What is a duress alarm?

• A. A visible siren during drills.
• B. A beacon for general announcements.
• C. A standard security check procedure.
• D. Used when duty personnel forced to yield protected items; hidden activation; reset after incident.

Answer: (D)

A duress alarm is a covert signal used by staff when they are under threat and forced to yield protected items or comply with a stronger party. Its purpose is to summon help without tipping off the attacker, so activation is typically hidden from view and may be tied into access controls or security consoles. When triggered, it alerts security or the control room and can initiate rapid response while keeping the incident discreet and audibly unannounced to the assailant. After the incident, the system is reset and the event is logged for investigation and future prevention. This is different from visible drills, general announcements, or routine security checks, which are not meant to covertly summon assistance in a coercive situation.