Panic Button Alert – Omnilert

Omnilert offers an optional advanced panic button feature; Panic Button Alert.

This add-on provides an option for your subscribers to notify your team directly via the Omnilert App.

In addition to providing the end-user with a number to dial (and/or a "dial 911" button), the Panic Button Alert feature will send a priority alert with the subscriber's info to one or more of your private groups.

This feature will send your private group(s) a priority alert with the name, location (if available), and what kind of emergency button press was made (e.g. "Dialed 911" or "Submitted Silent Alert").

Your staff can then respond to the distress call in several ways; by texting, emailing, or even calling the subscriber directly from their mobile device; or by launching an Omnilert scenario to further notify your team members or even the wider community.

Configuring Panic Button Alert

Some configuration is needed to use the additional features of Panic Button Alerts. You will need administrator access to Omnilert.

Configuration

To configure your Panic Button Alerts, go to Priority Alerts > Panic Button Alert

The Details screen includes the basic setup for a Panic Button.

Enable emergency button: This option will cause the "Press and hold for help" button to display within the app at the top of each screen.
Emergency button title: Sets the text label shown within the Omnilert App and Instant App for your "emergency number to dial" (below).
Emergency button number to dial: Sets the phone number to be dialed should a subscriber press and hold the button and then choose to call your emergency line.
Enable 911 reminder: When checked, the "Dial 911 if an emergency" option will show when the in-app button is pressed.

Once configured and enabled, your subscribers will be able to call* for help using the button provided in the Omnilert App.

Groups

Select one or more Private Groups.

Typically, the selected groups will be a safety team, campus police, dispatcher, or another responsible party within your organization.

Note that the selected subscriber group(s) will receive priority alerts any time a subscriber chooses to activate the "Emergency Call" button within the Omnilert App.

The selected group's members will receive a text (SMS) and/or an app push notification whenever any subscriber in your organization submits a panic button request. (Naturally, this could be a large number of requests during an incident or in a larger organization.)

Scenarios (optional)

Select one or more Scenarios to link to your Panic Button Alerts.

If/when a subscriber submits an emergency call (panic alert), the selected scenario(s) will be presented below the subscriber's information and contact options.

Auto Launch Scenario (optional)

There is an optional feature to have Omnilert auto-launch a scenario whenever a panic button event occurs.

Please use extreme caution when selecting your scenario as the selected scenario will run every time a panic event is submitted by any subscriber. (We strongly recommend against auto-launching scenarios that send to large groups or your entire subscriber list!)

Special Text Variables

In many cases, it may be useful to pass detail from the panic button priority alert into an outgoing scenario.

The following text variables can be used to pass information from the panic button submissions into your Scenario's Actions.

variable	description
{{panic_subscriber_name}}	The first and last name of the subscriber who initiated the panic notification.
{{panic_subscriber_username}}	The username of the subscriber who initiated the panic notification.
{{panic_subscriber_action}}	The action that was chosen by that subscriber within the Omnilert App. (e.g. "Dialed 911" or "Dialed emergency call number")
{{panic_subscriber_link}}	A link to view the subscriber's detailed profile in Omnilert.
{{panic_lat}}	The latitude for the subscriber's mobile device location (if available)
{{panic_lng}}	The longitude for the subscriber's mobile device location (if available)
{{panic_map}}	A map link for the subscriber's mobile device location (if available)

These variables will relay information from the panic button submission along with your own pre-determined text content, links to local resources, etc. (See Text Variables)