Within seconds a map displays the current location of the subscriber -- who can be pinpointed to within 10 feet -- as well as the subscriber's picture and medical history.

A police dispatcher can then send the closest officer to the subscriber in distress.

The system can not locate someone unless the device is activated by the subscriber. "We're not in a big brother-type situation," says PSSI's John Pillow.

It will only work within a defined geographic area. If a subscriber is outside the designated area, the equipment will not pick up the signal.

Police in Highland Park, a small, affluent town completely within the city limits of Dallas, are testing such a system -- a personal 911 pager which, its makers claim, allows users to summon help from wherever they are.

"Smarty," as the wireless device is dubbed, is the product of Dallas-based Personal Security and Safety Systems, Inc.

The company plans to charge $20-$40 a month for the service, which could become available this spring and would not replace Highland Park's existing 911 system.

Smarty is not mace or a gun, but a pager-like call for help, says John Pillow, PSSI's vice president for technology. ( 249 K/06 sec. AIFF or WAV sound)

Pillow likens the electronic guardian to a personalized version of LoJack, an electronic device that silently alerts police to stolen vehicles.

"It's similar to what people have tried to do for cars; we've done [it] through miniaturization and patented technology," he told the Dallas Morning News.

Highland Park was chosen as the test site because it's considered the safest area in metro Dallas. There hasn't been a murder there in 10 years.

Even so, the village's 52-man force is technologically advanced. Patrol vehicles are crammed with electronics. Personal 911 alarms are another tool in their arsenal.

"If I can provide a quicker response, a more efficient response then it's going to discourage criminals from coming into an area that has that," says Darrell Fant, director of Highland Park's Department of Public Safety.

Correspondent Charles Zewe contributed to this report

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