Patent ID: 8380160

Claim:
A communication system, comprising: first and second communication devices operating on first and second communication networks respectively and utilized by the same or co-located users, the first and second communication devices also operating over a personal area communication network, the first and second communication devices collaborating over the personal area network to reconfigure each other to operate in an emergency mode of operation in response to an emergency condition being detected by either the first or second communication device; wherein at least one of the first and second communication devices comprises an emergency detection feature for collecting emergency information and transferring the collected emergency information amongst the first and second communication devices; and wherein at least one of the first and second communication devices transmits the emergency information redundantly via a text message to members of a PTT talk group as new communication to a plurality of external devices operating over different networks; wherein reconfiguration of the first and second communication device emergency mode operating parameters are preconfigured by first and second embedded applications associated with the first and second devices; wherein a voice buffer is activated: by a push-to-talk (PTT) button, by an emergency button, operated continuously, or triggered by another emergency detection mechanism, the voice buffer for collecting voice communication and providing the collected voice communication via a text message as emergency information for dissemination amongst the plurality of communication devices.