Wearable Panic Buttons in Schools: 7 Lessons From One District’s Experience

Wearable panic buttons are often discussed in the context of active shooter response and state laws requiring schools to provide employees with a way to quickly summon help during an emergency.

But the experience of one Illinois high school shows that the value of the technology can extend well beyond preparing for a worst-case scenario.

Limestone Community High School Superintendent Keith Brown told School Security Leadership that distinction has been one of the biggest lessons since the district implemented wearable panic buttons.

“While everyone naturally thinks about active threats or lockdowns, the reality is that the wearable badges have become an invaluable tool for responding to medical emergencies, behavioral incidents, student crises, and situations where staff simply need immediate assistance,” Brown said.

Limestone uses the CENTEGIX CrisisAlert system, which provides employees with wearable badges they can use to request assistance or initiate an emergency response. Brown's experience offers several lessons for school leaders considering panic buttons and other emergency alert technology.

1. Think Beyond the Worst-Case Scenario

When Brown began looking at wearable panic buttons, active threat response was certainly part of the conversation. He had been researching wearable alert systems for several years as discussions surrounding Alyssa's Law gained momentum. His interest intensified after the September 2024 shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia, where school resource officers credited the CENTEGIX CrisisAlert system with helping communicate the emergency and its location.

Brown was also dealing with a much more routine challenge at Limestone. The large, spread-out high school campus had been experiencing escalating student behaviors, including physical altercations and aggressive behavior. Limestone had a seven- to eight-member response team distributed throughout the campus, but Brown wanted employees to be able to reach them quickly, whether they were dealing with a behavioral incident, medical emergency, parent confrontation, or another situation requiring assistance.

“When an alert is activated, there is a strong likelihood that one of our responders is already nearby, allowing us to reach many incidents within 10 to 30 seconds,” Brown said.

That everyday use became apparent shortly after implementation. During the first few months of the school year, employees used their badges during several medical emergencies. Brown said members of the response team arrived within moments, allowing trained personnel to assess the situation and take over.

“Staff were genuinely impressed by how quickly help arrived, and many commented that it relieved a tremendous amount of stress knowing they didn't have to manage an emergency alone while also supervising students,” Brown said.

2. Reduce Barriers to Requesting Help

Another consideration for Limestone was how quickly employees could request assistance during an emergency. Brown said the district considered app-based options but was concerned about the number of steps employees might need to take before sending an alert.

“In a crisis, asking an employee to locate their phone, unlock it, open an app, and follow multiple steps to initiate an alert introduces unnecessary delays,” Brown said. “In an emergency, every second matters, and I wanted a solution that eliminated as many barriers as possible.”

For Brown, that meant choosing a wearable device that employees could keep with them throughout the school day and use to discreetly request assistance with the push of a button.

“I wanted every staff member, regardless of their role, to have the confidence that they could alert our response team within seconds without having to search for a phone or navigate an app,” he said.

3. Give Staff Opportunities to Practice

At Limestone, training wasn't limited to explaining how the panic button worked. Brown said the actual training required to teach employees how to use the wearable badge took 15 minutes or less. Employees could activate the badge during training, allowing administrators to verify that the device worked and that the employee knew how to use it.

The district then gave staff opportunities to experience what would happen after an alert. During a school improvement day, Limestone conducted demonstrations of several emergency scenarios so employees could see and hear how the alerts worked and observe how the administrative response team would respond.

Limestone also partnered with local law enforcement and first responders for multiple lockdown drills using the system.

“Those exercises not only validated our procedures but also strengthened the partnership between the school and our emergency responders,” Brown said. “I believe our staff appreciated seeing that we were committed not only to purchasing a safety solution but also to implementing it thoughtfully and ensuring everyone understood their role.”

4. Integrate Technology with Existing Emergency Procedures

Limestone had already been working to align its emergency procedures with The “I Love U Guys” Foundation's Standard Response Protocol (SRP), which Brown said is also used by schools throughout the surrounding region. Consistency in emergency language and procedures was important to the district.

Brown said the CENTEGIX system reinforces the same SRP terminology through several types of notifications. Alert strobes display the corresponding SRP color, audible announcements provide instructions using SRP language, and messages appear on staff computers with directions and reminders about the appropriate response.

Administrators also received training and worked through how alerts should fit into the district's existing protocols and response procedures.

“Having a system that reinforces the same terminology through visual, audible, and digital communication helps reduce confusion during a crisis and ensures that staff and students receive consistent, recognizable instructions regardless of the situation,” Brown said.

That same emphasis on evaluating how new technology fits into a larger school safety strategy is playing out in Virginia, where a new version of Alyssa's Law took effect July 1.

The law allows school boards to provide employees with wearable panic alarms, but some districts are taking time to evaluate the technology before making an investment. Goochland County Public Schools Superintendent Andy Armstrong told WWBT that the district is considering wearable alarms alongside other safety measures and plans to seek input from a Safe Schools Task Force that includes school officials, community members, law enforcement, and elected officials.

Armstrong also cautioned that districts should not view technology as a replacement for training, describing it as one component of a larger school safety strategy.

5. Consider Staff Confidence, Morale, and Retention

Brown said one of the effects he has noticed is more difficult to quantify: how employees feel knowing they can quickly request assistance.

“When employees know that help is only a button press away, they approach challenging situations with greater confidence,” he said.

That became particularly noticeable when employees began using the badges during real incidents. Brown said staff members told administrators they felt less stress knowing they would not have to handle an emergency alone while simultaneously supervising students.

Brown also believes the district's commitment to school safety has become part of its employee value proposition.

“People want to work in an environment where they feel safe, supported, and equipped with the tools they need to be successful,” Brown said.

6. Use Alert Data to Identify Patterns

Limestone has also found value in what happens after an alert is resolved. Brown said administrators can review response data to see how quickly the team responds to different incidents and identify trends that might otherwise be difficult to recognize.

“We can track how quickly our team responds to different types of incidents, identify trends, and continuously look for ways to improve our procedures and deployment of personnel,” he said. “Rather than relying on anecdotal information, we now have meaningful data that helps us make informed decisions.”

One example involved a restroom that was generating multiple alerts during lunch periods. After administrators identified the pattern, Limestone adjusted supervision and response strategies in that area. Brown said the problem stopped.

“Ultimately, technology has shifted us from being primarily reactive to being both responsive and proactive,” he said.

7. Avoid Attributing Outcomes to a Single Technology

Limestone experienced significant changes during the first year of its broader improvement efforts. Incidents of physical violence reportedly declined from 83 to 12. The school also saw improvements in attendance and graduation rates and reductions in dropout rates. Brown, however, is explicit about what those numbers do and do not show.

“I would never suggest that CENTEGIX alone was responsible for reducing incidents of physical violence from 83 to 12 or for the improvements we saw in attendance, graduation rates, and dropout rates,” he said.

Brown said those outcomes were part of a comprehensive strategic plan built around four priorities: safety, academics and achievement, school culture, and family and community partnerships.

He believes the alert system contributed to that work by allowing employees to request assistance sooner and administrators to intervene earlier, particularly during behavioral incidents. However, he views it as one component of a much larger effort.

“Those outcomes were the result of intentional leadership, dedicated staff, strong relationships, and a district-wide commitment to continuous improvement,” Brown said.

Be Proactive Before a Crisis

Brown said his experience has reinforced the importance of acting proactively rather than waiting for a serious incident to expose weaknesses in a school's safety systems.

“Too often, safety improvements are considered only after something happens. The reality is that we have a responsibility to anticipate needs, identify vulnerabilities, and invest in solutions that empower our staff before an emergency occurs," Brown said. “A strong safety culture is built through preparation, communication, training, and providing employees with the tools they need to be successful."