Duress Alarm

Duress alarms shall be made available on university premises to areas where there may be a higher than usual degree of risk to personal safety associated with the location or activity performed there, including public inquiry counters, counselling and cash handling areas.

The requirement for a duress button must be determined through consultation between the relevant department head (or delegate) responsible for the proposed site and the university?s security services.

The request for a duress button in the first instance must be made to the relevant campus security office which is responsible for the location, or where this is unclear, to the University Security Advisory Office.

A total security solution needs to be developed and considered in respect to any proposed location prior to recommending the installation of any duress alarm to determine whether this is indeed the best protective method available.

The local campus security representative shall consult with the University's Crime Prevention Officer to determine the most appropriate and effective solution for the location.

Only University Security Manager approved equipment, applications and monitoring shall be applied on university owned or occupied property.

Appropriate operation and response procedures for each area where a duress button is installed will be designed in consultation between the end user and the university's security services.

All duress alarm operating procedures shall also contain an agreed testing process and/or periodic schedule for testing.

An induction on the use of a duress alarm must be provided to end users by a security services representative during the commissioning handover process.

Staff in areas where a duress alarm is installed will also be required to assist with regular testing of this equipment when requested by the university security services.