Why are hardwired buttons preferred over wearable devices in schools?

Hardwired buttons are consistently located, allowing staff to find and use them easily during emergencies. They avoid the operational challenges posed by wearable devices, such as battery issues and accessibility.

What are the challenges of using wearable devices for school safety?

Wearable devices require regular battery monitoring and replacement, are susceptible to damage or loss, and often need expensive infrastructure like cabling and gateways. These factors can lead to reduced reliability over time.

What do Matranga and Monsive recommend for school safety systems?

Matranga and Monsive recommend implementing simple, reliable safety systems that include essential hardwired panic buttons and modern IP-based systems to ensure effective communication during emergencies.

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Education Technology

Why Hardwired Buttons Outperform Wearable Devices in School Safety

Physical panic buttons prove more reliable than wearable technology when schools need to respond instantly to threats

This story was produced through MarketScale. See how Education Technology teams put it to work with Executive Thought Leadership.

By Mike Matranga · July 15, 2024, 8:18 AM UTCIp-based Safety SystemsSchool Emergency ResponseSchool Safety SystemsSilent Panic Alarms

Key takeaways

Hardwired buttons provide reliability and simplicity.

Wearable devices face issues with maintenance and accessibility.

Effective communication systems are critical in school safety.

In a recent episode of “Secured” with hosts Mike Matranga and Mike Monsive, the conversation revolved around the evolution of safety systems in schools and wearable devices. The discussion highlighted the simplicity of understanding effective systems, using Buc-ee’s gas stations’ success, known for their clean restrooms, as an analogy for consistency and excellence.

Matranga and Monsive emphasized the importance of communication in safety systems. They advocated for transitioning from outdated analog intercoms to modern IP-based systems while retaining essential hardwired buttons. These updated systems provide multiple advanced functions: pressing a button can trigger various actions such as sending an email, making an outbound call, contacting 911, or alerting administrators and law enforcement.

These updated systems provide multiple advanced functions: pressing a button can trigger various actions such as sending an email, making an outbound call, contacting 911, or alerting administrators and law enforcement.

The simplicity of hardwired systems, which are consistently located throughout a building, ensures everyone, including substitute teachers, can easily locate and use them. This contrasts with wearable devices, which often face numerous challenges. Companies promoting silent panic alarms require extensive cabling and gateways, complicating implementation and maintenance. These gateways cover limited areas, necessitating more hardware and resources.

Moreover, wearable devices come with their own set of issues. They are battery-operated, requiring regular monitoring and replacement, and are prone to being damaged, lost, or forgotten. Initially, teachers may be diligent in using these devices, but over time, their usage often declines.

The reliance on such unreliable devices could jeopardize lives.

Matranga and Monsive stressed that the reliance on such unreliable devices could jeopardize lives, advocating for simpler, more reliable solutions. Their discussion underscores the need for effective, easy-to-use safety systems in schools, ensuring that all staff members can efficiently respond in emergencies.

Follow Along for More From Secured!

Video TranscriptExpand ↓

But that's the only system that is regulated like that. Right? And how why can't I mean it's not it's not hard to figure this out. It's not hard to figure out. It it's like, you know, people trying to figure out why is Buc ee's gas station successful. It it they have a Guinness World Book of Records for it. They tell you. They put it on billboards. They have the cleanest restrooms. You're right about that. Right. That's how it started, right? But somehow other gas stations have the nastiest gas stations, bathrooms, right? Like this isn't rocket science. Yeah. Mass communication, I need to be able to communicate. So then let's move into the digital world, right? If you replace these old analog, intercom systems and you go to an IP, still keeping a hardwired button on the phone or on the wall. Right? On the wall, yes. Not only do you now have the ability to press the button to call the front office, which could ring to a SIP phone. Right? But now you can do advanced triggers. So I'm gonna press and hold that button Mhmm. And it's going to do an advanced function. Send an email, make a outbound call, call nine one one, trigger a page across all of the administrator and law enforcement, mobile devices. It exists. And it it goes on the wall. It it has it's hardwired. It creates a stand throughout every building. Every substitute teacher knows where it is as well as the teacher. Not a body worn bullshit device. And what what happened? What happened? So all these companies swoop in, see this and say I have a way to do it. So let's dump dump in this. Now you get into silent panic alarms. How do you roll out a silent panic alarm? Well, you have to run cabling to gateways. Each gateway has a certain radius of coverage. Mhmm. So that means you litter the hallways full of this. Gateways. Yep. More switch gear, more cabling, more IT resource to to manage it. Switches are not cheap. Yeah. Okay? Then you buy these devices which are battery operated. Okay? Who's monitoring how often those batteries are placed? Right. Right. Okay. So we're putting our lives in their hands now? Yeah. Okay. So then now we're gonna wear them all the time. They get destroyed. They get tore up. They get lost. They get lost. They get put in the wrong direction. Initially initially, all the teachers, we've seen this, they all wear them. They do a really great job for the first few weeks. Till about February.

About the author

Mike Matranga

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