NCJ Number
100906
Date Published
Unknown
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This paper identifies criteria for an effective personal alarm system for corrections guards and compares the effectiveness of various devices in meeting these criteria.
Abstract
A personal alarm system should give the exact location of the distress; be mobile, easily carried and used, and reliable; and have minimal operating and maintenance expense. Fixed location devices such as panic buttons and telephones are location discrete but are not mobile or easily used. Radio devices are mobile and easy to use, but they are not location discrete. Infrared systems are mobile and location discrete; they are expensive and unreliable, however. Ultrasonic body alarm systems meet the criteria. Ultrasonic devices communicate sound that can be identified by location and permit the monitoring of sound in specific locations. Problems with any personal alarm system can include poor tailoring of the system to facility needs, poor installation, improper use, and false alarms. Overall, the initial cost of personal alarm systems at construction or renovation is small compared to benefits derived over the next decade.