Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What exactly happens when I press one of the emergency buttons inside of the Rave Panic Button app?

A: When any one of the emergency buttons is pressed, your phone will dial 9-1-1. At the same time, the Panic Button app determines whether you are on a campus you are associated with. If so, emergency notifications will be automatically generated to campus administrators, school resource officers and other designated officials and employees. In addition to your call, the 9-1-1 call taker is provided with additional information about your campus, such as floor plans and maps, and also given the ability to send additional emergency notifications to key staff or to every authorized employee on campus, depending on the situation.

Q: What are the benefits of contacting 9-1-1 through the Rave Panic Button app?

A: By using the Rave Panic Button app to contact 9-1-1 (while on your assigned campus), your campus administrators, school resource officers and other key staff will be immediately notified that you have activated the system, thereby speeding response. Additionally, the 9-1-1 center will receive a clear indication that the system has been activated and has the ability to deliver additional messages to your campus.

Q: Under what circumstances can I use Rave Panic Button

A: Generally speaking, the Rave Panic Button app can be used for any situation that requires you to contact 9-1-1. That could be for a medical emergency, to report suspicious activity, a fire, or an active assailant. Contact your supervisor or site administrator to determine whether your school or organization has established specific guidelines for what circumstances you are to use the Rave Panic Button app versus dialing 9-1-1 directly from a phone.

Q: I don’t have a smartphone or an older phone. How do I benefit from Rave Panic Button?

A: While you won’t be able to download the Rave Panic Button app to a standard smartphone, you will still be able to receive emergency notifications via SMS text message, so long as you provide your mobile number to your supervisor or site administrator. The Rave Panic Button app supports iOS versions 6.0 and later and Android versions 4.0 and later.

Q: Should I still provide my mobile number to my supervisor/campus administrator even if I don’t have a smartphone that supports the Rave Panic Button app or a desire to download the app?

A: Yes. While you won’t be able to download the Rave Panic Button app to a standard, you will still be able to receive emergency notifications via SMS text message and email, so long as you provide your mobile number and email address to your supervisor or site administrator.

Q: Do I have to use the Rave Panic Button app to contact 9-1-1?

A: You are encouraged to use the Rave Panic Button app to contact 9-1-1; however, you should contact 9-1-1 in whatever way is fastest.

Q: What happens if I press the Rave Panic Button when I’m not at work or off campus?

A: Pressing any of the emergency buttons inside of the Rave Panic Button app will always dial 9-1-1, so you will be connected with a 9-1-1 call taker. Based on your location at the time of pressing the button, the system will determine whether emergency notifications need to be delivered to campus administrators and school resource officers. If you are not on campus, then no notifications will be sent, but you will be connected to 9-1-1.

Q: have children at home and I’m afraid they’ll accidentally press the Rave Panic Button. Should I still download the app?

A: The Rave Panic Button app sits behind whatever screen lock and password mechanism that you use, and must be opened before having access to the Panic Button app itself. While it is possible that your child may accidentally press one of the buttons, it is unlikely. If they should happen to, 9-1-1 is well-equipped and has procedures to handle inadvertent calls.

Q: What should I do if I accidentally press one of the emergency buttons in the Rave Panic Button app or dial 9-1-1?

A: Should you ever accidentally dial 9-1-1 through the Rave Panic Button app or otherwise, you are encouraged to remain on the line so that you can tell the 9-1-1 call taker that you accidentally dialed. As soon as your call rings, there is a record of your call having been placed. Therefore, if you hang up prior to speaking with a call taker, they will have to try to call you back to determine if there is an emergency. If they are unable to reach you, they will dispatch, at a minimum, a police officer to your location to ensure your safety.

Q: How can I test whether the Rave Panic Button app has an accurate location for me?

A: Inside the menu icon, on the top left side of the screen of the Rave Panic Button app, there is a function called “Test.” When pressed, it will inform you as to whether the app successfully located you and whether it located you on a campus that you are associated with. If successful, and if you are on an associated campus, then the system would have generated emergency notifications to your campus administrators and school resource officers, had you pressed one of the emergency buttons in the app.

Q: I keep my phone on silent during the day / while I am at work. How will I be notified of a message?

A: The messages generated through the Rave Panic Button app are sent via in-app message. If the in-app message fails to deliver, or if you are using a phone without the app, an SMS text will be sent. In both cases, an email will also be delivered. If your phone is set to silent, then you will not receive an audible notification of a message. Some phones allow a user to specify a specific tone for an individual contact. All SMS text messages generated by the Rave Panic Button app come from short code 22911. If your phone allows for notification preference settings for individual contacts, then you can add 22911 to your contacts and set specific notification preferences for that number. When your phone is set to an audible setting, the in-app notifications sent by Rave Panic Button are received with a unique alert tone.

Q: If someone else has already activated their Panic Button app or called 9-1-1, should I also call?

A: If you have additional information about an incident to report to 9-1-1, or are with someone who is in need of medical attention, you are encouraged to also contact 9-1-1 either through the Rave Panic Button app or by dialing 9-1-1 from any phone. The additional information you provide, or the instructions that 9-1-1 can provide to you, can significantly impact the outcome of the situation.

Q: How is my location used / why does the Rave Panic Button app need to access it?

A: The Rave Panic Button app uses your location at the time you activate it to determine whether to treat your call as an activation of the system (generating emergency notifications to campus administrators and law enforcement) or as a regular 9-1-1 call (if you are not on campus at the time of your call). The app only accesses your location when you press one of the emergency buttons in the app, or if you use the Test function in the menu. If your location cannot be determined, then your call will be treated as a regular 9-1-1 call.

Q: Can I use the Rave Panic Button app without its accessing my location?

A: On initial download of the Rave Panic Button app, you are required to allow it to access your location. If you do not, you will be unable to complete the download process. If you press one of the emergency buttons inside of the Rave Panic Button app while your location is unavailable for any reason (i.e. poor data connection or location services turned off), your phone will still dial 9-1-1. Once the 9-1-1 call taker determines that you are located on an associated campus, they will have the ability to deliver emergency notifications to campus administrators and staff (for Smart911-enabled 9-1-1 centers).

Q: What happens if I press one of the emergency buttons inside the Rave Panic Button app when I’m in a poor coverage area?

A: If you activate the Rave Panic Button app while your location is unavailable for any reason (i.e. poor data connection or location services turned off), your phone will still dial 9-1-1. Once the 9-1-1 call taker determines that you are located on an associated campus, they will have the ability to deliver emergency notifications to campus administrators and staff (so long as the 9-1-1 center is equipped with Smart911). If you are in an area with poor cellular voice coverage, then your call to 9-1-1 may fail. In a situation where you have poor cellular voice coverage, but a data connection over WiFi, your voice call to 9-1-1 may fail, but the Rave Panic Button app will still be able to generate automated messages to your designated campus administrators and school resource officers. 9-1-1 will not receive your information if your voice call fails. If it is safe to do so, move to a different location and try to call again either from your mobile phone or a landline, if available.

Q: How does the system work if I place a regular 9-1-1 call, not through the app, or from a landline phone?

A: Because the Rave Panic Button app is integrated with Smart911, the 9-1-1 call taker will still have the ability to determine your location on an associated campus, should you dial 9-1-1 outside of the app. This means that while automated notifications that you called 9-1-1 won’t be delivered, the 9-1-1 call taker can still manually deliver necessary emergency notifications.