An IoT-Enabled Barangay Panic Button System Using ESP32-C3 with Verified Email Alert and Cloud-Based Logging

Abstract

Community-level emergency response systems play a vital role in ensuring public safety, particularly in barangays where timely and accurate communication during emergencies is essential. Conventional incident reporting methods, such as phone calls or personal visits to barangay offices, often lead to delayed responses and poor coordination. This study presents the design and implementation of an Internet of Things (IoT)–based Barangay Panic Button System using an ESP32-C3 microcontroller integrated with a GPS module, verified email alert transmission, and cloud-based logging.
The proposed system utilizes a push-button mechanism as the primary emergency trigger, allowing residents or authorized personnel to manually initiate alerts during critical situations. Under normal operation, a green LED indicates system readiness. When the panic button is pressed, the GPS module acquires the exact geographical location of the incident without requiring internet connectivity. The ESP32-C3 then uses a Wi-Fi connection to transmit the emergency alert, including the GPS coordinates, to the Brevo email platform.
Unlike conventional alert systems, the device is programmed to activate visual and audible feedback only after successful email delivery. Upon confirmation, a red LED blinks while a buzzer sounds for a fixed duration of ten seconds, assuring the user that the alert has been successfully transmitted and recorded. Emergency notifications are received via email and automatically logged within the Brevo dashboard, providing access to delivery status, event history, and system statistics.
While existing IoT-based emergency systems demonstrate the effectiveness of push-button alerts (Prayoko et al., 2019; Khanna & Sharma, 2017), many lack location accuracy, delivery verification, and centralized logging. By integrating manual activation, GPS-based location tracking, verified email delivery, and cloud-based logging, the proposed system offers a low-cost, reliable, and scalable emergency reporting solution suitable for barangay-level deployment.