React Mobile Personal Safety App

Ever since I became a mom, my Spidey senses are on high alert at all times. I don’t look at strangers the same way.

Every person on the street is a potential abductor.

I see the danger in every situation.

The person tailgating me might crash into the back of my van where my daughter sits if the old lady in front of me decides to slow way down…

I’m always trying to think ahead to “what might happen.” I guess you could say I’m always thinking of the worst possible situation and hoping for the best.

I think every mom feels this way.

We’re all trying to protect our precious little charges with superhuman protection powers until they are old enough to fend for themselves. And then we still worry!

Needless to say, I’m a big fan of anything that makes my family safer in every way. I mean, I still make my elementary school aged daughter ride in a 5-point harness car seat even though she thinks she should be able to ride in a booster seat like her friends!

React Mobile, a Personal Safety App for Smart Phones 

Just this week I was introduced to a new safety product that I am excited to share with you guys. It’s an app that turns your smart phone into a personal safety device.

Most everyone I know these days has a smart phone of some kind. I’m glad that I can now turn something I have on me at all times into a safety device. It’s one of those things I hope I never have to use, but I’m glad I have it just in case.

Check out this video….If you’re a personal safety nut like me, once you see what it can do, you’ll be eager to download it, too.

How React Mobile Works

If you can’t view the video, here’s a summary of how the React Mobile family safety app works:

1. Alerts emergency contacts – With the touch of a button, it sends alerts via text message & email to your preset emergency contacts, pinpointing your GPS location.
2. 911 feature – After sending alerts to your emergency contacts, the app prompts you with a Call 911 button.
3. Other ways to alert others – You also have the option to have the app automatically post to Twitter and Facebook on your behalf.

I like that with one button, you can let others know you’re in an emergency. I’ve debated whether I’d have enough time to get my phone out, pull up the keypad, and dial my husband’s phone number in an emergency. Now I don’t have to worry about that.

I also like that you can subsequently call 911 with one touch.

And unlike weapons (gun, knife, pepper spray), it can’t be used against you in an attack.

Best Emergency App Feature – Using “Follow Me” in Unsafe Situations

I’d like to separately highlight what I consider the best feature to this app – the Follow Me option.

With Follow Me, you can set up a list of emergency contact(s) who will be notified any time you feel unsafe. They will receive an alert via text & email and sent a link where they can “follow you” virtually until you arrive safely at your destination.

When you arrive at your destination, all you have to do is click on “I’m Safe” so they will know to stop keeping tabs on you.

I can already think of a long list of situations to use this app. Here are my top five:

• Walking to my car through a half deserted parking lot after having dinner late one evening with girlfriends.
• Taking the kids to the park by myself (sometimes we’re the only ones there).
• Doing a late night Target or grocery store run after the kids go to bed.
• Going on a long road trip by myself or with the kids and my husband isn’t with us.
• Jogging around dusk / just after dark.

Personal Safety Issues & Stories of Crime Close to Home

Of course, a safety app like this is no replacement for awareness of your surroundings or perhaps a little pepper spray in your purse, but it’s a relief knowing you have any easy way to call for help if necessary.

Personal safety is a hot button issue for me because I’ve had the misfortune of being closely exposed to violent crime.

When I was working in corporate America, before I became a stay-at-home-mom, a woman who worked in my building was abducted from the parking garage across the street from the office after parking her car in the morning on her way to work. She was raped and murdered, found in a field a few counties away the following week. 

She was taken against her will and never made any calls for help. I sometimes wonder what would have happened if she had taken self defense training or carried a weapon of any kind. I’m convinced the outcome would have been different. I always imagined she had her phone with her and wondered why she didn’t call for help.

Everyone I know who was touched by this tragedy started taking personal safety seriously. Our company hired an after hours driver to take people working late (especially women) to their vehicles at night. We were also offered self defense classes. I even took a special personal safety class on my own after that, one where I learned escape maneuvers in case of an attack. I figured you can never been too safe.

Protecting Yourself Against Crime

If you’re interested in reading more about protecting yourself in dangerous situations, I found some resources about protecting yourself and your children from crime:

Protect Yourself from Violent Crime from the National Crime Prevention Council

Just Yell Fire – A young girl’s school project, turned cause. Fox News called it “the most important video your daughter will ever watch.”  I would agree. If your child is old enough to understand the concepts, I’d recommend having him or her watch the video.

Teaching Children About Appropriate Behaviors – Kidshealth.org offers sound tips for teaching younger children about strangers without scaring them away from all people they don’t know. This is great appropriate for teaching children in an age-appropriate way.