All about the Dark Water Panic App and Panic Button

Whether you are out hiking, cycling, running, fishing, horse-riding, farming, shopping or spending the day outside with your friends or family, the Dark Water Panic App and or Panic Button means help is at hand should you need it.

Benefits of the Dark Water Panic App and Panic Button

  • No need to dial a number or look-up a contact. With the press of a button, help is at hand. Within seconds you should receive a phone call from our call centre, who will dispatch emergency responders if necessary.
  • Rapid response. With smart technology, Dark Water Panic sends a direct notification of your GPS coordinates to the closest Armed Response vehicle in your area, expediting your call for help and limiting the need for human intervention.
  • No need to answer your phone.  Answering your phone in an emergency can be tricky, so if we can’t reach you we will send Armed Response to your GPS location.
  • Mobile response. With Dark Water Panic you are not limited to getting help in your home. Dark Water Panic will send the nearest response vehicle to your location, wherever you are in South Africa.
  • Access to South Africa’s largest Armed Response network. Faster response times from vetted Armed Response organisations.

Dark Water Panic Pricing

The Dark Water Panic App is available for R49 per month – this is an app on your smart phone

The Dark Water Panic Button is available at R1350 once-off. This is a standalone panic button that does not require your phone to be in range to initiate a panic. The panic button must be linked your subscription via the Dark Water Panic App.

The 6 month combo is R1599 – this means that you get one month’s free subscription to the app and it includes a standalone panic button.

The 12 month combo is R1799 – this means that you get three months free subscription to the app and it includes a standalone panic button.

If you take the combo, your subscription of R49 per month will commence after your 6 or 12 month period, as you will already have purchased your standalone panic button.

How does the Dark Water Panic App or Panic Button work in an emergency? 

Whether you initiate the panic through the app or through your button, an alert is sent to our Control Room. A Controller should call you back, within seconds, to confirm your emergency.

They will send you the emergency assistance that you need, depending on the type of emergency that you have. As soon as the Dark Water Controller receives an alert, an Armed Response vehicle is dispatched and will be on their way to your GPS location.  Armed Responders are only told to stand down if it is confirmed that they are not needed for the emergency.

You need to provide a password to cancel your request for emergency response, and if this password is incorrect, response will be dispatched.

Response times:

The response time may vary according to these factors:

  • The location of the incident
  • The time of day
  • The categorisation of the incident

Dark Water Panic Coverage

See our coverage map for areas covered in terms of the network of responders.

What does it cost you if an armed response vehicle is sent to attend to your emergency?

Nothing – there are no hidden costs.

What if Armed Response is not available in my town?

Dark Water Panic makes use of a network of responders and if there is no armed response in your area, we will still contact the SAPS (if we are unable to find a responder close to you) and we will dispatch an ambulance to you if it is a medical emergency.

Do I still need home security if I have the Dark Water Panic App and or Button? 

We would advise you to have both. When Armed Responders are dispatched according to your request for assistance, they go to the GPS coordinates where the alert came from (i.e. the GPS coordinates of your phone or your button). They will not be able to go to your house if you are not there. We therefore suggest that you get both the Dark Water Panic, and an alarm system linked to Armed Response in your home so that your valuables are protected when you are out. 

Other important things to remember:

  • Keep your panic button out of range of little hands. While we all love littlies, we need to ensure that our responders are available to deal with the real emergencies
  • Ensure that your panic button is charged. You will receive an SMS alert when the battery reaches 20% and another SMS when the battery reaches 5%. To test whether your panic button is good to go – press it down for half a second and if it flashes an amber colour, you know your panic button does not need charging immediately.
  • A maximum of 4 false alarms are allowed per annum, after which, charges will apply.