Spectrum's Emergency Call Alert: Peace of Mind When Every Second Matters

Twenty-three years ago, on a gray Sunday afternoon in November, I came home from work to an empty house. My father's car was in the driveway, but he was nowhere to be found. This by itself wasn't a great cause for concern; my father's schedule was fairly unpredictable. So, I did what any 17-year-old would do - brushed it off and went about my business.

That night, I got a call on my landline. It was the hospital - my father had suffered a massive heart attack. They told me to get down there as quickly as possible.

Later, as I stood in the hospital room listening to the beeps of the machines and making arrangements for a memorial service, I couldn't help but think if only I'd been home or had known sooner, I might have been able to say goodbye.

If I'd had Spectrum's new Emergency Call Alerts feature activated on my landline, I could have.

During an emergency, being out of the loop for even a moment can have real consequences. Yet too many households have the same problem: When a loved one experiences a medical crisis or other emergency at home, family members may not know immediately.

With Spectrum's Emergency Call Alerts, residential and small business customers with Spectrum Voice can now designate up to five emergency contacts who will be notified if a 911 call is made from their Voice line that lasts more than 30 seconds.

The emergency alert contacts selected will receive a notification - either via text message or email, whichever they prefer - alerting them that a 911 call has been made.

This feature - a first of its kind in the market for residential customers - can be activated at no additional charge via Spectrum.net or SpectrumBusiness.net.

Across the country, families are at a generational turning point. There are more intergenerational homes, more scenarios in which an elderly parent or loved one might be caring for a grandchild. For these customers, Spectrum's Emergency Call Alert feature is more than a notification system - it provides peace of mind when it's needed most.