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Trustees discuss panic-button reliability and legal exposure; director to review procedures with police and alarm vendor
Summary
Trustees and the library director discussed the library’s personal panic-button system, response protocols, accidental activations and whether trustees or the director control staff safety procedures; director Noel will consult the alarm vendor and the town attorney for liability clarification.
Trustees spent a substantial portion of the meeting reviewing the library’s panic-button system, how activations are routed, accidental activations and whether the board should adopt policy or leave procedures to the director’s management authority.
Noel explained how the system currently works and that staff now receive individual panic buttons and badges. She described the vendor workflow: when a button activates it produces a caller notification from the police department to the library’s front desk rather than an immediate police dispatch, a sequence she and trustees said can introduce a delay. Noel said the alarm firm’s technician updated contact numbers that day to ensure calls reach current staff phones.
Trustee Corey recommended changing the activation mode to require multiple quick presses (for example, three rapid presses) to reduce inadvertent alerts. Trustee Mike (last name not specified) and others noted that accidental activations have happened when buttons press against desks or are bumped; those false activations cause embarrassment and unnecessary police responses.
Trustee Michael (last name not specified) raised legal-liability concerns and asked whether trustees can be held responsible if a catastrophic assault occurs in the library and procedures are not formalized. Noel and trustees debated the division of responsibilities: Noel reiterated that personnel-management procedures (staff badges, who is assigned panic buttons and internal procedures) are part of the director’s management duties; some trustees asked the director to obtain a legal opinion from the town about trustee exposure. Noel said she would ask the town attorney (Dave DeLuca) at an upcoming meeting.
Noel also reported operational fixes already taken: she had the alarm vendor replace batteries and update the contact list to ensure the most current staff phone numbers are used for confirmations; she said all staff have been issued panic buttons and most staff wear badges, and she will follow up on broken spares.
No formal action or policy changes were adopted at the meeting. Trustees asked Noel to (1) ask the alarm vendor whether the activation pattern can be adjusted to reduce inadvertent activations and (2) consult the police chief about configuring the alarm vendor to request immediate dispatch when a panic button is activated. The trustees also requested a legal opinion from the town attorney about trustee liability for on-site incidents.
