District 59 to study wearable panic devices after staff highlights CrisisGo capabilities

Board members asked district staff to study mobile panic-alert devices and how they would integrate with existing emergency systems during a Dec. 10 discussion on school safety technology.

A written statement from a trustee (read aloud) urged the district to evaluate wearable badges that let staff discreetly request help, citing federal guidance that recommends layered alert systems. Director Malek (speaker 12) told trustees the district already uses CrisisGo and building panic buttons that link directly to first responders; he said CrisisGo “meets the requirement” of the draft Illinois legislation commonly called Alyssa’s Law and currently supports alerts, rostering and, with further rollout, staff check-in and substitute rostering features.

Malek and other administrators cautioned that wearable panic devices raise tradeoffs: they must integrate with dispatch centers, create clear training and response protocols to limit false activations, and represent a potentially high-cost districtwide implementation. The district’s staff reported about 95% staff adoption of the CrisisGo app on personal devices and said the administration is pursuing a tiered rollout of additional features rather than adding multiple new devices at once.

Board members asked for a measured, staff-led discovery process: the administration will assess vendor demonstrations, integration with existing systems (including dispatch centers), costs, and training needs, and bring findings back to the board through the safety committee process. Trustees emphasized that any purchase should align with potential state legislation and available funding, and should not duplicate or confuse existing systems.

No formal purchase was approved; the board directed staff to begin a structured review and to return with recommendations.