MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WHNT) — When her students had an emergency, Gadsden City High School teacher Brandie Mobbs clicked a button on her lanyard to alert administrators.
Now, Mobbs is urging leaders to make the device official in schools across Alabama.
“He just kind of went down,” Mobbs said. “I went down with him to shield the back of his head from hitting the floor. From there, that’s where my badge came into play.”
Mobbs said her student had a diabetic seizure. With the click of a button, she said school leaders showed up in minutes. Mobbs said every school in the state should have the device.
“This is amazing, and I could not believe that such a blessing that moment to not have to leave the child ’cause that’s not something you want to do,” Mobbs said. “But that response time was … I still can’t believe they were able to get to me that quickly.”
If lawmakers had passed a bill earlier in 2025, that response time would have been a reality for every school in Alabama. The bill died in the Senate. State Rep. Patrick Sellers, D-Birmingham, said he would support a law requiring educators to wear panic buttons.
“I believe that, even being statewide, it would be applicable be it rural or be it urban,” Sellers said. “It would be a benefit, not only just to the schools and the school systems but also benefit to making sure that our children are safe.”
State Rep. Susan DuBose, R-Hoover, agreed that keeping children safe is the top priority. Yet she said a panic button mandate could be costly and limit schools on how they protect students.
“We need to continue to give our schools all the best information that we can and the financial assistance in a fiscally responsible way,” DuBose said.
State Rep. Alan Baker, R-Brewton, the original bill sponsor, said he will be refiling the bill for the 2026 legislative session.
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