Since I am such a personal safety stickler, I was very happy to be approached by Great Call to test out their 5Star Urgent Response and share my findings with you. The 5Star Urgent Response is a small personal protection device that enables you to get in touch with a Great Call operator at any time of day. The operators can then call an ambulance, police, etc. if needed, or they can connect you with your emergency contact.
The 5Star Urgent Response utilizes GPS technology, so if you are out running in an unfamiliar area and have an emergency, they can locate you. Alternatively, if you found yourself out running through an area that made you feel unsafe, you could call and reach an operator who could contact emergency services or stay on the line until you felt safe.
The 5Star Urgent Response unit is actually very small and easily able to fit into a pocket or Fuel Belt. You can also clip it onto anything with the clip that is provided with the device. It is much smaller than your standard smart phone (see picture below), which I think is a nice advantage when running. I simply don’t like to carry a lot of stuff. The less space it takes up, the better!

Aside from using the 5Star Urgent Response while out running or exercising, I think it would be a great idea for kids. I don’t know about you, but I am really not looking forward to the day I have to get cell phones for my two boys.
By providing them with the 5Star Urgent Response, they have a way of contacting you if you forgot to pick them up or they got lost or any of the other things that could potentially happen. You could have the same benefits of a cell phone without having to get them one!
If you want to use this personal protection device yourself or for your children, you can use their locator tool to see where the unit is at any given time (I see great potential for this with kids!). I tested this out on my computer at home and it worked like a charm (I even had my husband use it to track my location when I was out with the kids- I think I probably shouldn’t have made him aware of this tool!).
I decided to test out the 5Star Urgent Response when I was out for a long run. My hip flexor was really starting to cramp up, so I pushed the button and called the 5Star operator, so that he/she could connect me to my husband. I needed him to come pick me up at a location that was not within walking distance of my house.
I simply pushed the button on the device and was immediately connected to a woman who identified herself as an urgent response agent. She asked me if my situation was an emergency, to which I replied that it wasn’t and described my situation. The agent immediately connected me to my husband’s cell phone. I would say that it was a little over a minute between pushing the button and being connected with my husband–impressive. The agent was also able to pinpoint my exact location!




The only con I can see with the 5Star Urgent Response is justifying the monthly fee of $14.99 when I already pay about $75 per month for my smartphone. Since we are a one income family, we have to keep a close eye on expenses. That being said, I think the device would be a great addition for anyone concerned with his/her own personal protection or that of their children.
Great Call provided 30 Something Mother Runner with a 5Star Urgent Response for a trial of 30 days for this product review. I was compensated for writing this review, however, all writing and opinions reflected in this review are my own.
coolness! I’ve seen/heard about it but not an actual review
we dont have smart phones in my household yet(single mom w/teen) but that looks pretty cool, especially for runs far from home in the parks, woods, etc..
going to bookmark their site.
It’s definitely a great little device for safety on the run or to keep track of your teenager! 😉
Good idea, but if you already pay a cell phone bill, it seems redundant. I like the size though. Thanks for the review!
You’re welcome Amy! I know–the size is a definite bonus versus my iPhone! 🙂