does not arrive as expected use another method to get help Please ensure that you test the equipment regularly by making test calls through to your responders FirstCall Medical Alarms can be connected to the National Broadband Network NBN UNI V connection Tell anyone who contacts you about the NBN that you have a FirstCall Medical Alarm and that you require a battery back up power supply For more information see the FirstCall website at www firstcallmedicalalarms com au nu BR UW 13 14 15 15 16 17 18 20 21 21 22 24 25 26 27 28 29 Table of Contents Introduction Life Support Policy Choosing Your Responders Installing FirstCall Testing FirstCall Operation Pendant and Watch Triggers Making an Emergency call How to Cancel an alarm Answering a Phone Call with the Pendant Watch Voice warning messages The Lights Warning Lights Mode 3 telephone Connection ADSL Filters Questions amp Answers Notices Warranty Connecting Through a PABX Additional Equipment Thank you ann for choosing FirstCall We believe this equipment will help you to live independently in the safety and security of your own home FirstCall consists of a Pendant Watch and an Alarm Unit which is connected to the telephone line and a power point When the HELP bu
5. due to localized environmental condi tions the user shall at their own expense be required to take appropriate measures to correct the interference VC International Pty Ltd Unit 26 34 36 Abel Street PENRITH NSW 2750 www vcint com au Regulatory Notices Caution For safety reasons only connect approved tele phone equipment to the rear terminal No user serviceable parts are inside Do not attempt to open the equipment Do not cut any wires connecting the equipment Disclaimer FirstCall Connect Pty Ltd has exercised its best efforts in relation to the information in this manual However no war ranty of reliability or accuracy is given and VCi shall not be responsible for any error or omission whether negligent or Jf 30 otherwise This information may change without notice TELEPERMIT Your Responders For convenience you can write the phone numbers of your responders in the table below Phone Number Please include STD code FirstCall User Guide Rev 3 0
6. ew pendant watch with a fresh battery is operated with the alarm 20 Mode 3 Telephone Connection A Mode 3 telephone connection is a way of wiring a telephone line so FirstCall will still work if any ex tension telephones are left off the hook If you have more than one telephone or any other telephone equipment such as a dial up modem or a FAX we recommend that the telephone line is wired in Mode 3 Contact your telephone company for more information Your telephone company will charge for this work Note A Mode 3 connection is not required if only cordless phones are used and if the base station is connected to the rear of the Alarm Unit or to the FirstCall telephone adaptor plug Important If you do not have a Mode 3 connection the alarm will not work if any extension tele phones or any other equipment such as FAX machines or dial up modems are off hook or in use ADSL Filters If you have the internet connected you may have an ADSL service If you have ADSL you will need to connect an ADSL filter to stop the ADSL signal from interfering with the FirstCall alarm The filter will remove the ADSL signal from o The filter will also remove To telephone the FirstCall and any telephones connected i the ADSL from any tele to the rear of FirstCall or the Adaptor plug 7 phone sockets that have Connect ADSL filter E been wired f TT in the Alarm Unit a telephone cord Important If an ADSL filter is
7. g and able to take those calls 24 hours a day every day of the year You need to choose those people very carefully Your Responders should have some way of gaining access to your property FirstCall can supply a com bination lock and key holder for that purpose which can be attached to a secure fixing point in your property Using family and friends to take calls for assistance is not suitable for everyone so if you do not have at least three people who are in constant land line or mobile phone contact or your health condition warrants it you should consider using a professional 24 hour Monitoring Service instead Additional information about the 24 7 Monitoring Service is available from FirstCall How to Install Your FirstCall The following steps describe how to install and test your FirstCall Gl Unpack the Alarm You should have e One Alarm Unit e One pendant watch e One telephone line adaptor connected to the telephone lead supplied connected to the Alarm Unit Before installing FirstCall please see the sections ADSL filters and Mode 3 connections in this manual H Find a Good Location for the Alarm Unit The Alarm Unit should be located next to a power point and a telephone socket and if possible close to where you spend a lot of time A living area or bedroom is always a good choice Plug into the Power Plug in the power transformer and turn on the power point Check the green light on
8. if the leads have been changed 10 Testing FirstCall Step Let Your Responders Know You re Testing It s important to tell your responders you are about to test your FirstCall other wise they may think you need help It s a good idea to have your responders present when FirstCall is tested for the first time so they can see how it works too Make sure your responders have received the information sheet Advice for First Call Responders If you have elected to have your calls answered by a 24 hour Monitoring Service telephone the Monitoring Service now and follow their directions wise Check the Range of the Pendant or Watch To check the range of the pendant watch have one person standing by the Alarm Unit ready to push the cancel button while a second person operates the pendant watch from various locations around the home and garden Each time the alarm sounds push the cancel button to stop the alarm To give a margin of safety do not rely on more than half the actual range found during this test H Making a Call to Your Responders FirstCall comes pre programmed with the Responder s telephone numbers previously supplied to us and your personal voice message Press the pendant watch for a few seconds to activate the FirstCall This time do not press the Cancel button FirstCall will now make calls to your responders When your Responders answer they will hear the voice message and they may also be able to s
9. ke it impossible to activate activate the watch A pendant can be activated by both hands 13 Making an Emergency Call To make an emergency call press the pendant watch or the HELP button on the Alarm Unit Press the red button firmly for a few seconds and you will hear the alarm sound from the FirstCall loudspeaker and a red light will come on After about 10 seconds the Alarm Unit will start to call your re sponders You will hear FirstCall calling to your first responder and then you will hear the emergency voice message After a short time you may be able to speak with your Responder over FirstCall s loud speaker Remember it is not necessary for your Responder to speak with you They will hear the voice message so they will know that you need help The Alarm Unit will continue to call your Responders until the calls have been answered and correctly acknowledged The Alarm Unit will then automatically reset ready to use again FirstCall can be set to require either one or two calls to be answered and acknowledged 14 How to Cancel the Alarm CANCEL Press the Cancel button to stop FirstCall making calls However a call can on ly be cancelled while the alarm is sounding and only before FirstCall starts to dial the first number Answering a Phone Call with the Pendant Watch This function can be confusing and is not suitable for everyone You can answer a telephone call using the penda
10. lterations There are no other warranties expressed or implied including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose that apply to this product following the period of the express warranty provided by VCI FirstCall and or VCI shall not be liable for any special indirect incidental or consequential damages including but not limited to personal injury or death arising from any defect of the goods supplied 27 Connecting Through a PABX To set FirstCall to work through a PABX locate the small switches on the bottom of the Alarm Unit and set the PABX switch as shown below The PABX access digit dialled is 0 Other access digits can be programmed on request PABX Access Switch To dial through a PABX set Switch 2 to ON Note FirstCall cannot be connected to a DIGITAL PABX system 28 Additional Equipment PA o liee 4 WT ADSL Filter rA Wall Mounted Call Button v Wireless Terminal Watch E amp Pendant Bea Touch Pad or blow switch 29 FirstCall also supplies call buttons for special needs Call us on 1300 40 80 80 The FirstCall Medical Alarm is Designed and Manufactured in Australia by Warning This equipment has been tested to show compliance with the relevant regulations which are designed to provide reasonable protection against electromagnetic interference If this equip ment causes interference
11. m The telephone line is disconnected and FirstCall cannot make a call Check 1 That all telephone plugs are fully pressed into their sockets ing Bl E 2 Check for dial tone on the telephone If you DO NOT hear dial tone unplug the Alarm Unit from the telephone wall socket and plug the house telephone directly into the telephone wall socket i e how it was prior to installing the alarm If you now DO hear dial tone the fault may be with the Alarm Unit Contact FirstCall for assistance Your telephone company may charge a call out fee if they are called and no fault is found with the telephone line 19 Warning Lights continued The Yellow Pendant Watch Light Note The yellow light will remain on until you operate the pendant or watch for the first time If the power fails and the battery runs flat the yellow light will come No Yellow Light All OK on again when power is restored until the pendant or watch has been tested again Problem The pendant watch battery is getting low The battery in the pendant or watch should last for many years however if the pendant or watch has been operated with a low battery the Yellow Light will blink once every 5 seconds The pendant watch battery is tested each time you test or use your alarm you must operate the pendant watch for the battery to be tested If this light blinks contact FirstCall for a replacement pendant The light will con tinue to blink until a n
12. not installed when required the alarm may not work 21 Questions and Answers Should FirstCall be tested Yes You should test FirstCall regularly Can FirstCall be installed with more than one telephone Yes but see the important information in the section Mode 3 Telephone Connection What happens if the power fails or during a black out The alarm unit will run for up to 70 hours on its internal battery If the NBN is connected a battery back up power supply must be provided for all NBN customer equipment Even then the NBN will only work for a few hours during a power failure What if set my alarm off by accident FirstCall can be cancelled while the alarm is sounding by pressing the CANCEL button on the Alarm Unit lam changing my telephone company Will this affect the Alarm Not normally If you are keeping your existing telephone line it should not affect the alarm What distance will the pendant watch operate over In most situations anywhere around the home and in the garden The pendant watch range will vary depending on the type of construction of the building and other environmental factors The range should be tested as described in the Testing section Also see the Notices section in this manual 22 lt 0 gt lt 0 Questions and answers continued Q Can use FirstCall in an electrical storm A Yes unlike your telephone there is no danger in using the pendant watch to call fo
13. nt watch and hold a hands free telephone conversation through the loudspeaker in the FirstCall alarm To answer a call press the pendant watch while the telephone is ringing You can pick up the telephone handset at any time during a hands free call to change from hands free to a private telephone handset call To hang up the call press the pendant watch again or pick up and replace the telephone handset Note If you need to use your alarm during a hands free telephone call you will need to press the pendant twice with each press at least 4 seconds apart 15 Voice Warning Messages The power is disconnected please check the power The FirstCall alarm will play voice messages from its loudspeaker if the mains power has been disconnected for more than 4 Hours Firstcall will also notify your responders if the mains power remains disconnected for more than about 6 hours FirstCall also plays warning messages if the telephone line is disconnected Firstcall cannot make a call if the telephone line is faulty so responders will not D 7 be notified about telephone line faults Warning messages are repeated every 4 hours but to avoid inconvenience are not made late at night How to Cancel Voice Warning Messages To stop voice warning messages press the yellow OK button 16 The Lights The Blue Telephone Line Light The Flashing Power Status Light The Blinking Yellow Pendant Bat
14. peak to you over the loudspeaker in the Alarm Unit Please do not pick up the telephone FirstCall will continue to make calls until one or two calls de pending on your instructions have been answered and correctly acknowledged Cong yatu lations You have now successfully installed and tested your FirstCall Please wear your pendant watch whenever you are at home or in your garden Please test your FirstCall alarm regularly We recommend testing about every two weeks 12 Pendant and Watch Triggers When pressed the pendant watch activates the FirstCall alarm The red light shows that the pendant watch button has been activated and a signal is being sent to the FirstCall alarm unit The pendant watch will normally work from around the home and garden Please see the information regarding the pendant watch range in the Notices Section The pendant watch is waterproof to International Environmental Protection Standard 12 67 but if you wear it in the bath or shower please be certain to very regularly check its operation Please do not leave the pendant watch in the soap holder The internal battery should last for many years If the internal battery is getting low the yellow light on the front of the Alarm Unit will flash see the section The lights on the Alarm Unit Contact FirstCall for a replacement pendant Note Watch triggers should be used with caution as an event which incapacitates a users other hand will ma
15. r help during an electrical storm However avoid touching the wires or the FirstCall Alarm Unit Only use the pendant watch After a severe storm it is always a good idea to test the telephone for dial tone and also test the alarm See Testing in this manual Q What happens if the telephone line is disconnected A FirstCall cannot work without a working telephone line The blue light will flash if the telephone line is cut and will extinguish after it is re connected There are other telephone line faults which cannot be detected See the Notices section in this manual 0 Will the pendant watch battery ever need replacing A Not normally The battery is designed to last for many years even if the pendant watch is used every day The battery is automatically tested every time the pendant watch is pressed If the red Call Activated light on the front of the FirstCall is flashing the pendant watch battery is getting low and you need a new pendant watch See section The Lights on the FirstCall Unit Contact FirstCall for a new pendant or watch Q What should do with the pendant or watch when I m in the bath or shower A The pendant and watch are designed to be waterproof to International Environmental Protection Standard IP 67 so they can be taken into the shower or bath However make sure you test the pendant watch very regularly and do not leave the pendant watch in the soap holder 23 Questions and answers continued
16. tery Light The Red Call Activated Light The lights on the front of the FirstCall alarm show the operational status of the equipment and if a problem has been detected The following pages describe what the warning lights mean and suggest a few things to try to solve a problem There are some faults which FirstCall cannot detect The lights are not a substitute for regular testing 17 Warning lights n Fite The Flashing Power Status Light This light checks the power to the FirstCall Alarm Unit Flashing Green OK Everything is normal Problem The mains power is switched OFF or is disconnected Check 1 The power transformer is pressed hard into the power point and the power is switched ON 2 The green light on the FirstCall power transformer is on If the green light is not lit the problem may be with the power point or the house power Use another appli ance to check the power point Problem The equipment is not working No Flashing Light Check FirstCall is switched on at the small recessed switch on the rear panel Also check items 1 and 2 above If the Power Status Light is still not flashing green call FirstCall for assistance 18 Warning Lights continued The Blue Telephone Line Light This light checks the status of the telephone line No Blue Light OK Everything is normal OK A Mode 3 connected telephone is off the hook or in use Proble
17. test Moisture The Alarm Unit is resistant to accidental spillage on its top surface only The pendant and watch is de signed to be waterproof to International Environmental Protection Standard IP 67 Do not put the pendant watch into a washing machine or leave immersed for long periods Do not leave the pendant watch in damp locations for long periods Do not leave the pendant watch in a soap holder Trade Marks FirstCall Gemini Companion The Caretaker CarePhone Life Alert Life Assist Safeguard Xtracare from Safeguard and Viconic are registered trademarks 26 Warranty Information The manufacturer of the FirstCall equipment VC International Pty Ltd VCI guarantees the product to be free from defects in materials and or faulty workmanship for a period of 12 months subject to the following conditions The warranty is effective from the date of original purchase from FirstCall Connect Pty Ltd FirstCall No obligation will exist under this warranty if the customer cannot provide proof and date of original purchase A record of payment is sufficient VCI will perform repairs or effect replacement at their option with no cost to the purchaser other than shipping charges to and from the service facility This warranty does not cover claims for normal wear and tear improper use or neglect electrical transient damage or fusion battery replacement acts of God or when the equipment has been subjected to unauthorised a
18. the power transformer comes on If the green light does not come on please check the power point is work ing by plugging in another appliance or a light Double adaptors and power boards should be avoided as they can be unreliable Extension cords can be used but position them carefully so they do not become a trip hazard Plug in the Telephone Connection The Alarm Unit can be plugged into new style or old style telephone sock ets The following pages describe how to connect the Alarm Unit to new and old style telephone wall sockets and how to then re connect your telephone g New style RJ 11 Al telephone socket 1 Old style 610 telephone socket M Green Light ICs Ll If your home has a new style telephone socket Continued Connect the Alarm Unit to the telephone line socket with the supplied telephone lead Connect the phone to this socket only E New style phone socket Refer to the diagram above Remove the telephone adaptor plug and plug the alarms telephone lead into the new style wall socket Plug the other end of the telephone lead into the socket on the rear of the Alarm Unit as shown The telephone lead is usually supplied already be connected to the alarm Plug your house telephone into the socket on the rear of the Alarm Unit as shown This socket may be masked off with a plastic cover which must be removed Pick up your telephone handset and check
19. there are times when due to network congestion fault conditions or other causes beyond our control the telephone calls may not be successful Portable cordless Phones Some portable phones DECT may interfere with the Alarm Unit and may reduce the range of the pendant watch The base unit for DECT cordless portable phones should be placed at least 300 mm away from the FirstCall Unit and the range of the pendant watch should be determined after installing the portable phone system Extension Telephones or Other Telephone Equipment If there are other pieces of equipment on the telephone line such as extension phones fax machines modems answering machines or any other device the telephone line should be wired in Mode 3 If the telephone line is not wired in Mode 3 an emergency call will not be made if any other telephone equipment is left off hook or is in use We advise the telephone line is wired in Mode 3 by a suitably qualified person The equipment will also work in Mode 5 25 Notices continued Range of Trigger Devices In most cases the pendant watch will operate around an average size home and garden however ra dio range can vary greatly depending on environmental and other factors It is very important that the radio range be determined at the time of installation by testing the pendant watch as described in this manual To provide a margin of safety do not rely on more than half of the radio range found during that
20. tton on the pendant watch or the Alarm Unit is pressed the Alarm Unit will call your family and friends and automatically play them a voice message requesting help Your family and friends will know who you are and that you need help and they may also speak to you through the loudspeaker in the Alarm Unit It is not essential for them to speak to you but if they can they can find out the nature of the problem and reassure you that help is on the way This equipment is designed and manufactured in Australia by VC International Pty Ltd VCi a design and manufacturing company which benefits from over 30 years experience FirstCall should give many years of trouble free service however there are things you need to know about the operation testing and potential limitations of the equipment Please read this manual carefully including the Notices section Life Support Policy The FirstCall Alarm System enables caregivers to provide an effective response system However the Alarm System is not a life saving device and cannot provide a guaranteed level of performance beyond what can be expected from technology of this kind The manufacturers of the Alarm System design equipment and systems of high performance and reliability The Alarm System employs extensive self testing and error checking techniques that minimise the risk of false or missed calls While the equipment is inherently reliable it can only perform it s function when operated
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