Panic buttons are set to be rolled out in NYC schools once again as part of an effort to bolster safety measures against active shooter threats. The technology was developed by the city's Office of Technology and Innovation, in partnership with SOS Technologies, and aims to connect school staff directly to 911, NYPD's school security division, and emergency medical services.
Mayor Eric Adams, who has vowed to do everything possible to prevent such incidents, said that while he cannot stop all senseless violence, he will take measures to try and mitigate it. The safety of parents and students is his top priority, and the panic buttons are a key part of this effort.
However, the previous pilot program, which took place in 2023 and was developed by SaferWatch, has become embroiled in an FBI investigation into potential conflicts of interest. The company had hired Terence Banks, brother of former Schools Chancellor David Banks and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks, to advocate for its technology.
Federal investigators are looking into whether Terence Banks improperly lobbied his family members for the contract, a claim that all three Banks brothers have denied. Despite this controversy, the new panic button system will be rolled out in 51 schools across the five boroughs this year.
The technology promises to connect schools to emergency responders within just 10 seconds and pinpoint the exact location of an incident. "We will save lives by providing rapid response," Mayor Adams said.
Mayor Eric Adams, who has vowed to do everything possible to prevent such incidents, said that while he cannot stop all senseless violence, he will take measures to try and mitigate it. The safety of parents and students is his top priority, and the panic buttons are a key part of this effort.
However, the previous pilot program, which took place in 2023 and was developed by SaferWatch, has become embroiled in an FBI investigation into potential conflicts of interest. The company had hired Terence Banks, brother of former Schools Chancellor David Banks and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks, to advocate for its technology.
Federal investigators are looking into whether Terence Banks improperly lobbied his family members for the contract, a claim that all three Banks brothers have denied. Despite this controversy, the new panic button system will be rolled out in 51 schools across the five boroughs this year.
The technology promises to connect schools to emergency responders within just 10 seconds and pinpoint the exact location of an incident. "We will save lives by providing rapid response," Mayor Adams said.
I'm all for trying to keep our kids safe, but can't we take a step back and think about how this is affecting them? 
Like, we're literally putting panic buttons in schools - what's next, panic alarms on their phones too? 
It just feels like we're always reacting to the latest crisis instead of actually addressing the root causes. And with the tech behind it being developed by a company with ties to one of the Chancellor's family members... yeah, that's just weird 
And what's the long-term impact of all this on their mental health? 
I'm not saying we shouldn't do anything to keep them safe - but let's try to think critically about what we're doing here. 
but seriously nyc is really taking safety measures super serious after that parkland shooting 
i think its good they wanna do everything they can to prevent more incidents tho idk bout this whole tech thing tho sounds kinda sketchy what if it gets hacked or somethin? 
The NYC schools' new panic button system is a good idea, but what about the conflicts of interest issue? It's kinda weird that the brother of a former chancellor got involved in lobbying for the tech. Shouldn't it be just about saving lives and not so much about who's connected to who 
