PanicHow PanicZA works
Everything below happens automatically once you send an alert — you never have to explain where you are, who you are, or what you need. Here's the whole journey, exactly as the app shows it.
Set up your profile — once
When you first open the app, you fill in your name, home address, mobile number, any medical information responders should know, and how many people live at your address. That's the whole setup.
Your profile is saved on your phone, not on a server. It travels with an alert only at the moment you send one — so responders arrive already knowing who they're helping and what to expect.
Responders use this information to find and assist you.
The home screen tells you you're covered
The status pills at the top show, at a glance, that your GPS is ready, you're online, and your area is monitored by a control room. Below them sits the alert slider — nothing to search for, no menus to dig through.
If any of those change — GPS off, offline, or an area no control room covers yet — the pill changes colour and the app tells you before you ever need to rely on it.
Need help right now?
Slide the button to alert the control room. They'll see your location immediately.
You can specify the emergency type after sending
Slide to send — no accidental alarms
Sending an alert takes a deliberate slide across the track, not a stray tap in your pocket. Let go early and nothing is sent.
While the app gets your GPS fix and sends the alert, the slider shows “Sending alert…”. After each alert there's a 60-second cooldown before another can be sent.
Need help right now?
Slide the button to alert the control room. They'll see your location immediately.
You can specify the emergency type after sending
Your alert is with the control room
The screen switches to PENDING the moment your alert lands at your local control room, with a live timer so you always know how long it's been. Your position streams to their map in the background — if you have to move, help follows you.
Slid it by mistake? “Cancel Alert” is right there — cancelling tells the control room to stand down. Keep the app open while an alert is active.
Control room has been notified
The control room will close this alert once the situation is resolved.
Add detail — if you can
Your alert is already sent; this step is optional. Tapping “Specify emergency type” lets you tell responders what they're walking into — car jacking, intrusion, robbery, medical, or fire — so the control room can send the right kind of help.
If you're not able to, skip it. The alert stands either way, with your location and profile already attached.
What is the emergency?
You'll know the moment help is coming
When a dispatcher acknowledges your alert, the screen turns green: DISPATCHED — Units are en route to you. Instantly, not on refresh. No wondering whether anyone saw it, no calling to check.
Units are en route to you
The control room will close this alert once the situation is resolved.
Closed out, automatically
Once responders have dealt with the situation, the control room resolves the incident. The app tells you — “The control room has closed this incident.” — location sharing stops, and the home screen resets, ready if you ever need it again.
Need help right now?
Slide the button to alert the control room. They'll see your location immediately.
Resolved
The control room has closed this incident.
Common questions
What information do I need to give the app, and who sees it?
Your name, home address, mobile number, optional medical info, and how many people live at your address. It's stored on your phone — not on a server. It travels with an alert only when you actually send one, so the responders coming to you know who they're helping.
What happens if I'm outside a covered area?
The “Area Monitored” pill on the home screen tells you upfront. If no control room covers where you are, the app blocks the alert and tells you immediately — before anything is sent — to call 112, 10111 or 10177 instead. It will never quietly send an alert that nobody is watching.
What if I have no signal or data?
The app checks connectivity before sending. If you're offline it tells you straight away to call emergency services directly, rather than pretending an alert went through. You'll always know whether your alert was actually received.
Can I set it off by accident?
It's hard to. Sending an alert takes a deliberate slide across the track — letting go early cancels it. And after any alert, a 60-second cooldown stops accidental repeat triggers.
I sent an alert by mistake — what now?
Tap “Cancel Alert” on the alert screen and confirm. The control room is stood down and the app returns to normal. No harm done — rather a cancelled false alarm than hesitation in a real one.
How do I know someone is actually coming?
Your screen tells you. The moment a dispatcher acknowledges your alert it turns green — “DISPATCHED — Units are en route to you” — live, not on refresh. Until then it shows amber “PENDING — Control room has been notified” with a running timer.
How do I know when it's over?
When the control room resolves the incident, the app pops up “The control room has closed this incident.”, stops sharing your location, and resets the home screen. You don't have to do anything to close it out.
Who responds to my alert?
Your local neighbourhood watch — the control room whose coverage area you're standing in. Alerts go to people who know your area, not a distant call centre.
Ready when you are
The app is coming to the app stores soon — and if you run a neighbourhood watch, you can set up your control room today.