Are Panic Buttons the Answer to School Safety?

If you’re a school staff member, superintendent, safety coordinator, IT, etc., chances are you’ve run into an event where aid from first responders was needed. So what action was taken after? What safety plan was implemented?

Many find that panic buttons are the answer to quickly notifying personnel of an emergency situation, and sometimes that’s all you need. Sometimes it’s just a bully situation, or a student with a minor cut that needs stitches. Panic buttons provide a way for school staff to instantly send out a notification for help — but are they the answer, or just an answer to school safety?

If looking for an option for emergency response is a first-time experience, then panic buttons are a good start, but they are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of available technology. In order to prepare for every event, accurate and instant communication is vital to success in crisis response. Imagine a teacher effectively relaying to their security officer that they’ve spotted a person with a gun on the second floor in room 207. Would a single push of a panic button accurately show that information? — no.

There’s many devices that can enhance your district’s security and communication. In most cases, it’s a combination of multiple pieces such as cameras, panic buttons, smart locks, metal detectors, fire detectors, etc., all working symbiotically to send and receive data as quickly as possible, so that you can respond to any crisis as quickly as possible.

Communication is the key to campus safety success. Devices that enable your entire staff to have two-way communication, relaying clear and reliable information during a crisis is the difference between quick response time, or not receiving help in time.

So how do we add a layer, meaning school staff and SOs, to first responder communication, while keeping the ease-of-use and simplicity of a panic button? Most panic buttons are only indicating that there’s a panic level event at a specific location, but we lose the real-time, continuous updated information and communication performance of push-to-talk (PTT) devices. Today, we have access to both. A panic button with two-way communication that enables a staff member to give vital information, and tell the first-responders exactly what they need bring with them. The SD7 by Siyata, paired with CrisisGo under the hood, makes all other panic buttons obsolete and equips your staff with the most cutting-edge, two-way PTT device. This next-gen panic button opens the door to what your district can do with CrisisGo.

CrisisGo has all the tools you need to implement the communication you’ve been looking for. A full suite software solution, integrated with all your safety and security devices to create an advanced, fully equipped safety ecosystem is the next step beyond just your standard panic button. Enabling your entire safety team and school staff with the best tools for crisis management is the answer you’ve been looking for.

Interested in equipping your district with life-saving communication tools to enhance safety and communication? Check out the latest with CrisisGo here!