DALLAS -- Clay Rankin is a decorated veteran of the war in Iraq. While fighting for his country, he was badly injured after slipping on a turret during a gun battle.
I jumped up there, slipped, hit my head on the turret, chipped my front tooth, cracked it, and when I came off the vehicle I landed square on a rock in the middle of my back, he recalled.
Rankin suffered a head injury and now has post-traumatic stress disorder. He uses a service dog to get around, but can't be left alone for long.
He has trouble even remembering to eat.
ADT donated a high-tech security system, and Rankin is the first veteran to use this technology.
It sure gives my wife peace of mind as the caregiver, he said.
The cameras can be monitored from anywhere in the world. All you need is a computer, smartphone or a tablet.
Helps my wife keep an eye on me while she's gone, Rankin said.
Now, she can leave the house for work and on errands without having to worry. The system can even be used to adjust the thermostat in the home from a cell phone.
Rankin's service dog, Harley, even fits into the system, trained to retrieve a special remote control.
Lori Stevens with Patriot Paws trains the service dogs. If he had fallen and hit his head ... the dog could have gone and gotten the phone, but couldn't call in it, she said. But with the security, they can hit the panic button and actually push those.
The same system can even be used for people wanting to monitor their kids or elderly parents.
But for Clay Rankin, the technology offers more freedom for him and his family.
E-mail rlopez@wfaa.com
