Security is a primary concern for academic spaces, affecting faculty, staff, students, and parents alike. Thanks to Punch Technologies all schools can be prepared in the event of an emergency. Punch Alert’s iOS and Android app puts a panic button in the hands of teachers, faculty, staff and students. With the press of a button, emergency responders are notified of a potentially dangerous situation.
Punch Alert is an all-in-one mass emergency communication platform created for schools, universities, and other campus locations. The app allows students to report emergencies and immediately get help of the right kind (medical personnel, security service, etc.). Beacons proved to be the most cost-effective and accurate way to passively create indoor location awareness that allows internal responders to locate everyone on campus in real-time.
Pressing the panic button instantly alerts authorities, emergency responders, and other staff of a potentially life-threatening situation. This could be a sudden health problem, a dangerous stranger on campus or report of theft. Punch Alert then allows responders to review the situation and then release to other faculty and staff or students along with a detailed emergency plan. During an active emergency, responders can easily and efficiently crowd-source and share user-submitted information in the form of images, videos, audio recordings and text notes. With the press of a button, responders can deliver mass updates to users and even resolve the emergency once the all clear is given.
Users can report emergencies even without WiFi access or a data connection, thanks to a built in 'Offline Mode'. Android users can also report an emergency simply by triple tapping the power button on their device.
"Customers are extremely excited to use Punch Alert and iBeacon technology to create complete awareness during chaotic emergency situations. Real-time indoor location awareness is absolutely critical during a lockdown or evacuation situation. Customers have been impressed at how simple it is to setup and use." said Greg Artzt, CEO of Punch Technologies.
Punch Alert is being piloted by schools and universities in the US and has already been implemented by both the East Hampton and South Huntington public school districts in New York.
