School safety laws have gained significant traction at the state and federal levels over the last decade. Ten states have passed Alyssa’s Law, which requires K-12 campuses to implement a school alert system to support rapid incident response. Wearable alert badges are integral to these systems.
School districts nationwide are turning to wearable technology and strobes to support emergency response. But choosing the right provider isn’t always easy, especially with new products claiming effectiveness and affordability without actual customers validating the product’s promises.
Reliability is the key to an effective wearable panic button. As new players enter the space with similar technology, district leaders face a critical decision—trust a recently introduced solution in its pilot phase or choose one with a proven track record. When lives are at stake, the difference between tested and theoretical matters.
CENTEGIX® built its entire platform around the panic button badge. It wasn’t an afterthought; it was the foundation. Years of customer usage data, platform refinements, product expansions, and integrations have made CENTEGIX the trusted leader in wearable safety solutions for the workplace.
CENTEGIX: Built Around a Wearable Alert Badge from the Start
The CENTEGIX Safety Platform™ was designed around CrisisAlert™, our wearable panic button badge that enables teachers and school administrators to quickly and discreetly get help. Time is the most critical factor in an emergency, and CrisisAlert compresses time by activating multiple emergency notifications immediately and simultaneously. We’ve learned from safety leaders within schools that intercom announcements aren’t heard amidst chaos. This insight led us to place strobes in every classroom and throughout the buildings—not as an optional add-on for an extra expense, but as an integral and included component of every school installation. Whether power is lost, screens aren’t in sight, or noise prevails, strobes deliver unmistakable, building-wide visual alerts to everyone, everywhere.
Key reasons panic button technology and strobes should be part of every school’s comprehensive safety planning include:
- Immediate Campus-Wide Notifications: Strobes provide safety coverage for an entire campus by notifying everyone of an emergency in seconds. An analysis of over 265,000 safety events in schools during the 2024-2025 school year found that approximately 60% of incidents occurred outside the classroom. In these situations, audio announcements can get drowned out by noise, and texts can be delayed. However, strobes alert everyone immediately.
- Colored Strobes Prevent Confusion: Schools can program strobes to display different colors based on the type of emergency. This enables students and staff to react appropriately and enact the correct protocols when an incident occurs.
- Reliable Operation: Strobe lights continue to work during power outages or when Wi-Fi is down. This is invaluable during extreme weather or natural disasters that threaten a school’s safety infrastructure or in areas with spotty signal.
- Effective Notifications for the Hearing Impaired: Over 300,000 children between five and 17 years old are deaf or hearing impaired, and 13% of adults have trouble hearing, even with the help of a hearing aid. Strobes provide visual emergency notifications so hearing-impaired individuals can react quickly in an emergency.
While many panic button providers adapt existing systems to accommodate the addition of a new wearable device, CENTEGIX’s Safety Platform was built for what happens after an alert is activated. With CrisisAlert as the centerpiece, we maintain a focus on incident response throughout the entire platform. Because the wearable badge is simple, intuitive, and easy to train users on, adoption is high across all roles in the organization.
Why Retrofitting a Safety System Doesn’t Work
Other providers of school safety solutions are now introducing wearable badges after previously criticizing them. Unlike our purpose-built, networked components, others are buying off-the-shelf devices, retrofitting them to check the box marked “wearable.” Data shows that wearable panic buttons support rapid response and foster a culture of safety in the organizations utilizing them.
“We didn’t want to go with a system that would ask our teachers to download an app or have to fumble through a phone or have to run to a panic alert button. The CrisisAlert system is a really small device; it’s wearable… and it’s inconspicuous.”
-Lisa Cantu, Federal Programs Director, Mercedes ISD, TX
CENTEGIX Has the Data to Back it Up
When it comes to the well-being of your school’s students and staff, you want a provider who can demonstrate the value of the solution as evidenced by its usage.
CENTEGIX is the only provider that publishes annual usage data. Our reports highlight trends and provide valuable insights, including:
- The most common types of incidents CrisisAlert is used for
- How supported users feel with the badge knowing help is moments away
- The impact it has on school climate
Our 2025 School Safety Trends Report provides transparency around the functionality and effectiveness of safety technology and the trends seen in schools across the US around school safety. School leaders can use this information to develop safety plans with a clear vision of how wearable panic buttons will help teachers and staff. Data also informs continuous platform improvements.
CENTEGIX publishes industry-specific reports, highlighting trends that help organizations create and develop safety initiatives. For example, our 2025 Healthcare Safety Trends report explores the connection between workplace safety and patient care.
Designed in Partnership With Educators and First Responders
Understanding the safety needs of schools is crucial when developing technology that stands out. CENTEGIX worked closely with school districts and leadership teams to make its platform practical, intuitive, and effective.
Conversations revealed the need for more effective solutions that addressed the realities of school emergencies and how teachers respond. For example, we learned that physical altercations are more common in hallways, and tying a communication device to a classroom made it difficult for staff to take action.
Full-time system monitoring gives you the peace of mind that your safety plan is supported and ready when it matters most. CENTEGIX makes this easy by monitoring all components of the Safety Platform in real time. This includes:
- Wearable badges
- Strobes
- Gateways
- Beacons
“Our District is adding a layer of safety with the CENTEGIX CrisisAlert wearable badge for Alyssa’s Law, gaining the on-site notifications—strobes, computer screen takeovers, intercom announcements—that initiate our emergency protocols and direct everyone on campus to follow their safety training.” – Howard Hepburn, Superintendent, Broward County Public Schools, FL.
This proactive maintenance facilitates system integrity and uninterrupted protection, and removes burdens on administrators and IT staff.
No Charging Required—Unlike Other Solutions
Unreliable battery life and charging requirements are common criticisms of panic buttons—and rightfully so. What if a badge’s battery unknowingly dies and the user can’t signal for help in an emergency? What if an incident occurs when the user is charging their badge?
We addressed these concerns when designing CrisisAlert. Its battery lasts over a year, eliminating the need for daily, weekly, or even monthly recharging. In addition to reliable battery life, CrisisAlert operates on private LoRaWAN networks, rather than relying on the strength of your school’s Wi-Fi or cell service. Teachers and staff can request help anywhere on campus without worrying about connectivity issues.
Make CrisisAlert Your Trusted Wearable Panic Button
In emergencies, you don’t want a panic button solution that you hope will work—you want 700,000 badge-wearers who share feedback like, “The CENTEGIX system is the smartest investment our school district has ever made.”
CrisisAlert isn’t a new attempt at incident response. It’s a proven solution designed and tested in real emergencies, backed by hard data and full-time support.
When safety is non-negotiable, experience matters. Learn how our CrisisAlert wearable panic button, part of the CENTEGIX Safety Platform, works to create a multi-layered safety plan you can trust.
