Schools introduce panic buttons in case of shootings, but safety org chief calls it 'security theater'

Panic button systems are becoming increasingly popular as schools look to bolster security measures and prevent shootings, but critics warn that they may not be effective.

Ken Trump, president of the National School Safety and Security Services, dismissed these systems as nothing more than "security theater." Rather than expensive measures, he suggests training staff to make sure doors are not open, and to implement basic safety protocols.

"People want visible, tangible things," Trump told The Associated Press. "It’s a lot harder to point to the value of training your staff. Those are intangibles. Those are things that are less visible and invisible, but they’re most effective."