Duress and panic alarms explained

A duress or panic alarm lets a person who is threatened call for help without drawing attention to it. It only works if the alarm reaches someone who can act, that person knows where to go, and the device is where staff can use it at the moment they need it. This guide explains the types of device, how the signal travels and how to place and maintain them.

Types of duress device

The terms "duress alarm" and "panic alarm" are used loosely and often interchangeably. In general, a duress alarm is raised by someone under threat, usually silently, while a panic alarm may also cover medical emergencies or other urgent calls for help. The devices are similar:

Many fixed buttons need two actions, such as pressing two buttons together or pressing and holding, to reduce accidental alarms. Many also latch, so the alarm stays active until it is reset with a key or code; that confirms the alarm was received and stops an attacker cancelling it. Wearable devices may add a pull cord, or a "man-down" sensor that raises an alarm if the wearer falls or stays still too long, which is useful for staff working alone. Our guide to personal duress systems that locate staff covers wearables in detail.

Silent or audible

Most duress alarms are silent at the point of activation. A siren in a room where someone is already agitated can escalate the situation, and it tells the aggressor that help has been called. A silent alarm brings help without changing the dynamics in the room. Some sites add a discreet local signal, such as a light or a tone in a staff-only area, so nearby colleagues can come quickly. An audible alarm can make sense where the aim is to deter, such as a robbery alarm in an empty store after hours, but that is a decision for the risk assessment, not a default.

How the signal travels

When a button is pressed, the device sends a signal over a wire or a radio link to a controller, which identifies the device and its location. The controller sends the alarm to one or more receivers: a security desk, a monitoring centre, responders' phones or radios. Someone must acknowledge the alarm, decide what to send and dispatch responders, who then need to reach the right room. If no one acknowledges within a set time, the alarm should escalate to the next receiver rather than wait.

Two technical features make this chain trustworthy. Supervision means the system continually checks that each device and wire is working: a cut cable, a flat battery or a pendant that has stopped checking in raises a trouble signal rather than failing silently. Acknowledgement and escalation mean that an alarm cannot be left sitting on a screen nobody is watching. Where alarms go to an outside monitoring centre, the centre's procedures become part of the chain; our guide to security alarm monitoring and response explains how that works.

Placing fixed buttons

A fixed button helps only if a person under threat can press it without being seen and without moving away from where they are. That usually means under the edge of a counter or desk, on the staff side, within reach of a seated or standing worker, and hidden from the public by the counter's front panel.

• Mount buttons where knees, chairs, bags and cleaning staff will not press them by accident.
• Provide more than one button on long counters, so staff do not have to move to reach one.
• In interview rooms, place the button where the staff member sits, and arrange furniture so staff sit nearer the door.
• Make sure every staff member knows where each button is; consider a discreet marker visible only from the staff side.
• Do not rely on fixed buttons for staff who move around: give them a wearable device instead.
• Record each button's location and identifier on a device plan, and keep it current.

A typical case

A municipal service centre has a long public counter with six workstations and two interview rooms behind it. One button at the middle of the counter was installed years ago, and most staff could not say where it was. A better arrangement gives each workstation its own two-action button under the counter edge, puts a button at the staff chair in each interview room, and gives staff who walk out to the public lobby a pendant. Each button is identified individually, so the alarm tells responders which workstation or room to go to, not just "front counter". A short session at handover shows every staff member where their buttons are and what happens when they press one.

Testing and maintenance

Duress systems are used rarely, which means faults can go unnoticed for months. Test every device on a regular schedule, set by your risk assessment and the maker's guidance, and after any change to the building, the system or the people who receive alarms. Tell receivers before testing so a test is not treated as real, and confirm the alarm arrived at each destination, with the correct location. Record for each test:

• The device tested, its location and who tested it.
• The time it was pressed and the time each receiver saw it.
• Whether the location reported was correct.
• Any fault found and when it was fixed.

Replace wireless batteries before they run out, check that pendants are being worn and charged, and update contact lists whenever staff change. Run response drills too; they show whether the people side works, which is covered in our guide to planning the response to a duress alarm.

How ehZee can help

We design duress and panic alarm systems from the response backward: who receives the alarm, how they find the person, and which devices staff need where they work. Our duress and panic alarm systems service covers device selection and placement, alarm routing, integration and testing plans.

Common questions