Understanding Your Repeaters

Understanding Your Repeaters

Rescue Repeaters are multi-purpose infrastructure devices that form the mesh network your Cards and Rafts rely on. They plug into standard wall outlets and require no hardwiring, no dedicated IT rack, and no special installation tools.

Every Card deployment includes Repeaters. Raft-only deployments may add Repeaters to extend range and reduce false alerts, but do not require them for basic operation.


What a Repeater does

Repeaters serve three distinct functions simultaneously:

1. Signal relay Repeaters listen for LoRa emergency signals from Cards and forward them through the mesh to the Alert Station. In a Card deployment, Cards do not communicate directly with the Alert Station — they communicate through the nearest Repeater, which passes the signal along. This extends reliable coverage far beyond what the Alert Station alone could cover.

2. Room-level location tracking Repeaters continuously scan for Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) signals broadcast by nearby Cards. When a Card is within range of one or more Repeaters, the system triangulates its position based on signal strength and maps it to the room or zone where that Repeater is installed. As a Card carrier moves through the building, their location updates on the 3D map in real time. The more evenly distributed your Repeaters are, the more precise the tracking.

3. Visual alert strobe The top strobe array on each Repeater flashes during active emergencies, providing building-wide visual alerts for staff who may not hear the audible alarm or may not have their phones accessible. The strobe color corresponds to the emergency category configured for that alert.


Hardware overview

  • Plugs into any standard wall outlet via included USB-C adapter
  • No hardwiring, no dedicated power circuit required
  • Internal backup battery — up to 72 hours of operation during a power outage
  • Connects to your facility's Wi-Fi network for health data and backend communication
  • Uses LoRa radio for emergency signal relay — not dependent on Wi-Fi for alerts
  • Bottom status LED indicates connectivity state; top strobe array activates during emergencies
  • Bottom LED connectivity states are consistent across all deployments; top strobe color corresponds to configured emergency category
  • LED colors are customizable via app.punchrescue.com

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