How Texas Districts are Using Wearable Panic Buttons to Reduce Response Times

Texas schools face a pressing need to protect students and staff through school alert systems. Senate Bill 838—also known as Alyssa’s Law–-requires all public and charter schools to provide each classroom in the district or school with silent panic alert technology that allows for immediate contact with district or school emergency services and emergency services agencies, law enforcement agencies, health departments, and fire departments. Safety technology featuring wearable panic buttons can help school districts prepare for compliance.

Texas Takes Action on School Safety with Alyssa’s Law

Texas educators and administrators know that rapid response can make all the difference in an emergency. With Senate Bill 838 requiring implementation by 2025-2026, districts are taking steps to ensure staff can reach emergency services and first responders at a moment’s notice.

The law enables districts to use school safety allotment funds or existing procurement processes to implement compliant technology, such as wearable panic buttons. Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District (HCISD) chose the CENTEGIX Safety Platform™ featuring CrisisAlert™ for its proven ability to reduce response times in emergency situations.

“It’s a simple system: just press a button and the alert goes out instantly and simultaneously to our internal security team and our first responder community,” explains Danny Castillo, HCISD Director of Emergency Management and School Safety.

HCISD recognized that traditional emergency response depends on unreliable methods like Wi-Fi, phones, or cellular service during critical moments.

“There’s no need to pick up a phone and try to dial a number,” Castillo says.

Districts across Texas and the United States are discovering how CrisisAlert enables rapid incident response through its immediate notifications and precise, room-level location information. This technology empowers staff to request assistance for medical emergencies, student incidents, and other everyday situations that require rapid response, as well as extreme emergencies that require first responder help.

Wearable Panic Buttons Reduce Response Times in Texas Schools

Safety incidents, from the everyday to the extreme, require rapid response. Aldine Independent School District’s experience illustrates how wearable panic button technology transforms emergency preparedness.

“I have full confidence in this product,” states Chief Paul Córdova, Chief of Police at Aldine ISD. “We can mobilize quickly and know what we’re faced with. We’ve tested it over and over again. Within 1 to 2 seconds, it’s showing up in our emergency dispatch. We’ve used it for full-scale exercises where the CENTEGIX badge is the actual first reporter. Within a matter of minutes, we had over 100 officers respond.”

CrisisAlert offers a complete solution that equips schools with reliable emergency response capabilities. 

“You have a problem in mandating putting apps on personal devices, whereas this is something that’s issued, and it’s worn inconspicuously,” Chief Córdova explains. “You take it with you everywhere.”

The wearable panic button delivers immediate incident notification, while its precise location information empowers responders with details about where help is needed.

“Being able to pinpoint where the threat is, is crucial,” Chief Córdova continues. “By issuing these devices, it makes everybody a stakeholder in campus safety.”

The importance of this technology extends far beyond crisis scenarios. Every day, schools across Texas use CrisisAlert for medical emergencies, student incidents, and faculty support. The badge is unobtrusive and easy to use—empowering staff can act confidently in any situation.

For district administrators, implementing CrisisAlert addresses two critical needs: fulfilling the requirements of Alyssa’s Law and providing a proven solution that enhances student and staff safety. 

Texas superintendents and administrators are seeing tangible benefits from their early adoption of wearable panic buttons ahead of the 2025-2026 mandate.

“Safety is on the forefront of everybody’s minds more than ever,” says Dr. Kimberly Cantu, Superintendent of Mansfield ISD. “What we noticed with the badges is just that peace of mind for staff, which means the work is actually happening to a higher and deeper level.”

For many districts, the CENTEGIX Safety Platform stands out for its user-friendly approach.

“In times of crisis, you need simplicity, and you need something that can be easily accessible. And we felt like the badges were exactly that,” explains Stan Wittle, Assistant Superintendent of Marble Falls ISD. “Our board approved it in early summer, and we were up and rolling by August. It was a good feeling to have that in place.”

“Staff confidence comes from having immediate access to assistance,” shares Dr. LaTonya M. Goffney, Superintendent of Aldine ISD.

“What I felt is a sense of calm,” Dr. Goffney says. “Literally, I think it’s the confidence in knowing that if a crisis happens, there’s not going to be a delay in response time with this device. I don’t have that question: what are we going to do when, what are we going to do if, how are we going to respond—because we already have a plan with CENTEGIX.”

CrisisAlert’s wearable panic button solution provides administrators a straightforward path to compliance while delivering immediate value to their communities.

As districts evaluate their safety needs, leaders increasingly recognize the value of proactive implementation. Early adoption allows schools to refine emergency response protocols and build staff confidence well before the state mandate takes effect.

“I think it’s had a really big impact,” Dr. Cantu says. “Knowing you can just reach up and grab and push a button, I think is tremendous.”

The CENTEGIX Safety Platform: Safety Solutions for Texas Schools

The CENTEGIX Safety Platform reduces response times through an integrated suite of solutions. Built on private LoRaWAN and Bluetooth networks that are reliable when other systems might fail, the Safety Platform supports Texas schools in meeting Alyssa’s Law requirements, while providing comprehensive safety coverage. 

When an emergency occurs, traditional response methods often involve multiple manual steps like locating a phone, dialing 911, explaining the situation, and describing the location. The Safety Platform eliminates these delays through instant, one-button activation. 

This approach addresses the most critical factor in emergency response: time. By automating communication sequences and providing precise location information, the CENTEGIX Safety Platform significantly reduces the time between incident identification and response. This system works independently of Wi-Fi or cellular networks, ensuring functionality even in areas with poor coverage or during network outages. 

The CENTEGIX Safety Platform delivers rapid incident response through three key solutions:

CrisisAlert: A wearable panic button that enables rapid response in emergencies

• Initiate staff alerts for everyday incidents, immediately notifying local responders
• Initiate campus-wide alerts that activate full audio and visual notifications 
• Provide precise location details to responders and 911 dispatch for campus-wide alerts
• Operate anywhere on campus, indoors or outdoors; no Wi-Fi needed
• Request help discreetly and instantly in any situation

Safety Blueprint: An intelligent response mapping solution that streamlines emergency response

• Creates a digital, multi-layered map of the campus and buildings
• Pinpoints safety equipment locations—AEDs, fire alarms, extinguishers, first aid kits
• Provides first responders with critical location details
• Maintains a single source of truth for asset management

Visitor Management: Comprehensive visitor monitoring and authentication

• Efficient check-in process with background screening
• Historical location data recording

The Enhanced Visitor Management feature offers:

• Real-time location of all campus visitors
• Zone-based access authorization

The CENTEGIX Safety Platform provides Texas districts with a comprehensive safety platform to meet compliance requirements while reducing emergency response times. With CrisisAlert wearable panic buttons, Safety Blueprint digital mapping, and Enhanced Visitor Management real-time locating, schools can act rapidly and decisively in an emergency, from the everyday to the extreme.

As the Alyssa’s Law deadline approaches, CENTEGIX stands ready to help Texas schools meet compliance—because in a crisis, every second matters.™