Troubleshooting Your Rescue Cards

Troubleshooting Your Rescue Cards

This article covers offline status, failed tests, unexpected button behavior, LED issues, location tracking, and hardware failures.


Card shows Offline in the dashboard

Start with the battery. A depleted or incorrectly installed battery is the most common cause. Open the rear cover and confirm two CR2032 batteries are installed with the positive side facing up. If batteries are old or uncertain, replace them with fresh ones. The Card blinks Blue 5 times when it restarts successfully.

If the battery is good, confirm the nearest Repeater is online. Cards communicate through the Repeater mesh — if the closest Repeater is offline, Cards in that area will appear offline too. Check the Devices page for Repeater status.

Also confirm the Card has been assigned to a staff member. Go to Devices and verify the Card shows a name. Unassigned Cards may not behave as expected in the dashboard.


Card LED reference

Card LEDs only illuminate after a successful button press to confirm the action was received. The color that flashes corresponds to the emergency category configured for that action at your organization. To see your color assignments, go to Settings > Configure > Notify Categories.

The one consistent behavior across all deployments:

LEDMeaning
Blue (5 rapid blinks)Device powered on successfully after battery insertion

All other LED colors depend on your organization's configuration.


Card test shows "Fail" in the dashboard

A Fail status means the Card's most recent button press was not received by the Repeater network. Have the staff member press their Card while standing near a Repeater. If the status updates, the Card was simply out of range during the last press.

If Fail persists after a fresh press near a Repeater:

  • Replace the batteries with fresh CR2032s
  • Confirm the nearest Repeater is online (solid White LED on the bottom)
  • Try again from a different location in the building

If Fail continues after all of the above, contact support@punchrescue.com with the Card's device name.


Button press not triggering the expected response

First confirm what the press pattern is configured to do for your organization. Go to Settings > Configure > Rescue Actions and verify the mapping for that action. If the mapping is correct but the response is wrong, confirm the Card is Online in the dashboard and that the associated emergency category has the correct escalation level and 911 settings under Settings > Configure > Notify Categories.

If a higher-escalation press is not activating alarms, confirm the Alert Station and Repeaters are online and that the category is configured to trigger a Rescue emergency.


Card won't turn on after inserting batteries

Slide open the rear cover, remove both CR2032 batteries, and reinsert them with the positive side facing up. The Card should blink Blue 5 times to confirm it has powered on. If it does not respond after inserting fresh batteries, inspect the battery contacts inside the card for corrosion or debris and clean gently with a dry cloth. Try a different set of CR2032 batteries.

If the Card still does not respond, contact support@punchrescue.com. Hardware replacement is covered by your subscription.


Card location not updating on the map, or not showing at all

Location tracking requires Repeaters to be deployed in the areas where the Card carrier works. Without nearby Repeaters, the system has nothing to triangulate from. Confirm Repeaters are deployed and online in the relevant areas of your facility.

Also confirm that Realtime Map Status is set to Always Visible under Settings > Account Info in the dashboard.

If Repeaters are deployed and online but location still is not updating, contact support@punchrescue.com.


Card is lost or missing

Check the Devices page to see when the Card last sent a heartbeat and what its last reported location was — this may help narrow down where it was last active.

Contact support@punchrescue.com. A missing device is handled differently from a hardware failure — your success manager can advise on next steps and replacement options. In the meantime, do not redistribute the Card's assignment to another device until the original is accounted for or confirmed missing.


Still need help? Email support@punchrescue.com with the Card's device name, a description of the issue, the staff member it is assigned to, and what the Devices page shows for its status. Hardware replacement is covered by your subscription.

    • Related Articles

    • Understanding Rescue Cards

      The Rescue Card is a slim, lanyard-style panic button worn by staff every day. It is designed for anyone who needs a fast, reliable way to call for help; front desk staff, childcare workers, teachers, administrators, or anyone else in your facility ...
    • Assigning Cards to Staff

      Every Card must be assigned to a specific named staff member before it is distributed. An unassigned Card that triggers an emergency cannot tell responders who pressed it or provide accurate location data. Never distribute a Card without completing ...
    • How Button Actions & Alert Levels Work

      Rescue Cards have one button with three distinct press patterns. What each pattern does — which alert is triggered, who gets notified, and whether 911 is contacted — is configured per organization in the dashboard. There are no universal defaults ...
    • Understanding Your Card's LED Feedback

      Card LEDs illuminate after a button press to confirm the action was received by the network. The color that flashes corresponds to the emergency category that action is mapped to. Because categories and their display colors are configured per ...
    • Power & Battery Maintenance

      Rescue Cards run on two CR2032 coin-cell batteries — the same small round batteries used in key fobs and watches. No charging station, no dock, no scheduled power routine. Battery life A fresh pair of CR2032 batteries powers a Card for approximately ...