Gulf Coast State College Deploys Panic Buttons for Emergency Response

Florida's Gulf Coast State College (GCSC) has deployed fixed and mobile panic buttons to help ensure the safety of students and staff.

The school, with approximately 8,000 students and 400 staff members, chose to deploy Help Alert pendants from RF Technologies in classrooms and provide security and administrative personnel with the company's mobile alarms.

"If a Help Alert button is pressed, a silent, wireless alert is sent to the Florida State University Police, who can view alerts on police car laptops or on an Apple iPad," according to a news release about the deployment. "Software shows the location of the panic alarm, even if a mobile pendant is on the move, so security teams know where to respond and can implement security measures. Alerts are also immediately sent to department heads, college administration, and a county emergency operations center."

"The safety of our students, employees, and guests at Gulf Coast State College always comes first, and we have made significant improvements to our technology over the years to help alert people when necessary," said Jim Kerley, GCSC president, in a prepared statement. "The recent installation of RF Technologies' panic buttons in all classrooms and public areas is a welcome addition to our multi-layered approach to crisis communications. We are thrilled to work with RF Technologies and to be on the ground floor as we implement this new system for the first time in an institution of higher education."

About the Author

Joshua Bolkan is contributing editor for Campus Technology, THE Journal and STEAM Universe. He can be reached at [email protected].

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