Personal security system

1. A method for providing assistance to each of a plurality of users, each of said users having been enrolled as a member of a community, said method comprising receiving, at a server, a first communication from a first mobile device associated with a first distressed user from said plurality of users, said first distressed user having been enrolled as a member of a first community, said first mobile device being at a first location, said first location being associated with a first designated party for receiving emergency calls originating from said first location, receiving, at a server, a second communication from a second mobile device associated with a second distressed user from said plurality of users, said second distressed user having been enrolled as a member of said first community, said second mobile device being at a second location, said second location being associated with a second designated party for receiving emergency calls originating from said second location, said second designated party being different from said first designated party, in response to said first communication, causing said server to initiate communication with said first designated party wherein said first designated party is different from said second designated party, wherein said first designated party is designated to receive emergency communications from members of said first community, in response to said second communication, causing said server to initiate communication with said first designated party, displaying, to said first designated party, information characterizing said first distressed user, displaying, to said first designated party, information characterizing said second distressed user, in response to said first communication, sending a communication from said first designated party to said first mobile device, and in response to said second communication, sending a communication from said first designated party to said second mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving said first communication comprises receiving a communication initiated by actuating a dedicated panic button on said first mobile device, wherein said dedicated panic button is a button that has no other function, whether alone or in combination with other buttons, but to initiate a communication to said server, and wherein, upon actuating said panic button, said first mobile device initiates said first communication to said server.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said information characterizing said first distressed user comprises medical information associated with said first distressed user.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said information characterizing said first distressed user comprises vital information associated with said first distressed user.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying, to said first designated party, information characterizing said first distressed user occurs upon occurrence of an event.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said event comprises a lapse of a user-defined security period.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising receiving, from said first distressed user, a length of said user-defined security period.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising providing a graphical user interface on said first mobile device for receiving said length.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising providing a graphical user interface on said first mobile device to enable said first distressed user to prematurely terminate said security period.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising providing a graphical user interface on said first mobile device for soliciting information required to prematurely terminate said security period.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said first community is an institution having a campus, wherein said first location is within said campus, and wherein said second location is outside said campus.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said first community is a college.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said first designated party comprises a member of a campus police department.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising sharing, with a plurality of members of said first community, information indicative of a location of said first mobile device.

15. A method for providing assistance to each of a plurality of users, each of said users having been enrolled as a member of a community, said method comprising receiving, at a server, a first communication from a mobile device, wherein said mobile device is associated with a distressed user from said plurality of users, wherein said distressed user is a user who is enrolled as a member of said community, in response to said first communication, causing said server to initiate a second communication, wherein said second communication is a communication from said server to a designated party, wherein said designated party is a party who is designated for receiving emergency calls originating from users who have been enrolled as members of said community regardless of location from which said emergency calls originate, displaying, to said designated party, information characterizing said distressed user, and in response to said first communication, sending a third communication, wherein said third communication originates at said designated party and is sent to said mobile device.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein said designated party is not designated to receive calls based on a location from which said calls originate.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein said designated party is designated to receive calls originating from a specified location from distressed users, wherein said distressed users are users who have not been enrolled as members of said community.