When school starts on August 11, everyone working on a Broward County Public School campus will be wearing a new layer of safety: a wearable panic button.
Staff members have had access to a panic button app on their phones in recent years, but this school year, the safety measure is going hands-free. The new device—worn on a lanyard around the neck—offers immediate access to emergency help whether inside classrooms or out on playgrounds. The technology is already credited with saving lives in a school shooting incident in Georgia, where staff used the same system to guide police quickly to the scene.
“Every teacher and every staff member will have a wearable panic button so whether it’s a medical emergency or active shooter situation, they’re gonna be empowered to press their panic button and if it’s an active shooter, it’s directly linked to law enforcement so they can get on the scene quickly as possible to take down the threat or triage any victims,” said school board member Lori Alhadeff.
Alhadeff led the charge for these safety upgrades by pushing for Alyssa’s Law, named after her daughter Alyssa, one of the 17 victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2018. Ten states, including Florida, have now adopted the law, which requires panic alert systems in public school classrooms.
BCPS is the first school district in Florida to offer three separate ways for employees to quickly notify first responders in the event of an emergency.
“Right here, we have the Centegix crisis alert badge, a new product that we’re looking to roll out this school year,” said Michael Gregory, Broward Schools’ security chief. The device resembles a credit card with a discreet button and will be worn by every school employee—including the superintendent.
“This is important, we want the quickest response possible if there’s an emergency on campus, we don’t want any lag time, lag time can equate to lives lost,” said Superintendent Dr. Howard Hepburn.
“The advantage is that no matter where they are, on our campuses, in classrooms, even outside on the kickball fields or basketball courts and playgrounds, they’ll be able to have a panic button around their neck,” Gregory said.
While active shooter situations remain rare, officials note that the panic buttons will most often be used for medical emergencies—where response time is just as critical.
