Panic button that calls 911

Offering local organizations the ability to quickly and efficiently respond to natural disasters(Charlotte, North Carolina), (February 11, 2020) – On February 6, 2020, a Tornado moved quickly through the heart of the city over a two-hour window, forcing schools, organizations, and businesses to coordinate a fast response. While many organizations scrambled to manage the situation, those that utilize the PunchAlert safety communications platform were able to efficiently and effectively respond to the natural disaster.Punch has a significant presence in the Charlotte area, working with most of the private schools in the city (and some public), places of worship, YMCA’s, public venues, sports teams, commercial real-estate hubs, large companies, colleges and more.According to Punch’s anonymized data from February 6th, over 50 distinct customer organizations at separate locations used the platform with over 16,000 individual users, handling 35 emergencies with active 2-way discussion and mass notifications for each, sending 41 announcements (non-emergency alerts), and making 21 calls to 911+™.“As a Charlotte-based company, it was very important that we gain critical customer mass here, not only because it’s our home, but because the more local organizations that use the technology, the more effective it becomes,” said Greg Artzt, co-founder and CEO of Punch Technologies.The 911+ calls placed during this incident allowed individuals to create real-time awareness amongst colleagues that 911 was in fact called. This alleviated redundant pressure on the 911 call centers in Charlotte that were already receiving an abundance of calls and overload on their operation during the storm. 911+ also carries a number of other benefits including precise location awareness critical for routing an emergency to the nearest call center and simultaneous notifications to family members when appropriate.“With the help of Punch Alert, YMCA of Greater Charlotte was able to send mass communication to our staff, allowing for quick and effective activation of our emergency response action plans at 15 YMCA facilities throughout the region,” said Christy Priester, YMCA of Greater Charlotte’s association executive director of risk management. “Being able to activate our action plans on a large scale at multiple locations allowed our members, volunteers and team members to quickly get to safe areas.”Artzt concluded from the incident: “It is our great privilege to work so closely with our partners across the country and especially in our home community of Charlotte. We will work diligently to continue learning from these partners in improving our platform so that we are even better prepared for the next similar incident that may follow.”What’s Next at PunchPunch Technologies is also releasing a wearable, internet-connected, panic button product that connects to PunchAlert called Rescue. The new wearable platform, which comes with a base station and charging station, aims to set a new standard for reliability and performance during an emergency situation. YMCA’s in particular, have been pre-ordering the system across the country due to a very compelling, unique feature – the device automatically activates an emergency when submerged in water.About Punch Technologies, Inc.Punch Technologies is a Charlotte, North Carolina-based software company, and creator of

Making a 911 call for any other reason besides reporting an emergency can result in criminal penalties. Different states have different penalties and punishments for misuse of 911, but the worst-case scenarios are stiff fines and jail time.To ensure that emergency responders put their energy and time into situations that genuinely need them, It is required that everyone only uses 911 when in a true emergency. Calling 911 for purposes besides their intended purpose can waste time and resources that could be used to help someone else in need.What Are The Penalties for Misusing 911?If you are in a situation where you feel the need to make that 911 call, think about it first. Is it a true emergency? Non Emergency calls to 911 do not only clog the real emergency lines but will cost you heavy penalties. In Virginia, for instance, the penal code for making an unnecessary 911 call is a $2,500 fine, a year in jail, or both. It is also illegal to make false emergency reports or disasters, not only to 911 but to anyone, private or public. Most states have this rule in place. Calling 911 with the intention of harassing or annoying another person, for instance, calling to report that a neighbor’s house is on fire when it, in fact, isn’t, will cost you up to $1,000 in fines or a six-month jail term, or both. Repeatedly calling 911 for reasons that not ideally emergencies will cost you $200 per call in fines. What Are Pranks and False Reports?SWATing is the act of falsely reporting a critical situation-such as a standoff with guns or a hostage situation. The idea behind SWATing is to have the authorities show up at the address of the person being pranked to make them believe that there is indeed an emergency.If the situation sounds critical, the first responders and law enforcement may respond with a tactical force also referred to as the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team. The person being pranked, oblivious of what is going on will find themselves bombarded with flash-bang grenades or ordered to leave the building at gunpoint. SWATting does not only waste the emergency services resources and time but could be dangerous as the prank victim could suffer injuries and even death. The reverse could also be dangerous as the person being pranked could mistake the responding law enforcement for intruders and hurt them in an attempt to protect themselves.What If You Call 911 Accidentally?If you dial 911 by mistake, you need not panic and hang up as this will make the responders believe there is a genuine emergency. You should keep calm and explain to the person on the other side of the phone that it was a mistake. This way they will know not to dispatch responders. Mistakes happen and you need not panic. This will save time and resources as opposed to hanging up and the responders being dispatched to your address only to find it was a misdial.Why Not

Seconds if a major natural disaster hits your community.▶︎ WATCH WEBINAR What’s New at PunchAlert?Check out our mid-summer updates, new product releases and other exciting announcements. We will have a special guest on the webinar with us to discuss best practices. Join us and you will receive an emergency action plan checklist to help prepare you for critical event management.▶︎ WATCH WEBINAR Emergency Prevention Practices For The WorkplaceReady To Put The Pieces Together?How Prepared Are You For Today’s Workplace Emergencies?Join us and our special guest, Felix P. Nater, CSC, Security Management Consultant, President and Owner of Nater Associates, Ltd to discuss preventative strategies to keep your workplace safe.▶︎ Watch Webinar Housekeeping Panic Button – How to Protect Your Housekeepers and Be in Compliance with the New Law PunchAlert covers some of the details of the New Jersey law requiring hotels to provide their workers with wearable panic buttons they can press to summon help quickly in an emergency. Using Digital Signage To Make Your School Safer Rise Vision and PunchAlert join forces in this webinar to demonstrate the ways institutions can use digital signage as a communication tool during emergencies. Advancing the Future of 911 Behind the Scenes with the 911 Experts from Bandwidth.com. Learn about the new 911+ Connect service by PunchAlert. Learn about 911+ and the new PunchAlert app Learn how to call 911+ while simultaneously reporting an emergency to your organization. Experience the new chat interface with responders in the stream. Manage emergencies as a responder with

Authorities have identified the man who allegedly hijacked an LA Metro bus and shot and killed a passenger early Wednesday morning.Lamont Campbell, 51, of Los Angeles is being held in jail and is awaiting charges for murder, officials said at an afternoon news conference.The hijacking and ensuing pursuit began around 12:45 a.m., when officers began to receive radio calls for a potential assault with a deadly weapon on a bus near South Figueroa Street and Manchester Avenue in the Vermont Knolls neighborhood of South L.A.Authorities learned that a person on the bus had pulled out a gun, prompting the bus driver to activate a panic button that displays a “CALL 911” message, the Los Angeles Police Department said.Officers found the bus stopped near West 117th Street and South Figueroa Street, but it began to move when officers got close, prompting a pursuit. Police said the suspect was holding the driver at gunpoint.Police follow a Metro bus that was hijacked in Los Angeles on Sept. 24, 2024. (OnScene.TV)A Metro bus is seen following a hijacking in Los Angeles on Sept. 25, 2024. (KTLA)“Clearly [the driver] was under duress and under the threat of violence … for him to be able to keep his composure is a reflection on the bus operators in the system,” said LAPD Deputy Chief Donald Graham.During the slow speed pursuit, officers deployed spike strips, which flattened the bus’s tires. The pursuit ended after roughly an hour at East 6th Street and South Alameda Street in downtown.Once the