NEWS
MONTGOMERY COUNTY OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS
COURT HOUSE, NORRISTOWN, PA., BOX 311, 19404-0311
PHONE (610) 278-3061 FAX 278-5943
COMMISSIONERS:
THOMAS JAY ELLIS, ESQ. Chairman, JAMES R. MATTHEWS , RUTH S. DAMSKER
RELEASE: IMMEDIATELY 01/25/07 PR#07-04
“PANIC BUTTON” PROTOTYPE DEMONSTRATED
NORRISTOWN — Montgomery County officials demonstrated a prototype of the Community Law Enforcement Alerting System (CLASS) Wednesday to law enforcement officials from across the county.
Otherwise known as a “panic button,” the system will include features that will surpass those originally proposed, including two-way text messaging, making school floor-plans available to police on the computers in their cars, group text notifications and more.
The button aspect of the alarm will give school personnel a means to communicate the critical information that an emergency is occurring in a discrete fashion and not place themselves or others in further danger.
Activation of an alarm will immediately alert a dispatcher in the County’s 9-1-1 Emergency Dispatch Center that a critical incident of some type is occurring at that location.
The dispatcher can then immediately contact police officers in that vicinity via radio, mobile data computer or other text-enabled devices.
The system has a number of advantages over traditional alarm systems. It won’t require the signal be received by a private alarm company and then relayed to the 9-1-1 Center via telephone.
Other features include things such as body-worn wireless transmitters that principals or designated administrators can wear on their body.
