Oregon Passes Alyssa’s Law: What It Means for School Safety, and Why Panic Buttons Matter
On May 28, 2025, Oregon officially joined a growing list of states prioritizing student safety by passing House Bill 3083, also known as Alyssa’s Law. This new legislation calls on schools to install silent panic alarm systems that can instantly alert law enforcement during an emergency.
The law is named in memory of Alyssa Alhadeff, a 14-year-old student who was killed during the tragic Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2018. Her story has driven activists and lawmakers across the country to push for faster emergency response times in schools.
What Alyssa’s Law Means for Oregon Schools
Oregon’s version of Alyssa’s Law applies to all K-12 public and private schools with 50 or more students. The law doesn’t mandate panic buttons outright, but it requires schools to consider installing wireless or wearable panic alarm systems that connect directly to 911 and emergency responders. The Oregon Department of Education’s School Safety and Emergency Management (SSEM) program is helping schools cover costs by offering $2,000 per school through the Wireless Panic Alarm Grant.
There’s no set deadline for compliance, but updates are expected during each school’s regular safety review cycle. Enforcement falls to the SSEM program alongside local emergency agencies.
Why Panic Buttons Are a Must-Have for Schools
In emergencies, every second counts. Panic buttons provide a swift and discreet method for school staff to alert authorities during critical situations, such as active shooter incidents, medical emergencies, or other incidents.
A 2023 survey conducted by Campus Safety Magazine revealed that schools and colleges most frequently activate their panic alarms for medical emergencies. This underscores the versatility of panic button systems in addressing a range of situations beyond life-threatening security threats.
How 911Cellular’s Solutions Can Help
If your school is starting to plan for Alyssa’s Law compliance, 911Cellular has you covered with flexible, user-friendly safety tools built specifically for education environments. Our end-to-end emergency management system enables users to alert to an incident, instantly notify the appropriate teams to respond, provide real-time updates to inform students, staff, and parents as the situation evolves, and generate detailed reports post-event.
Alert
Computer Panic Buttons
Installed directly on existing staff workstations, our computer-based panic button system offers instant access to help without additional hardware. With a predetermined keystroke or mouse click, staff members can trigger silent alerts that include audio and video streaming to dispatchers, providing critical context in real time. Users can also select the incident type, sending the alert to the appropriate team for issues ranging from medical emergencies to active threats.
Wearable Panic Buttons
Discreet, lightweight, and powerful, the BadgeR+ wearable panic button clips right onto a lanyard and goes wherever your team does. Three custom activations enable staff to alert the correct teams, sending real-time location updates and streaming audio so responders know exactly what’s happening and where. Additionally, the badge is compatible with your school’s existing Wi-Fi or BLE setup, making deployment simple and cost-effective compared to other wearable panic buttons on the market.
Wall-Mounted Panic Buttons
Great for classrooms, front offices, and other fixed spots, these stationary panic buttons make it easy to call for help with just one quick press. They tie directly into your school’s emergency response plan, can alert external first responders, and are perfect for high-traffic or high-risk areas.
Mobile Safety App
Give staff a safety tool that goes wherever their phone does. From reporting emergencies to receiving alerts, the Mobile Safety App supports audio/video streaming, safety timers, and location-based resources.
Respond
Public Safety Hub
The Public Safety Hub is designed to help your team respond more quickly and effectively during emergencies. When an alert is triggered, you gain instant access to the sender’s information, their location, and critical details like maps, live camera feeds, and real-time audio or video. Alerts reach the right people – such as security, staff, administrators, or 911 dispatchers – through multiple channels, so responders have what they need to act without delay.
Inform
Emergency Notification System
Our mass communication solution is designed to keep your team informed, whether it’s a critical emergency or a day-to-day update. You can send alerts through multiple channels like text, email, calls, and computer screen takeovers to get the right message to the right people in seconds. Notifications can be triggered manually, automatically, or as part of a larger emergency workflow, like a panic alert or weather warning. You can target specific groups and even gather real-time feedback to stay in control as situations evolve.
Report
Public Safety Hub
Our Public Safety Hub goes beyond incident management, making it easy for administrators to review and report on incidents once the event is resolved. Access to detailed logs on panic button activations, device check-ins, and even system changes ensures your team can gain actionable insights about your school’s safety and security, leading to continuous improvement.
Ready to Take Action?
With Alyssa’s Law now in place, Oregon schools have a clear path forward: faster emergency response, stronger communication, and smarter safety planning. Our system is fully scalable and customizable, so if the law or your needs evolve, your safety technology can adapt accordingly.
If you’re looking for a scalable panic button solution that checks all the boxes and comes backed by 24/7/365 support, 911Cellular is here to help. Schedule a demo with one of our experts today.
