When city officials in this family-oriented, historic Midwestern community of 10,000 needed to upgrade their duress and
emergency notification systems to protect employees and community members, they selected solutions from Response Technologies because of the system’s quick response and ability to expand quickly in the future.
The Needs:
The city encompasses almost five and a half square miles and employs approximately 75 individuals. Officials were primarily
concerned with updating the emergency notification systems and solutions in City Hall, the city’s nearby recreational annex, and a public works building
several miles away. They needed a system that could help protect employees working with the public during the day and safeguard city volunteers, city council members, and those participating in events and fitness classes at night.
The city had a commercial security system, but the manager explains, “It was not intuitive and wasn’t
robust at all.” The city’s previous system included two panic buttons on critical fob-type devices. However, when officials tested
these panic buttons, the system took eight minutes to relay through dispatch and notify the police.
Why Response Technologies?
The rapid emergency notification was a top priority in selecting a new system, according to the city’s police chief. “From a policy standpoint, the speed and ability to integrate with our radio system were most important.”
“Response Technologies was the only one that had the speed we were looking for in an emergency notification systems process,” the chief says.
“Nothing compares to what they can do with the radio connection and instantaneous response.” Another advantage was the ability to quickly expand the emergency notification systems as future needs change and other technology becomes available.
“With Response Technologies, we’re not limited in the number of devices we can add in the future,” the city manager adds.
The Solutions:
Before developing the solution, Response Technologies reviewed the complete layout of all buildings and carefully considered
areas with public access. The new system was installed in the fall of 2020 and includes the following:
- Centurion® Elite duress system, the fastest emergency notification system and solution on the market, can notify first
responders within seconds. The city can also send emergency notifications through email and cell phones to key employees, in this way system has been designed. - Gunshot detection in buildings open to the public uses sensors with two-factor authentication to ensure only true emergency
events are reported. - Panic buttons, permanently positioned under city front desks, enable discreet alerts, while a wall-mounted mushroom panic
button in the recreation area instills confidence even at night. - PC Duress on numerous city computers keeps employees informed and involved from their desks in case of an emergency.
- Environmental monitoring enabled the city to add a water sensor in the pump room that supports a city fountain. The sensor
alerts officials to potential flooding using the same Centurion system.
“Response Technologies was great at hearing our concerns and suggesting solutions,” explains the city manager. “We now
have an added layer of security and peace of mind.”
“We would recommend Response Technologies whole-heartedly,” the police chief adds.
