This article originally appeared in the Jacksonville Free Press. To view the original article, click here.
School safety concerns continue to grow. So, in June 2020, Florida lawmakers passed Alyssa’s Law, requiring schools to put silent panic alert buttons in classrooms.
To ensure compliance with Alyssa’s law, two of the leading panic button providers – Raptor Technologies and Singlewire Software have recently partnered with RapidDeploy, which provides real-time info directly to emergency dispatchers. For example, if a teacher hits their panic button, first responders will get school floorplans right on their phone and directions to the exact location of the emergency so they can get there in a flash.
Despite this cutting-edge technology, there remains some confusion and misunderstandings about how these panic buttons work. To educate the community on school safety. RapidDeploy can share six myths and six truths.
For example here are three:
Myth: School panic buttons are most commonly found on the classroom wall.
Truth: School personnel can initiate a panic alert either using a mobile application on their phone or using a button that they wear around their neck.
Myth: When activated, a panic button will immediately set off a loud alarm warning.
Truth: Panic buttons have silent panic activation options. Silent activation can be crucial in scenarios where maintaining a low profile is essential for safety.
Myth: Even if a panic button is activated within a school, it is difficult for first responders to know what floor or even what building the panic button was activated from.
Truth: Panic buttons integrated with RapidDeploy can seamlessly incorporate indoor floor plans into emergency response protocols. This feature allows emergency dispatchers to visualize the exact location of the panic button activation within the building, providing responders with crucial information to navigate complex indoor environments quickly and efficiently.
