Capitol Staffer: Office Panic Buttons 'Torn Out' Before Riot

Hello all,

I came across this recently, but wasn't sure exactly what board to post it in. I've gone through the new topics but couldn't see it posted, so apologies if it has already been shared.

According to this article from Newsweek, a staff member of the Capitol found that there were no "panic buttons" to press, because they had been torn out.

Panic Buttons torn out

From said article:

Sarah Groh, the chief of staff of Democratic representative Ayanna Pressley, said she joined other staffers taking refuge in the congresswoman's office as the protesters flooded in. Groh told The Boston Globe that the group barricaded the door with furniture and water jugs that had piled up during the pandemic before she pulled out a gas mask. But when she looked for the special panic buttons, she found they had been removed.

Why would the panic buttons have been removed before the riot? Is that not just a little bit suspicious, given all the theories and pieces that already don't add up?

Here is another link saying basically the same thing from another source.

www.independent.co.uk...

a reply to: DwindlingHope

Well, this is an area I am familiar with. The reason is twofold:

1. These types of devices are a PITA to maintain...because they require regular testing which is disruptive, and people complain, even the people who would be the ones to push them. So they get removed.

2. The perception is like that of a CCTV camera. If there's a camera, people have the expectation that anything which happens in the view of that camera is recorded and being monitored. This is seldom the case. As a result, there is a liability associated with having a camera which doesn't work. Much the same for a panic button. If someone pushes it, and no one responds because a.) it doesn't work, or b.) because no one is monitoring it, then there is a liability having it exist at all.

Not making excuses here, just stating the facts of what happens in real life.

Lastly, those buttons could have been removed years ago. They certainly weren't removed just for this event.

a reply to: DwindlingHope

You guys need panic buttons?

Honestly, WTF?

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Thanks for your input! You'd think the people writing these articles could look into it a little deeper and save everyone's time. But then I guess that means one less headline.

Also if she was used to running through these drills, you'd think she'd be aware that sometimes they get removed and replaced, etc.

Apparently it's under investigation:

Link

At least it does state they are checked regularly.

a reply to: chr0naut

What do you mean? Americans? I'm an Aussie.

a reply to: chr0naut

Edit: imma have to give you credit for this.

Sadly this is not New Zealand, we have silent alarm buttons at convenient stores in the event of a robbery. Banks especially have silent alarm buttons.The buttons are placed under the counter near the cash register. So Congress has the same concept.




a reply to: DwindlingHope

Thanks for posting. S&F

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Your response is so reasonable. I'd like to think you're right, FCD, but I don't think it's safe to assume anything yet. And I certainly don't want to assume the worst. But I think there's good reason to believe this was planned and coordinated with help from the "inside" -- I don't know if that's staffers, critters, even (Heaven forbid) rogue Capitol Police. Given the totality of the situation, I think it might have been removed for more sinister purposes. If only to instill fear (racial fear) that she was being targeted by White supremacists.

originally posted by: chr0naut
You guys need panic buttons?

I know, right?

The bastards wouldn't need a panic button if their approval rating was above the single digit mark.

Seriously, they need to run poll on ALL elected officials annually. If they fall below 60% they're FIRED for getting a failing grade. This is entirely reasonable. They should also be banned from running for office for 8 years and they should lose ALL benefits.

You guys haven't read the next two paragraphs:

"Every panic button in my office had been torn out—the whole unit," she told the newspaper, adding that the team could come up with no rationale as to why. The staffer said that she had used them before and they had not switched offices since then.

She explained that, because of multiple death threats aimed at Pressley over the past two years, it had become routine for her staffers to run through safety drills. Pressley, as one of four progressive Democratic representatives in "The Squad," has faced racist attacks from Trump supporters.

This is a clear sign that the buttons weren't removed because "They won't use them anyway" or "Maintenance is too much work for this" - maintenance is exactly for this kind of device! And it is in use, the personal was trained how and when to use.

This is another sign of a planned insurgency!

a reply to: ManFromEurope

Sounds like the Capitol Police should investigate this... not that they will.

a reply to: ManFromEurope

I read the full article and did wonder about that. Also if the explanation was as simple as typical checks etc why would an investigation be launched? Surely they would rule that out or be happy to comment that it was standard maintenance etc.

This is from the link I shared in my second post:

Pressley’s office said the buttons’ disappearance is under investigation, but declined to say which agencies are investigating (the U.S. Capitol Police and the House Sergeant At Arms did not respond to request for comment).

I still think it's all a bit odd, personally.

I heard this story and I would like to learn more about these "panic buttons", who/how many had them, what they do, etc.

So far the narrative is that panic BUTTON (singular) for one congresswoman was torn out. Yes there might have been multiple buttons per se but this was just for the one member of congress, in her office.


Let me say that if someone ripped these out intentionally knowing it'd be an inconvenience for this woman, it's disgusting and I hope they find the perpertrator and arrest them.


Having said that, and even from the linked article, ..... sounds like only a select few congresspeople are "special" enough to have these panic buttons installed. Hmmmmmmm. At first I'd heard that the panic buttons for the congresswoman in particular were for a medical condition but now it seems we're starting to get a clearer picture.

"Every panic button in my office had been torn out—the whole unit," she told the newspaper, adding that the team could come up with no rationale as to why. The staffer said that she had used them before and they had not switched offices since then.

She explained that, because of multiple death threats aimed at Pressley over the past two years, it had become routine for her staffers to run through safety drills. Pressley, as one of four progressive Democratic representatives in "The Squad," has faced racist attacks from Trump supporters.

I mean, if the women has been attacked, yes, I think that warrants having a panic button, but uh-hum.

This is the first I've heard of any of the "squad" being attacked? I would think such an attack would be newsworthy. The only attack on members of Congress I'm aware of in the past few years was when a Dem supporter shot up a softball game, but I could be misremembering. There was also the Gabby Gifford attack going back even farther, but my understanding was that was a literal insane person that committed that crime.

So I'll go ahead and continue under the premise that the "journalist" didn't mean actual attacks in their "article" and the panic button was in response to death threats. Again, I get it, people are loony and that garbage happens. Nevertheless...are we 100% sure the death threats were from Trump supporters o_O? Just asking because there have been a number of let's say Smollet type incidents in recent memory where such "incidents" took place for ulterior motives.

I kind of wonder how much special treatment the "Squad" gets relative to other government officials, but I digress.

The last thing I'll say on the subject is, at some point some introspection might be warranted from SOMEBODY on Capitol Hill, even if a staffer needs to look up the word meaning and help out their boss in figuring out how it may be of use. Congress' approval rating has been floating around in the lower teens (12%-15%) for MONTHS if not YEARS now.

How long do they think they can keep running the country into the ground? Do they expect ticker tape parades and bathing in rose petals?

These people suck at what they do, and they suck in a way that elicits very VERY negative response from the general public. On top of that, there are no term limits; some of these critters, Rs and Ds, stick around a very very long time, continuing to engender bad sentiment for years. In spite of such perception of lousy performance, some in Congress choose to treat their public service as if it's .... some type of rock tour or high-profile celebrity competition. Posing for magazines, etc. Maybe it'd be better use of time and could even increase popularity if that they put more effort into improving their output relative to legislation and running the government and kept lower profiles and stayed out of the limelight. Just sayin'

originally posted by: ManFromEurope
You guys haven't read the next two paragraphs:

"Every panic button in my office had been torn out—the whole unit," she told the newspaper, adding that the team could come up with no rationale as to why. The staffer said that she had used them before and they had not switched offices since then.

She explained that, because of multiple death threats aimed at Pressley over the past two years, it had become routine for her staffers to run through safety drills. Pressley, as one of four progressive Democratic representatives in "The Squad," has faced racist attacks from Trump supporters.

This is a clear sign that the buttons weren't removed because "They won't use them anyway" or "Maintenance is too much work for this" - maintenance is exactly for this kind of device! And it is in use, the personal was trained how and when to use.

This is another sign of a planned insurgency!

This is massive! Investigate all of it. Look deep into it. I want to know who was involved and what they did. Every damn one of them. No matter what letter is after their name. I'm glad we have "bipartisan support" on this.

And the punishment should fit the crime. Insurrection is the crime.

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
a reply to: DwindlingHope

Well, this is an area I am familiar with. The reason is twofold:

1. These types of devices are a PITA to maintain...because they require regular testing which is disruptive, and people complain, even the people who would be the ones to push them. So they get removed.

2. The perception is like that of a CCTV camera. If there's a camera, people have the expectation that anything which happens in the view of that camera is recorded and being monitored. This is seldom the case. As a result, there is a liability associated with having a camera which doesn't work. Much the same for a panic button. If someone pushes it, and no one responds because a.) it doesn't work, or b.) because no one is monitoring it, then there is a liability having it exist at all.

Not making excuses here, just stating the facts of what happens in real life.

Lastly, those buttons could have been removed years ago. They certainly weren't removed just for this event.

Hahaha, when I first started at my job we had multiple cameras out on the property, which gave me anxiety so I budgeted in a few grand to have them all repaired or replaced. Our camera guy loves me because I have him out here at least twice a month for work.

In regards to panic buttons, when we demo’d a former Bank Of America suite, we kept finding them in different places. The best we could tell is that they were upgraded or moved through the years without removing the old ones. That happens with a ton of things, like A/C’s. Unless you tell a vendor to remove the old equipment, it’s going to stay there.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

If my brother as a simple emt has a city wide panic button in multiple places from radio to all over the ambulance...the Capitol cant maintain this...but Richmond city can?

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Are you trying to say, with a trillion dollar federal budget capitol police can't maintain panic buttons in it's own capitol building? I can't buy that.

a reply to: CharlesT

you are trying to apply logic and common sense to the federal government??

good luck with that!!!

ETA - don't buy it then. i work in federal and state facilities every day, so i see the stuff that goes on. i hope they do investigate, but they do it objectively! folks can make a big conspiracy of this, but i'm just telling you there's not much here, that's all.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I do respect your professional input on this mater but being the skeptic that I am, what you present is difficult to accept even though you may very well be right on this.

a reply to: DwindlingHope

Darn, what a shame...

I'm more concerned by Aryanna Pressley's brainwashed white staffer's tweet.

"I had gas masks in my hand, barricaded the doors to our office with furniture & tried to throw our panic buttons within a few minutes of sending this. We are ok but this is not ok. White supremacist terrorism. That's what this is."

A tweet like that should qualify as inciting violence. There was no white supremacy involved in what took place. It was patriotic Americans with a small infiltrated mix of antifa terrorists. Furthermore, if little miss brainwashed wants to accurately place blame, she can start with her racist radical boss.

a reply to: Boadicea

Funny thing is, nobody out there gives half a shart that Pressley is black. The reason people don't like her is because of her destructive policies, hatred towards Trump, and constantly calling all Trump supporters white supremacists.

a reply to: ManFromEurope

Don't believe everything you read. Some of that might be true, but a lot of it may be whitewashed to add to the clickbait. I assure you nobody has sent a single death threat to Pressley due to the color of her skin. That's just used to add drama.