A duress alarm is a personal alarm designed for use on the body of lone workers or at-risk individuals Should they feel they are at risk, pressing the button and immediately notifying a central monitoring station for assistance is one way Furthermore, alarms may also notify local authorities if life or property are threatened - an ideal tool for those working in potentially dangerous or isolated environments and frequently required as part of lone worker protocols School districts work with numerous vendors that specialize in low voltage systems, audio/ visual productions, HVAC units and phone/ IT While each of these providers may possess expertise in their area of specialization, it would be unreasonable for school district leaders to expect them to also possess expertise in security systems integration Therefore it is vital for leaders to consult security integrators who specialize in physical security with proven expertise providing reliable products and services tailored specifically for educational properties at cost-effective rates At-risk employees that could benefit from using duress alarms include healthcare and social workers, police and emergency services employees, mining amp; factory workers, meter readers and those working remotely or lone working conditions like doctors and pathologists Elderly individuals could also find comfort using a personal duress alarm in their own homes or aged care facilities An extensively monitored duress system includes trained professionals at the other end who will respond rapidly and appropriately, such as listening and speaking with those experiencing duress or their carers before alerting emergency services or other support personnel of their situation Furthermore, devices emit GPS signals so that family members, carers, or the user's manager may track them during emergencies Finding an easy to use duress alarm is essential in school district leadership's effort to safeguard student wellbeing A complex system with several steps might not get used or remembered when needed; the best systems should be easily understood and can be activated with one push of a button School district leaders should provide training and ongoing support on how best to use their system so their staff will remember when the alarm should go off when necessary Key to minimizing false duress alarms is ensuring all users have access to qualified medical or crisis intervention personnel https//loneworkerdevicescouk/geofence-2/ This is particularly important in urban emergency departments where a significant proportion of calls are non-emergencies and where duress alarms may prompt unnecessary police response or escalate situations further Duress alarms should only be deployed when there is a risk threshold that has been predetermined - otherwise they only increase risks to those being targeted by criminals