Badge-Based Blunders: Rethinking Panic Alert Systems in Schools

November 10, 2023
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In recent years, the prevalence of false alarms in schools has become a growing concern, posing significant challenges to school safety and causing unnecessary stress to students, staff, and parents. A striking example of this issue occurred at Preble High School in Wisconsin, where a staff member accidentally activated the school’s new alarm system, causing a brief but intense period of panic and confusion. This incident is not isolated; schools across the country have grappled with similar situations, underscoring the need for reliable and efficient emergency alert systems.

One False Alarm is One Too Many

The accidental activation of an emergency alert system led to another false alarm on November 9, 2023, this time in Wisconsin. A staff member had inadvertently pressed their badge-based panic alert button, signaling an intruder in the building and causing the school to be unnecessarily locked down.

The alarm lasted for two minutes before being deactivated, during which time the school was thrown into a state of alarm, disrupting the school day and causing anxiety for students, staff, and their families.

This community is not alone in their experience. In Florida, there have been several false alarms indicating active shooters, leading to school lockdowns and disruptions to the school day. In Georgia, a new safety feature that sends automated text messages to parents and students in the event of a lockdown has some parents concerned about the potential for false alarms and the trauma they can elicit.

Impact on Emergency Alert Accuracy and Reliability

Hardware-based panic solutions have a significant rate of false alarms. For instance, badge panic systems have been reported to have 10-20% of their alerts accidentally activated. This is a notable concern, especially when compared to software-based systems, which are designed to minimize accidental activations and improve the accuracy of emergency alerts.

The high frequency of false alarms in hardware-based systems impacts their reliability. These systems can lead to unnecessary lockdowns and disruptions, eroding confidence in the school’s safety plan.

Long-term Effects on School Communities: False alarms, particularly those mimicking active shooter situations, can have a lasting psychological impact on students, staff, and parents. This includes anxiety, depression, and PTSD, with the fear and uncertainty often lingering long after the event. To address these impacts, schools should provide counseling and support services. Prioritizing mental health and choosing technology that minimizes false alarms are essential steps in supporting the wellbeing of school communities.
Financial Costs of False Alarms: The financial implications of false alarms include emergency response costs and productivity loss. Additionally, the investment in hardware-based systems can be substantial. For example, a badge-based system in a Louisiana school district cost $2.3 million, and the system in Wisconsin cost the district $1.8 million with an annual maintenance fee of over $325,000 after five years. One board member questioned the badge-based system’s value, given the cost is over $40,000 per school.

Software-Based Solutions Designed to Prevent False Alarms

School safety and security present complex and ever-evolving challenges—and preventing false alarms adds to those challenges.

“Prior to accepting my position as Safety Administrator at Calallen, I had been a police officer for 14 years. I was involved in a lot of school safety drills, but none were as efficient as what I see with Raptor Emergency Management. It brings more structure and more order, and it also helps our staff better learn the drills—which reduces human error during an emergency.” John Garcia, Safety Administrator at Calallen Independent School District

Hardware-based solutions with badges and receivers create opportunities for false alarms. Not only can they be accidentally activated by staff, but they can also be activated (intentionally or otherwise) by non-authorized people such as students.

App-based solutions like Raptor Alert, in contrast, provide:

A slide button within the app to trigger alerts—which reduces the chances of accidental activation.
Second level protection against Raptor Alert misuse with Face ID—so a student can’t pick up the phone and trigger the alert like they could with a badge.

Not only is Raptor Alert designed to prevent false alarms, it’s also a more cost-effective solution. With significantly lower upfront and maintenance costs than hardware-based systems and the flexibility of updates without replacing the entire system, Raptor is not only more financially sustainable but also more adaptable to evolving safety needs of today’s schools.

“With Raptor, you have a partner that is willing to listen to what the real needs are and you have the ability to configure Raptor for your own needs. It’s not just a cookie cutter for every single district. Raptor is a flexible tool that can evolve and change as our needs evolve and change. It is a partnership. It’s a synergy.” Gary Lambert, Director of 21st Century Learning at Beekmantown Central School District