Which statement best differentiates Emergency Alarm from Emergency Call?

• A. An Emergency Alarm can be triggered without PTT; an Emergency Call requires PTT transmission.
• B. An Emergency Alarm requires PTT; an Emergency Call does not.
• C. They are identical.
• D. Neither uses communications.

Answer: (A)

Emergency Alarm and Emergency Call serve different safety signaling needs on the radio. An Emergency Alarm is a non-voice alert that can be activated without using the PTT microphone, so responders are notified even if the caller cannot speak or press the transmit button. An Emergency Call, on the other hand, is a live voice transmission that starts when someone presses PTT to talk to dispatch or another unit about the emergency. Because of that difference, the best statement is that an Emergency Alarm can be triggered without PTT, while an Emergency Call requires PTT transmission.