Johnson County upgrades panic buttons with state grant

FRANKLIN, Ind. (WISH)-Johnson County officials said a state grant will help keep people safe in county buildings. Dozens of new panic buttons, paid for by that grant, have been installed in the courthouse and other offices.

Employees can press the buttons to notify security and law enforcement in case of an emergency.

Johnson County offices have had panic buttons for years, but officials said the new system allows for more buttons and is more efficient.

“It’s a like a 911 call,” Johnson County Courthouse Security Supervisor Bill Withers said. “When someone calls 911 from their home, it tells them their exact address.”

Withers said the buttons that were recently removed only provided a general office location. With the new system, security workers can know the exact desk where a button is pressed.

“Any time that we have an availability to respond quickly to an emergency situation, obviously it’s advantageous,” Withers said.

The upgrade is funded by a $10,550 grant from the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. Officials said the new system will help them accommodate new county offices.

Johnson County Emergency Management Director Stephanie Sichting said the upgraded system allows for up to 100 buttons, which is 50 more than the old system.

She said the buttons have not been used often in the past, but she called them a vital public safety tool.

“It protects the employees of the county and also the public that are in those buildings,” Sichting said.