Panic and duress buttons for businesses
For clinics, schools, front desks, shops, pharmacies, cannabis and liquor stores and service counters in Alberta and BC.
Updated
The quick answer
A panic button lets staff call for help without picking up a phone or drawing attention. Press it and, depending on how it’s set up, it sends a silent alert to a monitoring centre (when your alarm is monitored), to managers’ phones, or both, and it can sound a local alarm or bookmark the camera video. Buttons can be fixed under a counter or desk, or wireless ones that staff carry. A duress code does the same job from the alarm keypad when someone is forced to disarm it. We install them as part of your intrusion alarm, so every alert says which button was pressed and where.
Panic, hold-up and duress: what’s the difference?
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Panic button | Any button staff press to call for help. |
| Hold-up alarm | A silent alert used during a robbery, so the person isn’t tipped off. |
| Duress code | A special keypad code that disarms the alarm as normal but sends a silent alert at the same time. |
| Assistance alert | A call for help from co-workers rather than police, for example from a clinic exam room. |
| Lockdown button | A button that locks the doors. See school lockdown systems. |
Where buttons usually go
| Building | Typical locations |
|---|---|
| Medical clinics | Reception, exam and counselling rooms, and the medication room. |
| Schools | The main office, reception and the principal’s office. |
| Offices and front desks | Reception, property management offices, hotel front desks and service counters. |
| Shops and pharmacies | Under the till, in the back office and in the cash or stock room. |
| Cannabis and liquor stores | At each till, the secure storage room and the back office. See cannabis store security and liquor store security. |
Fixed or wireless?
Fixed buttons
- Mounted under a counter or desk, out of sight
- Connected to the alarm panel, so they don’t need charging
- Many models latch until they’re reset, so an alert can’t be cancelled quietly
- Covers or two-finger designs cut accidental presses
Wireless buttons
- Pendants, belt clips or wristbands that staff carry
- Work anywhere in the building’s coverage area
- Batteries checked during maintenance visits
- Coverage tested room by room when they’re installed
Who gets alerted
| Who | How |
|---|---|
| A monitoring centre | When the alarm is monitored, the alert goes to the monitoring centre, which follows the call list and instructions you set. See alarm monitoring explained. |
| Managers and staff | A notification through the alarm app, naming the button and location. |
| People on site | Silent by default for hold-ups; a strobe or siren where you want people to know help is coming. |
| Cameras | On many systems a press bookmarks the video, and with remote video monitoring through our monitoring partner the operator can see the matching camera view. |
Avoiding false alarms, and the rules
Train every new staff member on what the buttons are for, choose buttons that are hard to press by accident, and test them on a schedule with the monitoring centre told in advance. Some cities have alarm permits or false alarm fees; see alarm permits in Alberta.
Cannabis and liquor retailers should also check the security conditions of their licence with AGLC in Alberta or the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch in BC.
This is general information, not legal advice.
Adding buttons to the alarm you have
Most commercial intrusion alarm panels can take panic buttons, either wired to a zone or through a wireless receiver, including the DSC, Bosch, Resideo and Qolsys panels we install. We check your panel, add the buttons, set each one up with its own name, test it end to end and hand over updated documentation.
Need a way for staff to call for help?
We’ll walk your counters, offices and back rooms and plan buttons, alerts and cameras with you.
Related: intrusion alarmsmedical clinic securityschool securitycannabis store securityliquor store securityalarm monitoring explained
Stuck with a system nobody will fix?
We repair and take over cameras, access control, intercoms and alarms installed by other companies, when your current provider has fallen short.
Help: Export Avigilon video
Guides: School lockdown systems
Panic and duress button questions
What is a panic button?
A button staff press to call for help without a phone call. It sends an alert to a monitoring centre, to managers’ phones, or both.
Are panic alarms silent?
Hold-up buttons are usually silent so the person isn’t tipped off. Others can sound a strobe or siren on site. We set each button the way you want.
Who responds when a panic button is pressed?
If the alarm is monitored, the monitoring centre follows the call list and instructions you set. Managers can also get an alert in the alarm app.
What is a duress code?
A special code entered at the alarm keypad. It disarms the alarm as normal but sends a silent alert, for when someone is forced to turn the alarm off.
Can staff carry a wireless panic button?
Yes. Pendants, belt clips and wristbands work anywhere in the coverage area, which we test room by room.
Does a panic button work without alarm monitoring?
It can send app alerts to staff and sound a local alarm, but nobody outside your team is told. For hold-ups, a monitored alarm is the usual choice.
How do we avoid false alarms?
Train staff, use buttons with covers or two-finger designs, and test on a schedule with the monitoring centre told in advance.
Do cannabis and liquor stores need panic buttons?
Check the security conditions of your licence with AGLC in Alberta or the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch in BC. Not legal advice.
Can you add panic buttons to our existing alarm?
Usually, yes. Most commercial panels take wired or wireless buttons. We check your panel during the site visit.
More answers: Alarm questionsGlossary: alarm monitoringglass-break sensor
Get a panic button quote
Tell us where staff work, how many buttons you need and whether your alarm is monitored. We’ll follow up to book a site walk.
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