Duress buttons installed in classrooms
Written by Joe Castagna, Sep 12, 2011, 0 Comments
All USF St. Petersburg campus classrooms now come equipped with duress buttons. Installed in April 2011, the buttons will trigger an immediate police response.
“If there is a major disturbance or emergency in class, instructors can quickly sound a silent alarm by activating the duress button,” said Chief Rene Chenevert, director of University Police Services. “When activated, a message will be sent to police and the closest available officer will respond.”
Environmental emergencies, fires, threats to personal safety, and medical emergencies are all valid conditions that would warrant the activation of the duress button. Professors have been trained to locate the duress alarms, how to activate them and the consequences of doing so.
“This program was implemented for the safety and security of our students, faculty and staff, which USFSP believes is of the utmost importance,” said Ashok Dhingra, regional vice chancellor of Administrative and Financial Services.
Dhingra approved the $20,000 cost of the duress buttons.
“To me, $20,000 is not a major expenditure when I compare that with the loss of a life,” Dhingra said.
Some students believe the system may be an ineffective use of funds. “I think $20,000 is a lot of money to spend on such an intricate system,” said student Will Roberts. “I think it is just adding to a culture of fear.”
“I would never say that any amount of money is not big,” Dhingra said. He believes spending $20,000 on safety is wisely spent and appropriate.
Some think the installation of the system may be due to school shootings that have taken place in recent years.
“I think this is a continuation of the fears associated with the Columbine affair,” said Tony Silvia, professor in the Journalism and Media Studies department. “I hope I never have to use it.”
The upsurge of crime in the area, such as the February 2011 shooting of Officer David S. Crawford, was not a factor in the decision to install the duress buttons, Dhingra said.
“There was no particular event that prompted the decision to install the devices,” Dhingra said. “It is important and proactive for the institution to put in place programs such as this to ensure the safety of our faculty, staff and students.”
Dhingra said although he cannot estimate whether police would arrive prior to saving lives, “any lives that could be saved makes the expenditure worth it to me,” he said.
The duress buttons, like the blue light emergency phones around campus, will play an important role in the overall safety and security systems at USFSP.
“We are always looking for more effective and efficient ways to improve the safety and security of all persons on the campus,” Chenevert said.
