Exhibit 10(c)(iv)

                              EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

                  EMPLOYMENT  AGREEMENT  dated as of  October  1,  1999,  by and
between  AMERICAN  MEDICAL ALERT CORP., a New York  corporation (the "Company"),
with offices at 3265 Lawson Boulevard,  Oceanside,  New York 11572, and FREDERIC
S. SIEGEL, an individual having an address at 133 Lagoon Drive East, Lido Beach,
New York 11561 ("Employee").

                              W I T N E S S E T H:
                              - - - - - - - - - -

                  WHEREAS, Employee is currently employed by the Company; and

                  WHEREAS,  the Company  desires  that  Employee  continue to be
employed  by it and  render  services  to it, and  Employee  is willing to be so
employed  and to render  such  services to the  Company,  all upon the terms and
subject to the conditions contained herein.

                  NOW,  THEREFORE,  in  consideration  of the mutual  covenants,
conditions and promises contained herein, the parties hereby agree as follows:

                  1.  Employment.  The Company hereby  employs  Employee for the
period beginning as of the date hereof and ending on September 30, 2000,  unless
earlier terminated pursuant hereto (the "Employment Period").

                  2. Duties.  Subject to the authority of the Board of Directors
of the Company,  Employee  shall be employed as the Company's  Vice President of
Marketing.  Employee  will  perform  such duties and  services  of an  executive
nature, commensurate with such position, as may from time to time be assigned to
him by the Board of Directors.

                  3. Full Time.  Employee  agrees  that he will  devote his full
time and attention to the business and affairs of the Company.  Employee further
agrees to use his best efforts to perform his duties hereunder.

                  4.  Compensation.  In consideration of the duties and services
to be performed by Employee  hereunder,  the Company agrees to pay, and Employee
agrees to accept the amounts set forth below:

                           (a) A base salary, to be paid in accordance with the
                  Company's normal payroll procedures, during the Employment
                  Period.

                           i)      $100,000 - 10/1/99 thru 12/31/99

                           ii)     $110,000 - 1/1/00 thru 9/30/00
<PAGE>



                           (b) Additional  Compensation - see enclosed Schedules
                  A.

                           (c) The compensation  provided for herein shall be in
                  addition  to any  retirement,  profit  sharing,  insurance  or
                  similar  benefit  which may at any time be payable to Employee
                  pursuant to any plan or policy of the Company relating to such
                  benefits, which additional benefits shall be made available to
                  Employee  on  the  same  basis  as  they  are  generally  made
                  available to other  executive  officers of the  Company.  Such
                  compensation  shall be in addition to any options which may be
                  granted under any stock option plan of the Company.

                           (d)  The   Company   shall   reimburse   Employee  in
                  accordance   with  the  Company's   normal  policies  for  all
                  reasonable  travel,  hotel,  meal and other expenses  properly
                  incurred by him in the performance of his duties hereunder.

                           (e) The Company shall  provide  Employee with the use
                  of an  automobile,  selected by Employee  with  consent of the
                  Company  and  leased  by the  Company,  with all  expenses  of
                  operation, such as insurance, gas, oil and repair, paid for by
                  the  Company  and  having  a  cost  to  the  Company  of up to
                  $1,000.00 per month.

                  5.  Vacation.  Employee  shall be  entitled to three (3) weeks
vacation each fiscal year, to be taken at such time as is mutually convenient to
the Company and Employee.

                  6.  Death.  In the event of the death of  Employee  during the
Employment Period, this Agreement and the employment of Employee hereunder shall
terminate on the date of the death of Employee. The estate of Employee (or such
person(s) as Employee shall  designate in writing) shall be entitled to receive,
and the Company  agrees to continue  to pay, in  accordance  with the normal pay
practice of the  Company,  the salary of  Employee  provided by Section 4, for a
period of one (1) year following the date of death of Employee.

                  7.  Disability.  In the event that Employee shall be unable to
perform  his  duties  hereunder  as a result of  physical  or mental  illness or
incapacity for a period of one hundred and eighty (180) consecutive days or an
aggregate  period  of more than  one  hundred  and  eighty  (180)  days in any
12-month period, the Company may terminate this Agreement after the expiration
of such period. Upon such termination, Employee shall be entitled to receive the
salary  in  accordance  with  Section  4  hereof  computed  up to  the  date  of
termination.

                  8. Non-Competition and Non-Disclosure.  (a) Employee covenants
and agrees that,  throughout the Employment Period and for a period of three (3)
years thereafter,  he will not, directly or indirectly,  own, manage, operate or
control, or participate in the ownership,  management,  operation or control of,
any  business  competing  directly  in the  United  States of  America  with the
business  conducted by the Company or any  subsidiary of the Company on the date
of termination hereof; provided, however, that Employee may own not more than 5%
of the  outstanding  securities of any class of any  corporation  engaged in any
such business,  if such

                                      -2-
<PAGE>

securities are listed on a National  Securities  Exchange or regularly traded in
the over-the-counter market by a member of a National Securities Association.

                  (b)  Employee  covenants  and  agrees  that,   throughout  the
Employment  Period and for a period of three (3) years  thereafter,  he will not
directly or indirectly  solicit,  entice or induce any person who on the date of
termination  of  employment  of Employee  is, or within the last three months of
Employee's  employment  by the Company was,  associated  with or employed by the
Company or any subsidiary of the Company to leave the employ of or terminate his
association  with the Company,  or any  subsidiary  of the Company,  solicit the
employment  of any such  person  on his own  behalf  or on  behalf  of any other
business enterprise.

                  (c)  Employee  covenants  and  agrees  that,   throughout  the
Employment Period and at all times  thereafter,  he will not use, or disclose to
any third  party,  trade  secrets or  confidential  information  of the Company,
including,  but not  limited  to,  confidential  information  or  trade  secrets
belonging or relating to the Company,  its subsidiaries,  affiliates,  customers
and  clients  or  proprietary  processes  or  procedures  of  the  Company,  its
subsidiaries,  affiliates,  customers  and clients.  Proprietary  processes  and
procedures shall include,  but shall not be limited to, all information which is
known or intended to be known only to employees of the Company,  its  respective
subsidiaries  and affiliates or others in a confidential  relationship  with the
Company or its respective  subsidiaries and affiliates which relates to business
matters.

                  (d) If any term of this Section 8 is found by any court having
jurisdiction  to  be  too  broad,  then  and  in  that  case,  such  term  shall
nevertheless  remain effective,  but shall be considered amended (as to the time
or area or otherwise, as the case may be) to a point considered by said court as
reasonable, and as so amended shall be fully enforceable.

                  (e) In the event that Employee  shall violate any provision of
this Agreement  (including but not limited to the provisions of this Section 8),
then  Employee  hereby  consents to the  granting of a  temporary  or  permanent
injunction against him by a court of competent jurisdiction prohibiting him from
violating any provision of this  Agreement.  In any proceeding for an injunction
and upon any motion for a temporary or  permanent  injunction,  Employee  agrees
that his  ability to answer in  damages  shall not be a bar or  interposed  as a
defense to the  granting  of such  temporary  or  permanent  injunction  against
Employee.  Employee  further  agrees that the Company  will not have an adequate
remedy at law in the  event of any  breach by  Employee  hereunder  and that the
Company will suffer  irreparable  damage and injury if Employee  breaches any of
the provisions of this Agreement.

                  9. Termination. (a) The Company may terminate this Agreement
without liability (other than for the base salary provided in Section 4 accrued
to the date of termination) in the event of (i) a material breach by Employee of
the provisions of this Agreement, which breach shall not have been cured by
Employee within sixty (60) days following written notice thereof by the Company
to Employee, (ii) the commission of gross negligence or bad faith by Employee in
the course of his employment hereunder, which commission has a material adverse
effect on the Company, (iii) the commission by Employee of a criminal act of
fraud, theft or

                                      -3-
<PAGE>

dishonesty causing material damages to the Company or any of its subsidiaries or
(iv) Employee shall be convicted of (or plead nolo contendere to) any felony, or
misdemeanor  involving moral turpitude if such  misdemeanor  results in material
financial harm to or materially adversely affects the goodwill of the Company.

                  (b) (Intentionally Omitted)

                  (c) After a Change in Control  (as  hereinafter  defined)  has
occurred,  Employee may terminate his employment at any time upon written notice
to the Company within six (6) months after he has obtained  actual  knowledge of
the occurrence of any of the following events:

                     (i) Failure to elect or appoint, or re-elect or re-appoint,
Employee to, or removal of Employee  from,  his office and/or  position with the
Company as constituted prior to the Change in Control, except in connection with
the termination of Employee's employment pursuant to Section 9(a) hereof;

                     (ii)  A  reduction  in  Employee's   overall   compensation
(including any reduction in pension or other benefit programs or perquisites) or
a material  adverse  change in the nature or scope of the  authorities,  powers,
functions or duties normally attached to Employee's position with the Company as
referred to in Section 2 hereof;

                     (iii) A determination  by Employee made in good faith that,
as a result of a Change in Control,  he is unable  effectively  to carry out the
authorities,  powers,  functions  or duties  attached to his  position  with the
Company as referred to in Section 2 hereof,  and the  situation  is not remedied
within  thirty  (30) days after  receipt by the  Company of written  notice from
Employee of such determination;

                     (iv) A  breach  by the  Company  of any  provision  of this
Agreement not covered by clauses (i), (ii) or (iii) of this Section 9(c),  which
is not remedied  within thirty (30) days after receipt by the Company of written
notice from Employee of such breach;

                     (v) A change in the location at which  substantially all of
Employee's  duties with the Company are to be performed  to a location  which is
not  within a 50-mile  radius of the  address  of the place  where  Employee  is
performing services prior to the date of the Change in Control; or

                     (vi)  failure by the Company to obtain the  assumption  of,
and the agreement to perform,  this  Agreement by any  successor  (pursuant to a
transfer described in Section 15).

                                      -4-

<PAGE>

                  An election by Employee to terminate his employment  under the
provisions of this Section 9(c) shall not be deemed a voluntary  termination  of
employment by Employee for the purpose of interpreting  the provisions of any of
the Company's employee benefit plans, programs or policies.  Employee's right to
terminate his employment  pursuant to this Section 9(c) shall not be affected by
his illness or incapacity,  whether physical or mental, unless the Company shall
at the time be entitled to  terminate  his  employment  under  Section 7 of this
Agreement.  Employee's  continued  employment with the Company for any period of
time less than six (6) months after a Change in Control  shall not be considered
a waiver of any right he may have to terminate his  employment  pursuant to this
Section 9(c).

                  (d)  After a Change  in  Control  has  occurred,  if  Employee
terminates his employment with the Company pursuant to Section 9(c) hereof or if
Employee's  employment  is  terminated  by the Company for any reason other than
pursuant  to Section  9(a)  hereof,  Employee  (i) shall be entitled to his base
salary, the additional  compensation  determined in accordance with Section 4(b)
hereof, and any bonuses, awards,  perquisites and benefits,  including,  without
limitation,  benefits and awards under the Company's  stock option plans and the
Company's pension and retirement plans and programs,  through the date specified
in the notice of  termination  as the last day of  Employee's  employment by the
Company  (the  "Termination  Date")  and,  in  addition  thereto,  (ii) shall be
entitled to be paid in a lump-sum,  on the  Termination  Date, an amount of cash
(to be computed,  at the expense of the Company,  by the  independent  certified
public  accountants  utilized by the Company  immediately prior to the Change of
Control (the  "Accountants"),  whose computation shall be conclusive and binding
upon Employee and the Company) equal to 1.99 times Employee's "base amount" as
defined in Section  280G(b)(3) of the Internal  Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
(the  "Code").   Such  lump-sum  payment  is  hereinafter  referred  to  as  the
"Termination Compensation."

                  (e)   Notwithstanding   anything  in  this  Agreement  to  the
contrary,  Employee  shall  have the right,  prior to the  receipt by him of any
amounts due  hereunder,  to waive the  receipt  thereof  or,  subsequent  to the
receipt  by him of any  amounts  due  hereunder,  to  treat  some or all of such
amounts as a loan from the Company  which  Employee  shall repay to the Company,
within  ninety  (90) days from the date of  receipt,  with  interest at the rate
provided in Section 7872 of the Code.  Notice of any such waiver or treatment of
amounts  received as a loan shall be given by Employee to the Company in writing
and shall be binding upon the Company.

                  (f) It is intended  that the  "present  value" of the payments
and benefits to Employee,  whether under this Agreement or otherwise,  which are
includable  in  the  computation  of  "parachute  payments"  shall  not,  in the
aggregate,  exceed  1.99 times the "base amount" (the terms  "present  value",
"parachute  payments"  and "base amount"  being  determined  in accordance  with
Section  280G of the  Code).  Accordingly,  if  Employee  receives  payments  or
benefits  from the  Company  prior to  payment of the  Termination  Compensation
which, when added to the Termination Compensation,  would, in the opinion of the
Accountants,  subject any of the  payments or benefits to Employee to the excise
tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code, the Termination  Compensation  shall be
reduced by the smallest amount necessary, in the opinion of the Accountants,  to
avoid such tax. In addition,  the Company  shall have no  obligation to

                                      -5-

<PAGE>

make any payment or provide any benefit to Employee subsequent to payment of the
Termination Compensation which, in the opinion of the Accountants, would subject
any of the payments or benefits to Employee to the excise tax imposed by Section
4999 of the Code.  No reduction in  Termination  Compensation  or release of the
Company from any payment or benefit  obligation  in reliance  upon any aforesaid
opinion of the  Accountants  shall be  permitted  unless the Company  shall have
provided  to  Employee a copy of any such  opinion  that  specifically  entitles
Employee to rely thereon,  no later than the date otherwise required for payment
of the Termination Compensation or any such later payment or benefit.

                  (g) "Change of Control" as used in this  Agreement  shall mean
the occurrence of any of the following:

                     (i) any  "person"  or  "group"  (as such  terms are used in
Section 3(a)(9) and 13(d)(3) of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
(the  "Act")),  except  for an  employee  stock  ownership  trust (or any of the
trustees  thereof),  becomes a "beneficial  owner" (as such term in used in Rule
13d-3 promulgated under the Act), after the date hereof, directly or indirectly,
of securities  of the Company  representing  30% or more of the combined  voting
power of the Company's then outstanding securities;

                     (ii) a change  in  "control"  of the  Company  (as the term
"control" is defined in Rule 12b-2 or any successor rule  promulgated  under the
Act) shall have occurred;

                     (iii)  the  majority  of the  Board of  Directors,  as such
entire Board of Directors is composed at the date of this  Agreement,  no longer
serve as directors of the Company, except that there shall not be counted toward
such  majority who no longer serve as directors any director who ceased to serve
prior to the date of a Change in Control,  for any reason,  or at any other time
due to his death, disability or termination for cause;

                     (iv) the  shareholders  of the  Company  approve  a plan of
complete  liquidation of the Company or an agreement for the sale or disposition
by the Company of all or substantially all of the Company's assets; or

                     (v) the  shareholders  of the  Company  approve a merger or
consolidation  of the  Company  with any other  company,  other than a merger or
consolidation  which would result in the combined  voting power of the Company's
voting securities outstanding  immediately prior thereto continuing to represent
(either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into voting securities of
the surviving entity) more than 70% of the combined voting power of the voting
securities of the Company or such surviving entity outstanding immediately after
such merger or  consolidation.  Notwithstanding  the foregoing,  any transaction
involving a leveraged  buyout or other  acquisition  of the Company  which would
otherwise constitute a Change in Control, in which Employee  participates in the
surviving or successor  entity (other than solely as an employee or consultant),
shall not constitute a Change in Control.

                                      -6-

<PAGE>

                  10. No Impediments.  Employee  warrants and represents that he
is free to enter into this  Agreement  and to perform the services  contemplated
thereby and that such actions will not constitute a breach of, or default under,
any existing agreement.

                  11. No Waiver.  The  failure of any of the  parties  hereto to
enforce any provision  hereof on any occasion shall not be deemed to be a waiver
of any  preceding  or  succeeding  breach  of  such  provision  or of any  other
provision.

                  12. Entire  Agreement.  This Agreement  constitutes the entire
agreement and understanding of the parties hereto and no amendment, modification
or waiver of any provision herein shall be effective unless in writing, executed
by the party charged therewith.

                  13.   Governing  Law.  This  Agreement   shall  be  construed,
interpreted and enforced in accordance with and shall be governed by the laws of
the State of New York  applicable to agreements to be wholly  performed  therein
without giving effect to principles of conflict or choice of law thereof.  . 14.
Binding  Effect.  This  Agreement  shall  bind and inure to the  benefit  of the
parties, their successors and assigns.

                  15.  Assignment and  Delegation of Duties.  This Agreement may
not be  assigned by the parties  hereto  except that the Company  shall have the
right to assign this  Agreement to any  successor in  connection  with a sale or
transfer of all or substantially  all of its assets, a merger or  consolidation.
This Agreement is in the nature of a personal  services  contract and the duties
imposed hereby are non-delegable.

                  16. Section  Headings.  The section  headings herein have been
inserted  for  convenience  of  reference  only and  shall in no way  modify  or
restrict any of the terms or provisions hereof.

                  17. Notices. Any notice under the provisions of this Agreement
shall be in writing,  shall be sent by one of the following  means,  directed to
the  address  set forth on the first  page of this  Agreement  or to such  other
address as shall be designated hereunder by notice to the other party, effective
upon actual receipt and shall be deemed  conclusively to have been given: (i) on
the first business day following the day timely deposited for overnight delivery
with Federal Express (or other equivalent national overnight courier service) or
United States Express Mail, with the cost of delivery prepaid or for the account
of the sender;  (ii) on the fifth  business day  following  the day duly sent by
certified or registered  United States mail,  postage prepaid and return receipt
requested;  or (iii) when  otherwise  actually  received by the  addressee  on a
business day (or on the next business day if received  after the close of normal
business hours or on any non-business day).

                                      -7-

<PAGE>

                  18. Unenforceability;  Severability.  If any provision of this
Agreement  is  found  to be  void  or  unenforceable  by a  court  of  competent
jurisdiction, the remaining provisions of this Agreement shall, nevertheless, be
binding  upon  the  parties  with  the same  force  and  effect  as  though  the
unenforceable part has been severed and deleted.

                  IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this
Agreement to be executed as of the date first above written.

                                          AMERICAN MEDICAL ALERT CORP.



                                          By:/s/ Corey M. Aronin
                                             ---------------------------------
                                             Corey M. Aronin
                                             CFO

                                          By:/s/ Frederic S. Siegel
                                             ---------------------------------
                                             Frederic S. Siegel
                                             Vice President, Marketing


                                      -8-
<PAGE>


                     FREDERIC S. SIEGEL EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
                                   SCHEDULE A

1. Commission on New Revenues:
     a.   Employee  shall  receive  sales  commissions  on  incremental   annual
          revenues calculated as follows:

          1.    1999 and 2000 - Employee  shall receive a 3% sales  commission
                on all  incremental  sales  above 105% of 1997  annual  sales,
                compounded by an additional 5% annually.

2. Commission on Pre-tax income - Employee shall receive .0375% of increased net
income above the base year of 1997. This commission shall be paid only if
pre-tax income increases year to year.

3. Stock Options - In accordance  with the Company's  1991 and 1997 Stock Option
Plans or other  option  plans which may be adopted in the future,  the  employee
shall receive stock options to purchase a number of shares of common stock equal
to 5% of total  compensation  paid during each  semi-annual  stock  option grant
period.  In  addition,  Employee  shall  be  granted  additional  stock  options
calculated as follows:

         Incremental Sales above 105% of 1997 sales, compounded by an additional
         5% annually - Additional  stock options  granted shall be equal to 2.5%
         of incremental sales.

                                      -9-