'I want our employees to feel safe' Jeannette mayor says as city eyes updated panic buttons

Jeannette Mayor Curtis Antoniak on Tuesday called for panic alarms to be installed at city hall after an unnerving situation was reported last week by the administrative assistant.

“We need to protect these workers,” Antoniak said.

Andrea M. Beneke said a person came into her office at city hall last week, shut her door and demanded to speak with her. She re-opened the door, but then the person closed it again, she said. That situation prompted Antoniak to request updates to now-defunct panic alarms at the South Second Street building.

“We need panic buttons, I don’t care when but they have to be done as soon as possible,” Antoniak said. “Today’s world is crazy.”

Foot pedals that once served as panic buttons remain in some city offices but buttons that had been installed underneath desks were removed when city hall was renovated, said fire Chief Bill Frye. The foot pedals no longer work. They had been hard-wired when they were installed to connect with the police department, but those wires were cut during the remodel.

Although the foot pedals are physically there, a new wiring system would have to be installed, he told Antoniak. Frye said he investigated restoring the connection, but suggested the city look into a wireless panic alarm system. It would be cheaper and could notify police or other first responders of a threatening situation, he said.

Antoniak said he’d like to see panic buttons installed in Beneke’s office and the tax office.

“We have employees downstairs handling money and everything,” he said. “It’s safety, I don’t want to wait for an incident. I want to get it now. I want our employees to feel safe.”