Home automation systems can certainly make life easier for you, saving you time, money and creating conveniences. But did you know that your system could possibly help save your life?
Take a look at what Vivint, one of the largest home automation companies in North America, did for customer Jim Schneider from Pittsburg, Kansas during the recent tornado disaster in Joplin, MO:
Vivint customer Jim Schneider escaped the wrath of the tornado, but experienced the benefits of the company’s free tornado alert service first hand. Schneider was taking a shower when he heard his Vivint alarm go off.
“I was puzzled because I hadn’t set the alarm so I ran to the panel in a bathrobe to see what was up,” he said.
Schneider’s Vivint Go! Control panel was alerting him that a tornado warning had been issued for his area. At first he was confused, because the neighborhood tornado warning sirens were not sounding, which always happened when a warning had been issued. He quickly got dressed and went outside to look at the sky. At that moment, the neighborhood sirens went off.
“It must have been over five minutes from the time my Vivint system warned me of the tornado and when the neighborhood sirens finally went off,” he said. “That is precious time when you are trying to get your family to safety during a killer tornado.”
Schneider continued: “My Vivint system proved to me right then that there isn’t a more valuable thing to have in our home to protect my family.”
More from the article:
Vivint Tornado Alert Service
Vivint recently launched their free tornado alert service for U.S. customers living in states most impacted by tornados, including: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee and Texas.
Over the next few weeks, Vivint will complete the process of automatically downloading the alerts to customers who have the company’s Go! Control panel. Once the application is downloaded, customers will start receiving the free tornado alerts. In addition, all new Vivint customers in the above mentioned states will receive the alerts as part of their service.
How the Service Works: Once a tornado alert has been issued by the National Weather Service, the information is relayed to Vivint customers via the Go! Control panel. A series of three loud beeps sound inside the home, and a detailed warning message appears on the wall-mounted control panel. The alert will continue every minute until the homeowner deactivates the warning, or until the alert is discontinued by the weather service.
About Vivint: Operating from offices throughout the United States and Canada, the company services close to 500,000 customers. Vivint is dedicated to enhancing security, convenience and energy efficiency. They do this through a combination of award-winning customer service and smart technology. The Vivint Go!Control panel creates a streamlined network that connects all of your home’s smart systems: security, HVAC, lighting, small appliances, video and others. The company has won consecutive awards from J.D. Power and Associates, as well as recognition from other internationally respected organizations.
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This is a phenomenal service Vivint is offering, and hopefully they’ll be able to expand their alerts to other types of predictable weather threats. I know if I lived in an area that was prone to tornadoes or other harsh weather, I’d definitely want this type of smart home system!
Do you have anything like this set up in your home? Has a system like this helped you in a similar situation? Give me a shout out below, I’d love to hear your experience…
To read the full article, click here.
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