In today’s world, it’s wise to expect the unexpected and prepare for something that will hopefully never happen.  It would be safe to say that most places would be considered low to moderate risk; however, that shouldn’t stop any small business from taking proactive measures to minimize any and all threats.  Most small businesses operate on a tight budget and the cost of implementing a safety plan or installing panic buttons drops in priority.  I’m sure if you look back you will find times where a panic button would have been useful to help mitigate the situation.  I believe all industries have some sort of threat and all should be seriously considered given the recent news events.

Why not pick up the phone and call?

We always recommend calling 911 as soon as possible.  We do realize that the situation may get escalated when the perpetrator sees someone picking up the phone to call police.  I have also found in most situations that people are hesitant to call for assistance as they feel it isn’t warranted or want to avoid bad publicity.  I hope in recent news that hesitation will change as threats are always present.  Sometimes picking up the phone and calling may not be an option, but simply pushing a button is.  Keeping the panic discreet can help get responders notified and responding as soon as possible is critical.

What’s the best small business panic button?

There are a lot of great options out there.  Whether you pick CRS Notify at www.communityresponsesystems.com or another company, I highly recommend making the investment on a panic button that won’t absorb too much of your time and money.  Look at what fits your particular needs and fills any communication gaps.  The two keys when deciding is: rapid notification and streamlined communication.  Rapid notification to those who need to know as well as first responders and centralized communication throughout the event.

How much should I expect to pay?

There are a lot of choices that are far more technologically advanced over the traditional panic button at a much more affordable price.  I know many phone companies offer a hardwire panic button that runs through the phone system for an average cost of $10 a month per button.  There a
re computer-based panic buttons with the optional hardware button that vary from free to $25 a month per license.  With CRS, we offer a three-user license for $12 a month.  This means you pay $4 a month per license for a much more innovative and faster system.  The optional hardware button through CRS plugs into a spare USB port and is ready to use with CRS Notify.

How do panic buttons notify first responders?
This varies from company to company.  Most traditional panic buttons go through to the local 911 center that a panic button has been pushed.  Unfortunately, these phone calls through the traditional panic buttons can take several minutes.  Other phone apps and computer-based panic buttons have to get your local first responders or 911 centers on board to make any notification go through.  Based on experience, we built the CRS Notify system to make two automated voice calls to the local first responders with the locations name, address, and alert topic as soon as the button is prompted.

Still Unsure?

You can always email or call me if you’re getting confused on which avenue to take and you want simple advice.  I won’t do a push to make you a CRS customer, instead I will give you the needed information to make the best decision for your small business.  You can always contact me at john.kessler@communityresponsesystems.com or at 800.533.7201.