WAVE Connected Technology:

Panic Button Service

Leverage in-building cellular or public safety DAS infrastructure to notify authorities of an emergency.

Improve Response Time with Early Alert System

Nextivity Public Safety and cellular DAS, which boost radio and phone signals inside buildings, also have the unique ability to support IoT devices and sensors such as panic buttons. This means that the communications network infrastructure you put in place to keep building occupants and first responders connected, also serves as an effective early warning system.

In an emergency, seconds matter – this is the principle behind Alyssa’s Law, the school safety legislation being adopted by states across the U.S. The goal is to alert law enforcement and medical personnel as soon as possible so they can effectively remove threats and triage victims quickly. And the more information they have when arriving on scene (i.e., situational awareness), the better emergency teams can coordinate their plans and respond appropriately. At the heart of in-building safety is reliable connectivity from proven technology.

The Nextivity Panic Button Service is an alert and notification solution that can:

  • Directly notify law enforcement of an emergency, as required by law in some areas (e.g., Alyssa’s Law)
  • Tie into a building’s existing emergency response platform, utilizing existing protocols (real-time alert integration)
  • Send emergency notifications based on customer requirements and/or local regulations
  • Support both wearable and mountable panic buttons
  • Remove cellular and Public Safety / LMR dead spots throughout the site, ensuring phones and radios work everywhere, all the time.

Panic Button System

The Nextivity Panic Button Service is offered as a Solution-as-a-Service (SaaS). It is an add-on to one of our world-class in-building coverage solutions – either cellular or Public Safety / LMR. The system replaces standard server antennas with Nextivity proprietary SMART SERVER ANTENNAs that transmit panic button signals back through the network to the building’s Emergency Response Platform. The Nextivity system uses an Edge Server to process the signals – it does not record or store data, alleviating any concerns about the privacy of building occupants.

Alyssa’s Law / Panic Buttons for Schools

Alyssa’s Law requires public schools to install panic alarms that are directly connected to law enforcement. The goal is to reduce response times so that law enforcement can quickly respond to threats and triage victims.

As the law is enacted state by state, there is variation in what is mandated vs. optional as well as the details around specific components of the system. Here are some of the basic elements being called for:

  • Silent Alarms
  • Emergency Lighting
  • Connection to Police
  • Panic Buttons, Panic Alert Devices, Wearable Panic Devices
  • Phone or Cell Phone in each Classroom
  • Two-Way Radio Coverage
  • Comprehensive Emergency Operations or Safety Plan
  • At Least One [system] in the School
  • Equivalent Systems Allowed
  • Wired or Wireless
  • Construction Guidelines
  • Certification of Compliance

Panic buttons, which provide the ability for teachers, administrators, and other trained staff to directly alert authorities and/or school officials, are key element of the Alyssa’s Law. Panic buttons will reduce response time, which in turn ends threats and gets medical help to the scene in the shortest time possible. Nextivity understands that TIME=LIFE and proudly supports Make Our Schools Safe.org (MOSS), both directly and through the Safer Buildings Coalition.

System Components:

CEL-FI QUATRA 4000c In-Building Coverage System

The capabilities of the QUATRA 4000c include gunshot detection and location capabilities. These capabilities help provide actionable information from inside the building to the emergency management platform.

SHIELD Public Safety ERCES for LMR and FirstNet Connectivity

Nextivity code-compliant, network-safe ERCES support WAVE Edge Services such as gunshot detection and panic buttons, and are a cornerstone of emergency response planning for schools and other public spaces.

SMART SERVER ANTENNA

The Nextivity SMART SERVER ANTENNA is a key component of the panic button service. Antenna features include:

  • Ability to detect Nextivity panic button signals.
  • Built-in application to identify location of the panic button. 
  • Privacy safeguards – no sound is recorded inside the antenna.
  • The ability for multiple antennas to simultaneously detect panic button signals, making the system highly accurate.
  • The ability to respond very quickly – only a short message indicating a panic signal was detected is sent to the Localization Algorithm.

Edge Server

An Edge Server is deployed at the building site and fully managed by Nextivity as part of the panic button service. The Edge Server is pre-loaded with a map of the building(s) and the location of each SMART SERVER ANTENNA.

Edge Server Functions:

  • The Edge Server receives signals from detected panic buttons through the SMART SERVER ANTENNA.
  • Inside the Edge Server, our Panic Button Application determines the location of the panic button signal.
  • The Panic Button Service then relays event information to the authorities or to the schools’ emergency response software platform, depending on site requirements.
  • The Edge Server can send SMS notifications to a list of emergency contacts, or texts to 9-1-1.

Contact an Expert

Get in touch with a Nextivity expert by filling out the form to the right. We are ready to talk no matter where you are in your journey. We’re happy to show you where we might add value, and if we’re not the right partner, we’ll tell you that, too.

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