Panic and duress alerts
Panic button monitoring that works without a button
A spoken safeword turns any monitored room into a hands-free panic button. When someone in a restroom, a back office, a stockroom or a patient room says it, a camera-free sensor sends a silent alert to the Sirix command center. A live operator then checks your linked cameras, sends help and follows your site’s procedure, 24/7, across the US and Canada.
Panic and duress alerts are silent emergency signals that a person in danger triggers on purpose to summon help without alerting an attacker. The trigger can be a chosen safeword spoken near a sensor, a panic button, a panic app or a duress code. With Sirix panic button monitoring, every panic and duress alert reaches a live operator at a 24/7 command center, who checks linked cameras and responds on the site’s procedure.
Hands-free: a spoken safeword raises the alert, with no device to reach
Silent by design: nothing sounds in the room, so an attacker is never tipped off
Exact room location sent with every alert
Custom safewords in multiple languages, manufacturer reported
The sensor itself has no camera and records no audio, so it can protect the rooms your cameras cannot enter
500+ manufacturers supported, so alerts can come from the sensors and panic buttons you already own
Speak. Alert. Respond.
How does panic button monitoring work?
A hands-free trigger, a silent signal and a live response, in that order.
A safeword only your people know. You choose a word or phrase that would never come up in normal conversation. The sensor listens for it in real time, analyzes sound on the device and keeps no recording.
A silent alert in seconds. When the safeword is spoken or a panic button is pressed, the alert leaves the room silently with its exact location and reaches the Sirix command center within seconds. There is no siren, no flashing light and nothing an attacker can notice.
Software and automations. The same alert can reach your video management system, access control or mass notification platform, so doors, lights and lockdown steps can follow your rules automatically.
What can trigger a duress alert?
Spoken
- A safeword or phrase you choose
- Common calls for help, such as "help" or "emergency"
- Safewords in multiple languages, including English and Spanish
Pressed
- Fixed panic buttons under desks and counters
- Wireless and wearable panic buttons
- Panic buttons paired with a multisensor
Connected
- Mobile panic app alerts
- Duress codes on alarm keypads
- Third-party panic and mass notification systems
Manufacturer reported: supported triggers, languages and sensitivity settings vary by sensor model and are confirmed during your site assessment.
The Sirix layer
The sensor hears the call. Your cameras show who is there.
A panic alert tells you someone needs help. It cannot tell you who is with them, whether they are armed or where they are going. Sirix links every panic and duress sensor to your cameras through remote video monitoring, so a live operator sees the hallway outside the restroom, the corridor outside the room or the counter in front of the cashier, and sends help with the information responders need, following your site’s standard operating procedure (SOP) to the letter. Receiving and acting on alerts never lands on your team.
What the linked camera shows the operator the moment the alert comes in.
Someone calls for help
A person says the safeword or presses a panic button. A silent alert with the exact location reaches our command center within seconds.
An operator takes it and runs your SOP
A live Sirix operator responds immediately on your protocol. Your SOP decides every step. For a duress alert, the setup most sites choose is immediate dispatch, with no call to the room that could alert the attacker.
Linked cameras show what is happening
The operator silently pulls every camera near the alert: who went in, who came out, how many people, whether a weapon is visible and which way they went. A reading cannot give responders any of that.
The operator guides responders and documents
The operator relays a live description to police, guards or staff, stays on video until help arrives and notifies the contacts your SOP names. The alert, the video, every action and the outcome are documented.
A panic alert tells you someone needs help. Video tells responders what they are walking into.
Responders prioritize what is confirmed. Under The Monitoring Association’s AVS-01 alarm validation standard, a call for service backed by visible, audible or eyewitness confirmation of a threat to life is Level 4, the highest priority. And because a callback can put a person under duress in more danger, many US false alarm ordinances, such as Kirkland, Washington’s, exempt duress, holdup and panic alarms from the two-call verification required for burglar alarms. Sirix operators verify with video, silently, instead.
Silent or audible. You decide for each trigger.
Silent duress
The usual choice for safewords and hidden buttons. Nothing sounds or lights up in the room. The operator watches silently, does not speak into the space and sends help on your procedure.
Audible panic
For lobbies, parking areas and open spaces where deterrence helps. The sensor’s light and speaker signal that help is on the way, and the operator can speak through a linked speaker and watch the situation calm on video.
No camera in the room? That is the point.
Video is proof, never a precondition. Every alert gets a live response.
Restrooms, locker rooms, changing rooms and patient rooms cannot have a camera. The sensor still hears the safeword inside, and the nearest hallway camera shows who walks in and out.
Stockrooms, back offices and stairwells often have no coverage at all, and these are the rooms where people are most often alone.
A live operator runs your SOP without video: dispatching police or guards, calling the site contact, notifying staff or escalating. The task leaves your team’s hands.
Competitors hand you a notification. Sirix takes it from here.
What a panic sensor does, and what monitored panic and duress alerts add
| A panic sensor alone | Monitored panic and duress alerts with Sirix |
|---|---|
| Hears the safeword and raises an alert | Hears the safeword and raises an alert |
| Sends a notification to a phone or platform | Sends a silent alert to a 24/7 command center |
| Someone has to see it, even at 3 a.m. | A live operator takes it, day or night |
| Staff decide what to do under stress | Operators follow your written SOP exactly |
| Nobody sees what is happening | Operators watch linked cameras and describe the scene, when available |
| Responders arrive with no description | Responders arrive with a live description from the operator |
| A notification in a log | A documented alert, video, action and outcome |
| Nobody knows if the sensor goes offline | Device health and tamper alerts monitored |
Simple to deploy and support
Easy to set up. Easier to live with.
The sensor connects over a single ethernet cable, and Sirix oversees the rollout, handling the configuration and every connection to our command center. Choose monitoring and the extra steps are ours too.
1. Panic sensor or button
Mounts on the ceiling, wall or under a counter, or is worn
2. Your network
Connects over a PoE switch or a supported wireless link
3. Secure link to Sirix
An encrypted connection from your site to our command center
4. Sirix command center
Live operators verify and respond, 24/7
Self-monitored
The sensor, our configuration and safeword setup, and alerts delivered to your own platform by text, email or app.
Professionally monitored
The secure link to our command center, video verification on your linked cameras, silent or audible handling per trigger, and operator response and dispatch on your SOP.
We configure everything.
Safewords, sensitivity, silent or audible handling for each trigger, alert routing and escalation contacts are all set up by Sirix and tuned to your spaces. There is nothing for your team to program.
Cameras and speakers, handled.
If a linked camera or a speaker is needed, Sirix connects it to the command center and confirms that it works.
We test it with your people.
Before go live, we test every safeword and button with your staff, so everyone knows how to call for help and trusts that it works.
24/7 support team.
If anything goes wrong at any point, our team is on it around the clock to fix it fast and keep your coverage live.
Sirix supports 500+ manufacturers of cameras, intercoms, DVRs and other devices, and connects panic and duress alerts from multisensor brands such as HALO and Triton, from wired and wireless panic buttons, and from panic apps and alarm panels. Your panic alert system plugs into the infrastructure you already run. If a device can send an alert, Sirix can receive it. Compatibility is confirmed during your site assessment.
What it costs
How much does panic button monitoring cost?
Across North America (the US and Canada), panic and duress alert monitoring generally costs between $10.00 and $75.00 per device per month, depending on the services required.
per device, per month, in most cases
Low end of the range
Self-monitored
Alerts delivered to your own platform by text, email or app. Your team sees each one and responds. Sensor configuration and safeword setup included.
High end of the range
Professionally monitored. This is what Sirix does.
Every alert is taken by a live operator, 24/7, with video when it is available.
- Alert monitoring by live operators at a 24/7 command center
- Silent video verification on your linked cameras
- Dispatch of police, guards or staff on your site's standard operating procedure
- Audible deterrence and voice intervention where you choose it
- Device health, tamper monitoring and incident reporting
Typical market rates for panic and duress alert monitoring, shown for orientation, not a Sirix price list. Where a site lands depends on the services chosen: notification only, video verification, dispatch or audible deterrence. Your assessment confirms your rate.
Our operator promise
Every alarm reaches a real person
Bilingual Sirix operators answer every alarm the moment it comes in, around the clock. No alarm waits for business hours. AI can assist, but every alarm is answered by a trained operator.
of alarms answered by a live Sirix operator
every day of the year, alarms never wait for office hours
a robot or an answering machine. AI assists, a trained operator answers
Sirix never discloses the sites it protects. Confidentiality is part of the service, so you will not find site names or the organizations we protect listed here. What we can show you is the operation behind the promise: the command center behind this service already monitors 25,000+ devices across 230+ cities in the US and Canada.
Privacy by design
Help on call, without surveillance
The sensor has no camera and records no audio. It listens for the safeword on the device, in real time, and keeps nothing. That is why panic and duress alerts can protect people in the private spaces where they are most alone.
- No camera and no recordings. The sensor recognizes a safeword; it does not record or store what people say.
- No personally identifiable information captured, manufacturer reported.
- Tamper alerts when the sensor is covered, moved or disconnected.
- Vandal-resistant housing, powered over a single ethernet cable.
- No camera
- No recorded audio
- No personal data
- Tamper alerts
Capabilities vary by model and are confirmed during your site assessment.
Where it works
Built for the places people work alone
Panic and duress alerts belong wherever someone can be cornered out of sight. Sirix operators respond for every vertical below, which are listed in order of demand.
Hotels and hospitality
Housekeepers, room attendants and engineers spend much of their shift alone behind closed doors. Several US states and cities now require hotels to give these employees a panic device. Wearable buttons travel with your staff, and safeword sensors cover back of house areas, service corridors, laundry and staff restrooms. Operators see the corridor camera, send help and document every event for your records.
Related: commercial building security
Healthcare and senior living
Emergency departments, behavioral health units, patient rooms and nurse stations see more workplace violence than almost any other setting. A safeword works when a nurse or caregiver cannot reach a button. Operators confirm on the corridor camera, alert security and clinical leads on your protocol, and document every event for compliance.
Retail stores
Cashiers, fitting room attendants and late shift staff face confrontations alone, often in front of the counter. Fixed buttons under the counter, wearables on the floor and safeword sensors in stockrooms all reach one operator, who sees the store on video and sends help. New York’s Retail Worker Safety Act adds silent response buttons for large retailers starting in 2027.
Related: retail security and shopping center security
Schools and campuses
Restrooms, locker rooms and residence halls are where students are out of sight and cameras cannot go. A safeword sensor lets a student or staff member call for help without a phone. Operators verify on hallway cameras and act on the school’s emergency plan.
Multifamily and condos
Lobbies, parking levels, laundry rooms, gyms and concierge desks are shared, often empty and often unstaffed at night. Panic and duress alerts give residents and staff a direct line to a live operator who sees the building on camera and sends help on your protocol.
Related: multifamily residential security and remote concierge
Commercial offices
Reception desks, HR meeting rooms, late night floors and garages are where a tense visitor or a lone employee needs help fast. A silent alert brings an operator who watches the floor on video and escalates to security or police on your plan.
Related: commercial building security
What is at stake
A call for help nobody answers is a risk nobody owns
A panic button alone does not protect anyone. US federal data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, Bureau of Labor Statistics and NIOSH counts an annual average of 1.3 million nonfatal workplace violent victimizations from 2015 to 2019. The gap between a call for help and a response is where harm, liability and cost accumulate.
Liability
When a threat was foreseeable and a call for help went unanswered, the exposure lands on you. A verified response and a timestamped record change that story.
Staff, residents, patients and students are counting on someone to act. A notification does not act. A live operator does.
Panic device laws and workplace violence programs ask for a way to summon help and proof that it works. Documented alerts and responses give you that proof.
People work alone more safely when they know a single word brings help. That confidence shows up in retention.
Which panic trigger fits which space
| Trigger | Needs a free hand | Works if the person is cornered or restrained | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spoken safeword | No | Yes | Restrooms, patient rooms, stockrooms, any closed room |
| Wearable panic button | Yes, one press | Sometimes | Housekeepers, nurses, staff on the move |
| Mobile panic app | Yes, phone in hand | Rarely | Staff who already carry a work phone |
| Fixed panic button | Yes, within reach | Rarely | Reception desks, cash counters, nurse stations |
Most sites combine two or more triggers. Sirix monitors them all through one command center.
Where the law already asks for a way to call for help
| Jurisdiction | Law | What it asks for |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois | Hotel and Casino Employee Safety Act | Portable safety devices for hotel and casino employees who work alone in guest rooms or restrooms |
| New Jersey | Hotel panic device law | Panic devices for employees assigned to work alone in guest rooms at hotels with 100 or more rooms |
| New York City | Safe Hotels Act | Panic buttons for hotel staff as part of hotel licensing |
| New York State | Retail Worker Safety Act, as amended in 2025 | Silent response buttons for retail employers with 500 or more retail employees in the state, starting January 1, 2027 |
| California cities | Hotel worker protection ordinances, including Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland and Santa Monica | Panic buttons for hotel employees who work alone in guest rooms |
| Washington State | RCW 49.60.515, as amended effective 2026 | Panic buttons for isolated janitors, security guards, housekeepers and room service attendants at hotels, motels, retail stores, security companies and property services contractors |
| Ontario, Canada | Occupational Health and Safety Act, section 32.0.2 | A workplace violence program with measures and procedures for summoning immediate assistance |
Snapshot as of October 2026, for orientation only and not legal advice. Requirements and thresholds change. Confirm what applies to your sites with your legal counsel. Sirix monitored alerts can support your program; they do not by themselves establish compliance.
One sensor, many possibilities
More than a panic button
The same sensor behind your panic and duress alerts can do much more. Explore the monitored services Sirix offers.
Vape detection monitoring
Vape aerosol, THC oil and masking sprays in the spaces cameras cannot watch, verified and acted on by operators.
CO2, carbon monoxide, particulates and VOCs tracked room by room, with a live operator behind every alarm.
Words of aggression, bullying and distress detected as they are spoken, with no audio recorded, so a conflict reaches an operator early.
Cigarette and cannabis smoke, nicotine and the sprays used to mask them, verified and acted on by operators.
Temperature, humidity and energy conditions tracked in real time, so unsafe rooms surface early and you cut wasted energy.
360-degree gunshot detection with dual authentication, so a confirmed shot reaches operators in seconds.
Raised voices, fighting, glass break and screams, so a conflict gets a response before it becomes an injury.
Overcrowding and after-hours presence flagged automatically, so you stay ahead of capacity and access limits.
Flags when someone stays too long, so a medical emergency, drug use or class cutting gets a response in time.
Detects phone use in restricted areas, even burner phones, so policy holds where supervision is hardest.
Alerts the moment the sensor is covered, moved or interfered with, so your coverage cannot be quietly switched off.
Detects movement in spaces that should be empty, so after-hours activity and trespassing reach an operator right away.
Works alongside
Lone worker alarm response
For staff who work alone on site and carry a personal alarm device.
Emergency intercom monitoring
Two-way call points where people can speak with an operator.
Voice interventions
Live talk-down through site speakers when deterrence helps.
Alarm video verification
Video confirmation of any alarm before and during dispatch.
Security integrator? Offer monitored panic and duress alerts to your clients, behind your brand. Become a partner
Get started
Put a live operator behind every call for help
Tell us about your spaces and the people who work alone in them. We design the panic and duress plan around your real risks.
A specialist follows up within one business day to scope coverage, pricing and response for your environment, including a site assessment when it helps.
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Frequently asked questions
Panic button monitoring, answered
What is panic button monitoring?
Panic button monitoring is a 24/7 service in which a live operator receives every panic or duress alert and acts on it. With Sirix, the alert can come from a spoken safeword, a panic button, a panic app or a duress code. The operator checks linked cameras, sends help on the site’s procedure and documents the outcome, across the US and Canada.
What are panic and duress alerts?
Panic and duress alerts are emergency signals that a person in danger triggers on purpose to summon help. A duress alert is silent, so an attacker is never tipped off. The trigger can be a spoken safeword, a panic button, a panic app or a duress code. With Sirix, every alert reaches a live operator at a 24/7 command center, who responds on the site’s procedure across the US and Canada.
How does a spoken safeword work as a panic button?
A sensor mounted on the ceiling listens for a word or phrase the site chooses, such as an unusual code phrase. When someone says it, the sensor sends a silent alert with the room location to the Sirix command center. The person needs no phone and no free hand, which matters most when they are cornered, restrained or being watched.
Does a panic sensor record audio or use a camera?
No. The panic and duress sensors Sirix monitors have no camera and record no audio or video. They analyze sound on the device in real time to recognize the safeword and keep no recording, manufacturer reported. That is why they can be placed in restrooms, locker rooms and patient rooms, where cameras are not allowed. Exact capabilities are confirmed during the site assessment.
What happens when a panic or duress alert is triggered?
The alert reaches the Sirix command center within seconds. A live operator follows the site’s SOP, which for a duress alert is usually immediate dispatch. At the same time, the operator silently checks linked cameras near the alert, relays a description to responders, notifies the site’s contacts and documents the event from start to finish.
Is a duress alert silent?
Yes, when it is configured that way, and that is the usual choice. Nothing sounds or lights up in the room, and Sirix operators do not speak into the space, so an attacker is not alerted. Sites can choose audible panic handling instead for lobbies or parking areas where deterrence helps. Sirix sets silent or audible handling for each trigger.
Do operators call the site before sending police on a duress alert?
Not by default. A callback can put a person under duress in more danger, and many US false alarm ordinances exempt duress, holdup and panic alarms from the two-call verification used for burglar alarms. Sirix operators verify silently on linked cameras instead, while following the site’s SOP, which always has the final word.
What is the difference between a panic alarm and a duress alarm?
A panic alarm is a call for help that may be audible, with a siren or announcement that can scare off an attacker. A duress alarm is silent and covert, built for situations where alerting the attacker would make things worse. Sirix monitors both, and each site chooses which behavior applies to each trigger.
What happens if someone says the safeword by accident?
Choosing an uncommon word or phrase prevents most accidental alerts, and sensor sensitivity can be tuned for each room. When an alert comes in, Sirix operators check linked cameras and follow the site’s SOP, which can include a discreet verification step for non-duress panic alerts. Every alert is documented, so patterns are visible and settings can be adjusted.
How much does panic button monitoring cost?
Panic and duress alert monitoring in the US and Canada generally costs between $10.00 and $75.00 per device per month, depending on the services required. These are typical market rates, not a Sirix price list. Self-monitored service sits at the low end. Professionally monitored service with live operators, video verification and dispatch sits at the high end. A site assessment confirms the exact rate.
Where can panic and duress sensors be installed?
Panic and duress sensors suit closed spaces where people can be alone or out of sight: restrooms, locker rooms, stockrooms, back offices, patient rooms, service corridors and stairwells. Because they have no camera and record no audio, they can protect privacy areas. Sirix recommends placement during the site assessment and confirms any local notice requirements with the site.
Which panic button and sensor brands can Sirix monitor?
Sirix supports 500+ manufacturers and is technology agnostic. It connects panic and duress alerts from multisensor brands such as HALO and Triton, from wired and wireless panic buttons, and from panic apps and alarm panels to its 24/7 command center. Through its dealer partners, Sirix can also recommend the right equipment for a space and budget.
Are hotels required to provide panic buttons?
In several US jurisdictions, yes. Illinois, New Jersey, New York City and a number of California cities require hotels to give employees who work alone in guest rooms a panic device, with rules that vary by location and hotel size. Sirix monitored panic and duress alerts can support a hotel’s response program. Hotels should confirm their obligations with legal counsel.
Does New York require panic buttons in retail stores?
New York’s Retail Worker Safety Act, as amended in 2025, requires retail employers with 500 or more retail employees in the state to provide silent response buttons starting January 1, 2027. The buttons request immediate help from a security officer, manager or supervisor. Sirix monitored alerts can support a retailer’s response plan, and retailers should confirm requirements with counsel.
What do Canadian workplaces need for summoning help?
In Ontario, the Occupational Health and Safety Act requires employers to maintain a workplace violence program that includes measures and procedures for summoning immediate assistance when workplace violence occurs or is likely to occur. Panic and duress alerts monitored by Sirix give workers a fast way to summon that help, with a documented response.
How are panic and duress alerts different from lone worker alarm response?
Panic and duress alerts cover places: sensors and buttons installed in rooms where someone may need help, including spaces where cameras cannot go. Lone worker alarm response covers people: staff who work alone and carry a personal alarm device. Many Sirix sites use both, with every alert reaching the same 24/7 command center.
What is the difference between a panic sensor and monitored panic alerts?
A panic sensor is hardware that hears a safeword or receives a button press and sends a notification. Monitored panic and duress alerts add what happens next. A live Sirix operator receives the alert 24/7, follows the site’s written procedure, watches linked cameras, sends help with a description and documents the outcome.
Can a panic alert trigger a lockdown or other automations?
Yes, where the site’s systems support it. Panic and duress alerts can integrate with video management, access control and mass notification platforms, so a confirmed alert can lock doors, turn on lights or notify staff automatically. A Sirix operator responds in parallel, so automation and live response work together.
Do panic and duress alerts work without cameras?
Yes. Video is an advantage, not a requirement. When no camera covers the area, Sirix operators still act on the site’s SOP by dispatching police or guards, calling the site contact or notifying staff. When cameras are linked, operators also see who is involved and brief responders, which is where Sirix adds the most value.
Turn every call for help into a response
The sensor hears it. Sirix acts on it. Let’s design the panic and duress plan for your spaces.
