Inovonics New Duress Card is a Game-Changer for K-12 Safety and Security
Every second counts during an emergency event at K-12 schools. First responders need to react as quickly and efficiently as possible with the information they need to remediate potentially harmful events. Yet too often, precious minutes are lost piecing together critical information.
Panic buttons are a great security and safety solution for K-12 schools that can be deployed rather easily. Sometimes a mandate like the recently passed (but not yet federally mandated) Alyssa's Law drives the decision. Other times, it follows an incident. In either case, panic buttons are often selected more for speed of deployment than for fit.
Many K–12 schools employ fixed panic buttons or panels and cellphones to sound an alert during potentially dangerous situations. But all three options have significant shortfalls during emergency events.
K–12 schools and campuses can be large and are all distinctly physically different from one to the next. Schools are also busy, chaotic places. Teachers are in constant motion between classrooms throughout the day. Administrators walk the halls. Staff supervise outdoor areas, lunchrooms, gyms, and after-school activities. In some districts, that's all happening in multiple buildings every day. As a result, fixed, wall-mounted devices are not always within reach. These emergency notification solutions need to work where staff are, not just where hardware happens to be installed.
A Next-Gen Duress Notification Solution
Inovonics' new sleek and lightweight Duress Card is designed to be comfortably worn by staff throughout the day. If an incident happens in a hallway, on a playground, or in a shared space, personnel can request help without having to search for a fixed button. They're wearing it!
When the Duress Card is activated, it sends a wireless alert using Inovonics' proven EchoStream® technology. The signal is designed to travel through various types of building construction, ensuring that the alert reaches the security system quickly, even in larger or more complex school environments. This proven wireless technology also eliminates the need for hardwiring, extending coverage while reducing installation costs.
Alerts from Inovonics new Duress Card can also be configured to provide context, such as the type of incident taking place. Location information can also be included, so responders can see exactly where the alert originated and focus their attention right away. That reduces guesswork and cuts down on the time wasted searching for the source of an emergency.
Inovonics Duress Card is also engineered to connect to existing security systems. Alerts, location data, and context can flow into most existing security platforms without the need for complex custom workarounds. Rollouts to additional buildings also don't need to start as a new project.
The new Inovonics Duress Card provides K-12 schools with a next-gen panic solution that delivers best in class performance, wearability and cost-efficiency. It may be the best investment your school can make to better protect K-12 students and personnel.