There was some discussion about Engineering Administration’s project to install ‘Panic Buttons’ throughout the College at the tail end of the last ENG-IT meeting. This information has been conveyed to your Department Chairs and project managers in the College and should have been conveyed down to you. Recognizing that it hasn’t yet here’s the info:

• The College has been investigating panic button solutions for quite a while and working with UPD, Telecommunications, and Safety to identify and install something that will be approved and supported by all units. In other words, we wanted a campus standard.
• The panic button capabilities of existing building controllers (Lenel system) was reviewed during this time. This option is too expensive for many reasons.
• The panic button solution decided upon is basically an IP phone that calls a predetermined number and plays a prerecorded message. It is meant to be a ‘press a button and UPD shows up’ solution and not require any other interaction.
• This panic button solution is one that has been piloted by Telecommunications and is in active installation in Housing. Telecommunications is also working with HSC to make it an approved option in those areas as well (expected review to be completed by end of August). Per discussions with Telecommunications this is what they are promoting as a campus standard.
• Telecommunications has stated that they will be able to monitor these devices to insure they do not fall off the network and alert if they do.
• Telecommunications and UPD are working together to establish a standard script to be used for the prerecorded message that will clearly identify the location of the emergency.
• Installation requires purchase of the device (~$325), programming fee (~$25 (may be waived)), and an available network drop (~$350). During this project $700 per panic button was budgeted.
• A certain number of these panic buttons were made available to each department (I believe it was three) for installation in general use and student concentrated areas. It was thought that the Department main office and the departmental advisors office locations would be good locations but, in the end, the final locations would be coordinated with the unit. Jeff Bielling has started the process of identifying contact people and button locations.
• Coverage of these buttons were for every Engineering occupied building. Several buildings were identified that didn’t have departmental main offices or otherwise easily identified locations for an installation. Jeff and Denis were working together and would approach occupants of those spaces to identify an appropriate location.