Government rolls out e-panic buttons

The Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG), along with law enforcement agencies and emergency personnel, have rolled out an e-panic button across the province to ensure the safety of residents.

According to a media statement sent to the Roodepoort Record, there are two types of e-panic buttons available for the public to use, namely the physical e-panic button, or the e-panic application (App) that can be downloaded on a smartphone from Google Play or the Play Store.

The physical e-panic button will be rolled out across the province, with priority areas being townships, informal settlements and hostels. These buttons are one of the crime-fighting interventions from the GPG and offer improved communication with a more direct and reliable means of communication between citizens and emergency services.

“Individuals who need assistance can seek help just by pressing a button. The e-panic button forms part of the e-policing solutions that have been established to strengthen the fight against crime, corruption, lawlessness, and vandalism. Vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities, elderly people, and first responders, among other groups, will be prioritised for the distribution of the e-panic button,” reads the statement.

Community Safety spokesperson Ofentse Morwane said that for now, only private security companies have been placed as responders on the app, but going forward, other stakeholders will be added as first responders on the e-panic button to attend to emergencies or crime incidents.

This button aims to ensure that accurate resources are deployed to the correct locations and that emergency responders have the information they need to provide effective assistance.