Puurs-Sint-Amands installs panic buttons for staff safety after aggression incidents

The municipality of Puurs-Sint-Amands is enhancing staff safety with a new investment in panic buttons. Both fixed and mobile devices are being deployed to allow employees to quickly call for assistance during emergencies, aggression, or accidents.

The decision follows incidents of aggressive clients at the municipality and a fatal case involving a social worker in Ghent. Mayor Koen Van den Heuvel emphasized the need for staff to feel secure, especially when dealing with difficult cases that might provoke aggression. "We want them to feel good about themselves, even when confronted with difficult dossiers that can lead to aggression from certain clients," he stated.

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We want them to feel good about themselves, even when confronted with difficult dossiers that can lead to aggression from certain clients.

Fixed buttons are installed in the public-facing service hall and meeting rooms. Mobile buttons, designed as wearable devices, are available for social workers on home visits and technicians working off-site. These mobile units ensure that help can be summoned swiftly, regardless of location.

The system, developed by The Wizard of Dreams, alerts colleagues via tablets placed throughout the town hall. These tablets display who is in distress and their location, allowing for immediate communication and assistance. The municipality opted to handle alarms internally rather than outsourcing to a security firm to minimize response times. Staff will receive training on the system, which represents an investment of approximately 20,000 euros.

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Other staff members can see who is in distress and where they are. They can listen in and speak with the person in question.