New York City Schools to Roll Out Panic Buttons as Safety Measures Tighten
The Adams administration has announced plans to distribute panic buttons to 51 schools across all five boroughs, just months after a previous pilot program sparked an FBI investigation into potential conflicts of interest.
The new "Emergency Alert System" was developed in partnership with SOS Technologies and connects staff directly to 911, the NYPD's school security division, and emergency medical services. The technology is designed to quickly connect schools to emergency responders within 10 seconds, providing critical information on the location of incidents.
Mayor Eric Adams emphasized the need for increased safety measures, stating that "we cannot stop all of the senseless violence" but will "try like Hell to do so." He added that parents and students must feel safe in their schools. The technology is seen as a key component in achieving this goal, with Adams confident that it can "save lives by providing rapid response."
However, the return of panic buttons comes on the heels of a contentious federal investigation into influence-peddling within the Adams Administration. A previous pilot program, which took place in 2023 and involved a company called SaferWatch, raised eyebrows when its advocacy firm was hired to promote the technology.
The controversy centered around Terence Banks, who served as the government relations arm of SaferWatch. As the brother of former Schools Chancellor David Banks and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks, Terence's role sparked concerns about potential conflicts of interest. The FBI investigation eventually revealed whether Terence had improperly lobbied his brother for the contract.
Despite the controversy, the new panic buttons will be rolled out to schools across New York City, providing an additional layer of safety and security in a city that has witnessed over 1,900 school shootings nationwide in the last decade.
The Adams administration has announced plans to distribute panic buttons to 51 schools across all five boroughs, just months after a previous pilot program sparked an FBI investigation into potential conflicts of interest.
The new "Emergency Alert System" was developed in partnership with SOS Technologies and connects staff directly to 911, the NYPD's school security division, and emergency medical services. The technology is designed to quickly connect schools to emergency responders within 10 seconds, providing critical information on the location of incidents.
Mayor Eric Adams emphasized the need for increased safety measures, stating that "we cannot stop all of the senseless violence" but will "try like Hell to do so." He added that parents and students must feel safe in their schools. The technology is seen as a key component in achieving this goal, with Adams confident that it can "save lives by providing rapid response."
However, the return of panic buttons comes on the heels of a contentious federal investigation into influence-peddling within the Adams Administration. A previous pilot program, which took place in 2023 and involved a company called SaferWatch, raised eyebrows when its advocacy firm was hired to promote the technology.
The controversy centered around Terence Banks, who served as the government relations arm of SaferWatch. As the brother of former Schools Chancellor David Banks and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks, Terence's role sparked concerns about potential conflicts of interest. The FBI investigation eventually revealed whether Terence had improperly lobbied his brother for the contract.
Despite the controversy, the new panic buttons will be rolled out to schools across New York City, providing an additional layer of safety and security in a city that has witnessed over 1,900 school shootings nationwide in the last decade.
anyway i do feel safe about the new system tho - it makes sense that they'd wanna roll out panic buttons ASAP now that we've had so many school shootings 
can't wait to see how this all plays out
It's like, yeah, we want schools to be safe, but do we really need to add more drama to the mix? 
. Plus, what's with the whole "trying to stop senseless violence" vibe? Can't we just focus on preventing it in the first place? 
.
The fact that we're putting panic buttons out as a solution feels like a Band-Aid on a bullet wound - it might make the problem slightly less painful, but doesn't really address the root cause.
...if you can't trust your own family members to be straight with you, how can we trust that these new safety measures won't just end up helping the wrong people get ahead? It's just not good enough.
. And dont even get me started on the whole conflict of interest thing...it's just so shady 
. Can't we focus on the real issues instead of trying to solve safety problems with tech that's still experimental?
Do you think this will make parents feel better, or just more anxious? 
after all that drama with SaferWatch 
. Anyways, did you know that NYC schools have seen a 50% increase in safety incidents since 2020? 
That's over 950 incidents just last year alone! 
. The new panic button system is a good start, but I'm not sure if it's enough to prevent all the senseless violence 
. What do you guys think? Should we be investing more in school safety programs or is this just a band-aid solution 
?
Can't believe these ppl are rollin' out panic buttons w/ no real scrutiny 
. I mean, yeah, save lives and all but what about the politics behind it? Like, come on @ Eric Adams, you can't just sweep this under the rug or make a quick fix without lookin at the bigger picture 
. You need to get it together before we even think about implementin' new tech 
.
The new Emergency Alert System sounds like a game-changer tho - it's supposed to connect schools to emergency responders in under 10 seconds. 
According to SOS Technologies' website, their system is already used by over 300 organizations across the country. That's some serious momentum towards keeping our kids safe 
Not sure if it's related or not, but it's definitely something to keep an eye on. On a more positive note, I love that the panic buttons are connected to 911 & NYPD security! Fingers crossed they work as intended 
... like, I get it, safety first and all, but can't we just focus on the tech for now? 
the new panic buttons are actually kinda cool! they're so convenient - just press and connect, 10 seconds max 
. don't even get me started on how fast it responds... that's like, total game-changer for schools 
.
It's crazy to think about how fast 10 seconds can make all the difference in an emergency situation! My friend's little brother was in a school lockdown last year and it was so traumatic for him. The thought of having that kind of panic button on his desk is literally a lifesaver 
. I'm not saying the new system isn't a good idea, but can we at least try to make sure it's not influenced by any... let's call them "interesting" connections? And what about the schools that don't even have a problem with violence? Are they gonna be left out in the cold too? 
I think this is a good idea but also kinda weird 
. We should all be behind this 
It seems like they're just trying to make schools feel safe by throwing a bunch of gadgets at the problem 
, but can't help but feel like there's more to it than just trying to save lives. I mean, the fact that there was an FBI investigation into potential conflicts of interest is pretty concerning 
. But hey, I guess if it can save lives that's what matters 
. Still, gotta wonder how much of this is really about keeping our schools safe and not just about politics 
And what's up with the lack of transparency around the company that developed this tech, SOS Technologies? I'm not buying that everything is on the up-and-up just because it's being promoted by the Adams Administration...