#panic buttons

Cobb County, Georgia, approved nearly $50,000 to purchase the devices, which allow poll workers to quickly alert authorities in emergencies, ahead of the presidential election.

Aug. 16, 2024, 3:00 AM MST / Updated Aug. 16, 2024, 12:32 PM MST

By Jane C. Timm and Lisa Cavazuti

Officials in a key county in battleground Georgia are taking a new step to ensure election workers’ safety amid rising threats, equipping them with so-called panic buttons that would allow them to quickly contact authorities in emergencies.

The Board of Commissioners in Cobb County, a suburban area northwest of Atlanta, this week approved $47,250 in funding to purchase around 200 devices for election workers ahead of another heated presidential election this fall.

The panic buttons are being sold by Runbeck Election Services, an Arizona-based company that prints ballots and sells election equipment, including printers, to counties across the country, through a partnership with the Ohio-based security company Response Technologies. The devices are roughly the size of a credit card and can be worn on lanyards or tucked in pockets. They pair with users’ cellphones to dispatch GPS locations to the authorities when activated.

Coffee shops are an often-overlooked location for workplace violence. Because coffee shop workers work with people from many walks of life, an incident response plan is a must. For this reason, a panic button from CRS Notify would be an essential supplement for any incident response plan.

Why Use a Panic Button in a Coffee Shop?

The reason for this is two-fold. First off, a coffee shop could have many people working in one place, or it could have just a few. Either way, the threat of workplace violence is paramount in this kind of situation, whether it is a co-worker dispute or an active gunman making their way into the vicinity.

Another reason to use a panic button for the coffee shop is in case of threats. We, unfortunately, hear of dangers of this kind of nature every day. It is sometimes hard to tell which threats are real and which threats are empty. For this reason, the use of a panic button from CRS Notify is essential.

The CRS Notify panic button for coffee shop connects directly to 911 via E911 platform integration. In other words, police are alerted immediately in the event of an alert being raised. This cuts down on the response time when seconds matter the most in an emergency.

What is the Benefit of a Panic Button for a Coffee Shop?

One reason a panic button for the coffee shop would be useful would be to contact others within a short distance. Perhaps an employee feels uneasy about an unruly client on the phone. The employee could raise a low alert, letting colleagues know of the incident as it unfolds.

Another reason a panic button for the coffee shop would be useful would be in the case of imminent danger to staff. A high alert should only be raised if it is safe to do so. Again, the E911 platform integration dramatically cuts down on the response time when seconds matter the most.

How to Stay Safe While Working in a Coffee Shop

Unfortunately, threats at a coffee shop are a part of the job. There is no way to figure out a way to sift out the empty threats from those that are legit. An excellent way to help in this context is to keep up with every threat that happens. The use of low alerts from CRS Notify software would be beneficial in this kind of situation as well.

An incident response plan should also be in place. What should staff do in case of a threat over the phone? Should they raise a low alert, alerting a supervisor to the situation? Or should they keep up with a list of these situations? What about in case of an active gunman? Should the coffee shop staff shelter in place, or should they make their way out the door?

A panic button from CRS Notify would definitely help in this kind of situation, but it is useless if the staff does not know how or when to use it! For this reason, the panic button would be an excellent supplement to any kind of incident response plan.

Conclusion

In conclusion, a panic button for a coffee shop is an excellent addition to any incident response plan. The E911 platform integration dramatically cuts down on response time during an emergency when seconds matter the most. The CRS Notify panic button for the coffee shop will help anyone in the who works in a coffee shop feel safe while doing their everyday job.

Still Unsure About a Panic Button?

Contact us for more information to make the best decision for your panic button.

New Post has been published on https://www.stl.news/apnewsbreak-maids-ask-las-vegas-hotels-panic-buttons/73964/

APNewsBreak: Maids to ask Las Vegas hotels for panic buttons

LAS VEGAS/January 24, 2018 (AP)(STL.News) —The union representing tens of thousands of hotel workers in Las Vegas will ask casino-resort operators to give every housekeeper a “panic button” as it begins negotiating new contracts amid the #MeToo movement against sexual misconduct.

Leaders of the Culinary Union will bring the request to the bargaining table next month on behalf of the more than 14,000 housekeepers who work on the Las Vegas Strip and the destination’s downtown area. The push is in line with ordinances recently approved in other cities that provide hotel workers with some protections.

“We want safety for all the workers,” Geoconda Argüello-Kline, the union’s secretary-treasurer, told The Associated Press. “We want to have some language in the contract to protect more the people who work inside the hotels. … We know what’s going on with sexual harassment. No woman should have to go through that.”

The union declined to provide figures related to threatening situations that housekeepers have faced in recent years while working at Las Vegas hotels. Court records show some housekeepers have been brutally attacked in the past.

Authorities accused a 22-year-old man of sexually assaulting a housekeeper who was cleaning a bathroom in 2016 at the Boulder Station hotel-casino. Police said the man stormed the room, punched the woman in the face, closed the doors and assaulted her. The victim told police that she yelled, but the man only hit her harder.

A 19-year-old man was arrested in 2011 after a 65-year-old housekeeper was punched in the face and sexually assaulted inside a room at Bally’s.

In New York City, housekeepers at unionized hotels have been carrying panic buttons — wireless devices that alert managers if they are attacked — since 2013. The move was in response to a union effort after a maid accused Dominique Strauss-Kahn, then-leader of the International Monetary Fund, of sexual assault.

Following the lead of voters in Seattle in 2016, the Chicago City Council passed an ordinance in October requiring hotels to provide panic buttons to workers by next summer if they work alone in guest rooms.

In Las Vegas, the contracts of 50,000 union members, including housekeepers, cooks, bartenders and food and cocktail servers, expire at midnight May 31. The bulk of people work at properties downtown and on the Strip, including those operated by MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment.

MGM Resorts in a statement on Wednesday said “workplace safety is a top priority” and will work with the union to equip housekeepers at all of its Las Vegas resorts with panic buttons in the coming months. Meanwhile, Caesars Entertainment in a statement said it is working with the union “to develop pilot programs that explore how technology can enhance employee safety.”

The average hourly wage of union workers is $23, including benefits such as premium-free health care, a pension and a 401(k) retirement savings plan and $25,000 down-payment assistance for first-time homebuyers.

Argüello-Kline said the group will negotiate with companies to protect existing benefits, increase wages, protect job security against the increasing adoption of technology at hotel-casinos, and strengthen language against sexual harassment.

“It’s not like the recession anymore,” Argüello-Kline said. “The economy is better. … We want the companies to be successful and grow, and we want the workers to have the right share from the company and the fair share, too.”

Casinos on the Strip earned a profit of $814 million during the fiscal year that ended June 30, according to data from the Nevada Gaming Control Board. That represented a 191.4 percent increase compared with 2016. It was the second fiscal year in a row that the Strip saw income gains after a streak of seven consecutive net losses.

Casino operators agreed to raise wages during the last round of negotiations in 2013 as the city was coming out of the recession. MGM Resorts, for example, agreed to pay employees an extra 35 cents per hour in the first year of the contract, 50 cents more in the second year and an additional 55 cents in the third. It also agreed to later negotiate increases for the fourth and fifth years.

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By REGINA GARCIA CANO, by Associated Press – published on STL.News by St. Louis Media, LLC (Z.S)

The power of a panic button is becoming more in demand than ever before. A panic button is becoming increasingly helpful during an emergency. Along with an incident response plan, a panic button from CRS Notify would be essential during a crisis.

What Makes a Panic Button Stand Out?

Alert notification systems help anyone who feels threatened. For example, recent attacks in schools and office settings have set off the need for duress buttons. In general, traditional panic buttons only notify one responder. Responders are alerted to a crisis within moments with a panic button from CRS Notify. CRS Notify emergency buttons bypass typical alert notification systems that take several critical minutes just to be notified.  Seconds can seem like an eternity for the person needing assistance.

The CRS Notify panic button system instantly activates the emergency notification system. Multiple people, regardless of location, can receive alerts instantly. Upon panic button activation, authorities automatically receive a signal. This completely bypasses the security company during a time when seconds matter the most. The program also has an internal communication chat room which allows constant communication to take place during an ongoing crisis. The technology for CRS Notify panic button system is a cloud-based emergency button that is revolutionary with frequent and affordable updates to the software program. Built by a first responder who felt that notification time should be rapid to reduce response time significantly.

Technology Panic Buttons Over Traditional Notification Systems?

Traditional notification systems often become outdated relatively quickly. These types of notification systems can be rather expensive to install. The construction alone can disrupt daily activities and decrease productivity within your facility. Furthermore, these traditional panic buttons do not offer free system updates or rapid mass notification. These small details could leave you with a system that renders your facility vulnerable.

Meanwhile, technology-based panic buttons are most often able to adapt to your security needs. Computer-based panic buttons systems, when incorporated into an active crisis incident response plan can save lives. Also, these wireless panic button programs are always evolving, while striving to increase workplace safety. Security panic buttons are rather inexpensive, which will not drain your company budget. Saving money is always a plus for every company.

Conclusion

In closing, tech-based panic buttons can be used in just about every industry –  from schools, churches, gas stations, government agencies and more. A panic button is also a good candidate for a business that is geographically isolated. According to OSHA, nearly 2 million American workers reported being a victim of workplace violence each year. No one is immune to workplace violence; a tech-based panic button will help decrease the odds of becoming a victim.

Still Unsure About a Panic Button?

Contact us for more information to make the best decision for your panic button.

Advertising firms are often overlooked places of workplace violence. Advertisement firms see many different kinds of clients. There is no way for employees of advertising firms to know how clients will react to any given situation. For this reason, it is essential for a computer panic button in advertising firms to supplement any incident response plan in an advertising firm.

Why Use a Computer Panic Button for Advertising Firms?

The reason for this is two-fold. First off, depending on the different offerings of the firm, an advertising firm can have many people working in one place, or they could have just a few. Either way, the threat of workplace violence is paramount in this kind of situation, whether it is a co-worker dispute or an active gunman making their way into the building.

Another reason to use a computer panic button for advertising firms is in case of imminent danger to staff and clients. Advertising firms see all kinds of clients from many different kinds of businesses. Employees from advertising firms cannot always know how clients will react to any kind of situation. A panic button from CRS Notify would be an excellent addition to an advertising firm for this very reason.

Advertising firms have come under a lot of scrutinies these days because certain ads could be represented as sexism. Even though this may not necessarily be the case, there are always critics out there ready to make their voices heard.

The CRS Notify computer panic button for advertising firms is directly connected to 911 via E911 platform integration. In other words, police are alerted immediately in the event of an alert being raised. This cuts down on the response time when seconds matter the most in an emergency.

What is the Benefit of a Computer Panic Button for Advertising Firms?

One reason a computer panic button for advertising firms would be useful would be to contact others within a short distance. Perhaps an advertising firm employee feels uneasy about an unruly client on the phone. The employee could raise a low alert, letting colleagues know of the incident as it unfolds.

Another reason a computer panic button for advertising firms would be useful would be in the case of imminent danger to staff. A high alert should only be raised if it is safe to do so. Again, the E911 platform integration dramatically cuts down on the response time when seconds matter the most.

How to Keep Safe While Working in an Advertising Firm

Unpredictable clients are the norm for advertising firms. Because employees cannot always predict how people will react, they should have a plan in place on how to handle the tough situations.

An incident response plan should also be in place. What should staff do in case of a threat over the phone? Should they raise a low alert, alerting a supervisor to the situation? Or should they keep up with a list of these situations? What about in case of an active gunman? Should the advertising firm staff shelter in place, or should they make their way out the door?

A computer panic button from CRS Notify would definitely help in this kind of situation, but it is useless if the staff does not know how or when to use it! For this reason, the panic button would be an excellent supplement to any kind of incident response plan.

Conclusion

In conclusion, a computer panic button for advertising firms is an excellent addition to any incident response plan. The E911 platform integration dramatically cuts down on response time during an emergency when seconds matter the most. The CRS Notify computer panic button for advertising firms will help anyone in the who works in an advertising firm feel safe while doing their everyday job.

Still Unsure About a Panic Alarm System?

Contact us for more information to make the best decision for your panic button system.

Investment firms are often overlooked places for workplace violence. Many people from many different walks of life walk into investment firms. There is no way for employees of investment firms to predict how a client will react. For this reason, it is essential for a computer panic button for investment firms to supplement any incident response plan in an investment firm.

Why Use a Computer Panic Button for Investment Firms?

The reason for this is two-fold. First off, depending on the offerings, an investment firm can have many people working in one place, or they could have just a few. Either way, the threat of workplace violence is paramount in this kind of situation, whether it is a co-worker dispute or an active gunman making their way into the building.

Another reason to use a computer panic button for investment firms is in case of imminent danger to staff and clients. Investment firms see all kinds of clients day in and day out. They cannot always predict how everyone will react. A panic button from CRS Notify would be an excellent addition to an investment agency for this very reason.

The CRS Notify computer panic button for investment firms is directly connected to 911 via E911 platform integration. In other words, police are alerted immediately in the event of an alert being raised. This cuts down on the response time when seconds matter the most in an emergency.

What is the Benefit of a Computer Panic Button for Investment Firms?

One reason a computer panic button for investment firms would be useful would be to contact others within a short distance. Perhaps an investment broker feels uneasy about an unruly client on the phone. The receptionist could raise a low alert, letting colleagues know of the incident as it unfolds.

Another reason a computer panic button for investment firms would be useful would be in the case of imminent danger to staff. A high alert should only be raised if it is safe to do so. Again, the E911 platform integration dramatically cuts down on the response time when seconds matter the most.

How to Keep Safe While Working in an Investment Firm

Unpredictable clients are the norm for investment firms. Because agents cannot always predict how people will react, they should have a plan in place on how to handle the tough situations.

An incident response plan should also be in place. What should staff do in case of a threat over the phone? Should they raise a low alert, alerting a supervisor to the situation? Or should they keep up with a list of these situations? What about in case of an active gunman? Should the real estate agency staff shelter in place, or should they make their way out the door?

A computer panic button from CRS Notify would definitely help in this kind of situation, but it is useless if the staff does not know how or when to use it! For this reason, the panic button would be an excellent supplement to any kind of incident response plan.

Conclusion

In conclusion, a computer panic button for investment firms is an excellent addition to any incident response plan. The E911 platform integration dramatically cuts down on response time during an emergency when seconds matter the most. The CRS Notify computer panic button for investment firms will help anyone in the who works in a real estate agency feel safe while doing their everyday job.

Still Unsure About a Panic Alarm System?