Some roles carry a real risk of confrontation, and the people in them need a way to call for help quickly and without being noticed. Discreetly signaling duress and summoning rapid, qualified intervention is a critical element in many security programs, whether in healthcare, banking, public-facing roles, corporate staff who may deal with combative individuals, or anyone handling cash.

Several technologies can do this, each with its own upsides, downsides, and cost. The table below gives an overview of the main types of system. It isn’t exhaustive, but it includes some typical providers and devices to show the range of options.

Comparing the Main Types of Duress Alarm

Configuration / Type	Pros	Cons	Examples
Fixed hardwired device	• Low cost • Location identified to responders • Reliable	• Less flexible; activation from only one location • Adversary may get further agitated if witnessing the activation	• Hub-M by Potter • Honeywell Ademco 269R
Wireless	• More flexible than fixed device • Activation from more than one location	• Location of person not verified • Potentially less reliable • Replacing batteries • Adversary may get further agitated if witnessing the activation	• DMP 1148 • Inovonics IV-EN1235SF
Wireless with location ID	• Location identified • Activation would likely be discreet	• Highest cost • Maximum low voltage infrastructure required • Changing batteries	• Inovonics Radius • Strongline Safety Systems

Design and Installation Considerations for Panic Alarms

• Wireless panic devices that are battery operated should be tested at the maximum specified distances from the wireless receivers.
• Fixed hardwired devices should be installed in a location that allows for discreet activation.
• When used by an employee or contractor in an emergency, no audible alarm activation would typically occur, to keep the activation discreet.
• Install with excess wire so the device can be relocated below the desk depending on the dominant hand of the user.
• Flush mounted to the edge of the desk for easy and discreet access.
• The side surface of the desk should be properly labeled to identify the location of the panic alarm device more easily (see image).
• Double pole, double throw panic alarms allow communications redundancy. The main concern is that if a panic alarm is connected to an access control system as an input point, it can be impaired during a network outage. The counter design strategy is to use a double pole, double throw device, which allows the device to be connected to an intrusion alarm panel and report out to a third-party central station. This removes the risk of an internal network or switch failure, so an employee can get the help they are requesting.

Operational Considerations for Panic Alarms

• Duress devices must be tested regularly.
• The people who might need to use the duress device should be involved in the testing process, so they are familiar with how it works (particularly models that may be mounted under the desk).
• Personnel who sit in for relief periods at workstations where duress alarms are installed should be trained in de-escalation and in how to discreetly activate a desk-mounted duress alarm.
• If a tool is required to reset the alarm switch, one is typically kept with the security focal point and another with the panic alarm.
• Consider placing a written testing procedure at each workstation where a panic alarm is installed, covering activation and testing requirements.

Making a Duress Alarm Work in Practice

A duress alarm is only as good as the planning behind it. The right device depends on the environment and the people using it, and even the best hardware adds little if it isn’t installed for discreet access, tested on a regular schedule, and backed by staff who know how to use it under pressure. Treated that way, a panic alarm becomes a dependable part of a wider security program, rather than a box that was ticked once and forgotten.