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April 10, 2026

The Emergency Card: Built to Last

In This Article:

Emergency devices shouldn’t create more work, but many do.

In most systems, cards are replaced regularly, sometimes every year. That creates ongoing operational overhead for IT teams and staff, along with unnecessary disruption.

The Rescue Card was designed differently.

Built for Longevity, Not Replacement

Each card uses two replaceable CR2032 batteries that last approximately one year. There’s no charging required, and no need to take devices out of circulation.

When batteries begin to run low, the system provides visibility so they can be replaced proactively using standard, off-the-shelf batteries.

Continuous Improvement Without Recall

The Rescue Card supports over-the-air (OTA) updates, allowing software improvements to be deployed without physically replacing devices.

As the platform evolves, the cards evolve with it: no swaps, no recalls, no interruptions.

Clear Feedback When It Matters

During an emergency, uncertainty can slow response. That’s why each card provides immediate confirmation when an alert is sent:

  • Haptic feedback (vibration) to confirm activation
  • Custom light indicators based on action or alert type
  • Visual confirmation only once the signal has been successfully delivered

The result is simple: staff know the alert went through.

Designed As Part of the Network

The Rescue Card is not just a trigger, it’s part of our patent-pending infrastructure.

Using LoRa for long-range emergency communication and BLE for location awareness, the cards themselves contribute to the system’s overall visibility and reliability.

This approach allows the network to function effectively across real-world environments, without relying on fragile assumptions about connectivity.

Emergency infrastructure should reduce complexity, not add to it.

No charging cycles, no frequent device swaps, and no uncertainty during activation.

Panic buttons with reliable emergency infrastructure.
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How We Started

In 2017, a young lifeguard at a YMCA of Charlotte branch suffered a seizure while opening the pool alone. She fell into the water and drowned before anyone knew she needed help.

We heard the full story later that year at a conference in Seattle. Our emergency communication platform, PunchAlert, was already deployed at that YMCA, but it couldn’t help. She couldn’t unlock a phone, open an app, or call for assistance.

That tragedy exposed the fundamental constraint: when people need help most, they often can’t use the tools we’ve given them. We spent two days in Seattle with aquatics directors and risk managers, determined to solve what software alone couldn’t. The answer wasn’t another app, it was infrastructure designed for the worst-case scenarios.

Punch Rescue was born from that commitment: wearable devices that work when nothing else can, connected to infrastructure that doesn’t rely on the person in crisis to operate it. From aquatics to K-12 schools and beyond, we’ve remained focused on one principle: protecting the people who matter most, especially when they can’t protect themselves.