Fort Lauderdale schools approve wearable panic buttons for enhanced safety

By Anna McAllister

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    FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida (WFOR) — The Broward County Public School Board has approved the adoption of wearable panic button technology designed to enhance safety for school staff and students.

“This is a wearable panic button, so whether it’s a medical emergency, a staff assist, or an active shooter situation, the teacher can press their panic button and get help on the scene as quickly as possible,” said Lori Alhadeff, a school board member and advocate for the initiative.

The panic button system provides mass notification, alerting multiple first responder agencies, including police and EMTs, the moment it is activated.

Alhadeff spearheaded the effort, inspired by her late daughter, Alyssa, who was killed in the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland.

“This came from Alyssa’s Law. Alyssa was my daughter who was murdered at MSD, and we’ve helped get Alyssa’s Law passed in seven states already, Florida being one of them,” Alhadeff explained.

Alyssa’s Law allocates funding for silent alarms in schools, such as the panic buttons, to notify law enforcement in emergencies.

Alhadeff expressed hope that the new technology will prevent future tragedies. “This is an additional layer of school safety protection to help make our schools safe,” she said.

The wearable panic buttons are expected to be rolled out in Broward County schools early next year.

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