Medical Alert Safety Certifications and Why They Matter

Are you wondering which medical alert company is the safest and best option for you or your loved one?

We have a tip for you: look for medical alert providers with the proper certifications. There are a variety of certifications out there, but they aren't required — so if a company has earned some or all of these credentials, this is a good indicator that the medical alert company has quality equipment and a trusted, reliable service.

Certified medical alert companies have gone through rigorous testing to ensure their devices and services meet the highest standards in terms of safety and quality. Medical alert systems are used to monitor and assist individuals in emergency situations, so there isn't room for error.

In this article, we'll give you a breakdown of the four most common medical alert certifications and explain why they’re important. We’ll also highlight a top-rated medical alert provider that has all four certifications, so stay tuned.

TMA Five Diamond Certification

The Monitoring Association (TMA) is a nonprofit organization that was formed to promote and maintain the highest standards of performance and responsibility among monitoring centers. The organization offers a Five Diamond Monitoring Center Certification program that sets the industry standard for quality assurance, personnel training, and emergency response protocols.

The annual certification includes five parts:

Agreement to random inspections
Commitment to quality customer service
Commitment to continual education and testing, including all monitoring operators getting certified with the TMA training course
Agreement to adhere to industry standards set through the TMA membership
Commitment to reducing the number of false alarms

This certification is important for medical alert companies because it ensures their monitoring centers, technology, and personnel are meeting the highest standards of performance and reliability.

Electronic Security Association (ESA) Certification

The Electronic Security Association (ESA) is a trade organization that provides training and certification for security professionals and companies. They certify companies with all types of products, including home security equipment and medical alert systems. This certification is important for medical alert companies because it demonstrates that the company is up to date with the latest security protocols, has the necessary qualifications and experience, and is able to provide a secure service to its customers. The ESA certification also guarantees that companies are in compliance with local and national security laws and regulations.

FM Approved Certification

The FM Approved credential is a certification that ensures a company's products are tested and meet expectations of "quality, technical integrity, and performance." The company has a worldwide process that they back with research and rigorous testing, including this five-step process found on FM Approvals' website:

Manufacturer request — This involves the manufacturer (or, in this case, the medical alert company) sending approval for a product. It includes all product information and the scope of work.
Proposal issue and manufacturer authorization — This step involves the FM Approvals organization sending a proposal letter to the client with additional information, such as cost estimates, required tests, samples needed, etc.
Review, testing, and first audit — This involves FM Approvals examining the products and conducting product testing to review quality.
Report, FM approved mark, and listing — This step is completed post-testing and includes sending the results to the manufacturer with the final report, approval guide, online resources, etc.
Surveillance audits — The last step requires that the manufacturer agrees to its facilities maintaining the FM Approved status, which includes surveillance audits.

This certification is important for medical alert companies because it guarantees products and processes meet the highest standards. As a consumer wanting a medical alert device as a safety precaution, you want to make sure the company's equipment is just as reliable as its service.

UL Listed Certification

Being UL Listed means a medical alert company has met the stringent requirements of Underwriters Laboratory, a global safety consulting and certification company. Companies must adhere to a variety of tests and regulations, ensuring that their products are reliable and safe for use by their customers.

The Underwriters Laboratory website says the following about its certification, "The process of evaluating a central station for certification, formally known as Listing, includes UL Solutions staff conducting an on-site examination of the monitoring station facility and operation for compliance with UL 827 and standards related to the category. If the monitoring station is applying for a full-service category, the evaluation will include examples of installed alarm systems. The results of the evaluation are detailed in a report."

Being UL Listed ensures the medical alert company's monitoring center is top-notch and 100% ready to assist emergency callers. Some emergency calls may be false alarms, but others may be life-threatening; a medical alert company's monitoring center should always be prepared and ready to assist because you never know when it'll be the latter.