Information How does a panic button work? Home / Information / How does a panic button work? A panic button is the perfect solution for activating your alarm system whenever an emergency occurs. It can be very useful when the alarm should be activated quickly and in a discreet manner. When using a panic button, a person can call for help without drawing attention to themself in a vulnerable situation. The risk of the situation escalating is thus minimized, as the criminal won’t figure out that help is on its way, or the alarm is activated. What is a panic button and how it works The purpose of a panic button solution is to activate your alarm whenever someone presses the button. The button is used for security purposes, but it can be in several kind of scenarios. Yet, the purpose, no matter the situation, is to send a signal to the receiving end of the alarm. The most popular use of a panic button solution is for robbery prevention purposes. When the robber enters the area, or someone feels in danger, the button can be pressed, to ensure your own security. Thus, a panic button is a great way of making employees feel safe. Especially in jobs where the chances of a dangerous situation might be more likely. The button can send a signal to the police, to let them know it’s an emergency. It is also possible to connect the button to a security device. This could be a fog cannon, as a way of preventing the robbery from escalating. Where are panic buttons helpful? Petrol stations are often victims of robberies, because most of the time there isn’t more than one person working. It is also due to the cash, tobacco and alcohol kept at the location. The same goes for kiosks, TABAC stores and liquor stores, because of their valuable inventory. Often the locations of petrol stations are remote, which also makes them vulnerable to robberies. Supermarkets also most often have cash and valuable stock, which is also a reason for robberies. Often it is very useful to have a panic button at check-out counters, where the cash is. Thereby the employee can call silently for help if an uncomfortable situation should occur. This could also be applicable at the front desk of e.g., hotels, banks and offices. Read our case on banks here Panic buttons are also used in private homes, where people want to have an extra layer of security. A panic button can be placed around the property, to ensure that there always is a possibility to call for help. This can be if an intruder should make their way close to or inside the home. You can connect the button to many different types of alarm centrals. It can thus also be used in hospitals or senior care facilities to call for help, if a health-related emergency should occur. The fact that a robber might know that a panic button is installed, can also reduce the likelihood of an unfortunate situation happening. The robber will then know that help can be summoned immediately if they try to rob a place with a panic button installed. How does a panic button and a fog cannon work together? As mentioned, a panic button will send a signal to the receiving end of the alarm. An option is a security fog cannon. With the press of a button, the alarm will activate, and this will then start the fog cannon. A fog cannon is a security solution, which in a few seconds, after the alarm is activated, will have removed all visibility in the area. This is done by discharging a dense white fog, which can’t be seen through. When someone presses the panic button, then they’ll be able to remove themselves from the situation. Meanwhile, the robber will be unable to see anything. This will also help ensure minimal loss and damage of property, as the robber or thief won’t be able to see and thereby steal anything or cause too much harm. For a panic button and a fog cannon to work together a central alarm is needed to connect the two. A PROTECT Fog Cannon works with any type of alarm system, and you can thereby use your already installed system. The panic button will send a signal to the alarm when pressed, which then will send a signal to the fog cannon, which will immediately activate. A robber’s reaction when a fog cannon is activated is to run away from the situation. Imagine the robber, high on adrenaline, walking into a petrol station with the goal of walking out with the money and valuable stock. Then the employee presses the button, and a dense white fog will shoot directly towards the robber. The situation is probably already stressful for the robber. But when one of their senses is compromised, due to the fog, then the most common reaction is to flee from the location immediately, to get away from the uncomfortable situation. Read our case on petrol stations here Which panic button solutions exist? You can buy panic button solutions from several manufacturers. Your current security provider will probably also have different panic button options. However, a new addition to the PROTECT product line is PROTECT Ajax Ready. This means that PROTECT Fog Cannons can be wirelessly connected to any Ajax alarm system. With the new addition, there are five different ways of wirelessly activating the fog. Ajax also offers panic button solutions, which can be used for this purpose. It is also possible for some alarm systems to have the panic button solution as a function on your phone. Ajax Ready also allows this, as the PROTECT Fog Cannon can be activated through the Ajax app. Thereby you will almost always have a panic button close by. Learn more about PROTECT Ajax Ready here Panic buttons can both be wired or wireless. The wireless option means you can always have the button on you. You then never have to compromise your safety and can always call for help. The wired option has the extra security of always knowing where to go to call for help. A wired panic button won’t get out of place, as it might happen with the wireless solution. If you’re interested in learning more about panic buttons and fog cannons, then please contact your local distributor. They will be ready to help you out with any questions or demands that you might have.