Don’t panic over the button
We see them everywhere, from retail stores to banks to offices: the panic or duress button. I prefer to call it a “duress” button and not a “panic” button, as panic is never great in the business of life safety.
The buttons are often installed near a register, under a counter or on top of an employee’s desk in an office setting. Some are worn around the neck for medical reasons or carried on a belt. It is great to see them, but there is often a basic misunderstanding of what actually happens when the button is pressed.
Some people believe pressing the button summons law enforcement immediately. This is favorable but unlikely.
Some people believe the signal goes to an alarm company, which does something with it. This is common and unfavorable because there is a delay in the emergency sequence, and all emergency response is best with as few delays as possible.
Some people believe the button sets off a loud, audible alarm that scares the bad guy. This is hardly ever the reality.
If you have one in your workplace or residence, it is best to know what is going to happen when it is pressed. This can only be done through testing, so test it. Seek the cooperation of the alarm company or law enforcement before testing, but test it so you know what to expect. If the signal goes to an alarm dispatch center, staff call you to verify it was pressed and then contact emergency services after confirmation, this is a very slow process and not confidence-inspiring, but it could be your reality.
Make it better.
Train on the scenarios in which it would be prudent to press the button. The best guide here is to press it as the situation starts to develop and not when it is at full force. Don’t wait for confirmation of an impending danger. Listen to your intuition and make a decision, often on partial information.
Once you know how long it takes to get emergency services, work to create a situation in which you shorten the delay. Create a situation in which the button is pressed, the signal goes to emergency services and they prioritize that call over others. If your current system is always causing a false alarm, fix it today so emergency services do not associate your button with the proverbial little girl who cried wolf.
Lastly, have a real plan to protect yourself until law enforcement arrives or to treat yourself until emergency medical services can get to you.
Don’t assume anything here, and practice until it becomes second nature.
James Hamilton is a nationally recognized security expert with more than 34 years of protection experience. He is a former FBI Special Agent and created the close protection training for the FBI. He is the founder of the Hamilton Security Group and can be contacted at: www.hamiltonsecuritygroup.com
