For supportive housing
Brave Buttons
A resident presses their Button to call for help. Staff on shift get an alert on the Responder Phone and go to that unit.
$100
per button per year · 3-year term
Overdose detection for housing, care centers and public bathrooms
Overdose detection for the rooms where people are alone.
Brave Buttons and Brave Sensors alert on-site staff when someone may be overdosing. Answer a few questions to see if Brave fits your site or facility, then get an all-in estimate you can take to approval.
No account needed. You'll get a quote you can download.
13,000+
connections to care
1,168+
safer spaces
270+
overdoses reversed
Across all Brave sites and facilities to date.
One system
Buttons and Sensors work together.
Buttons cover residents' units. Sensors cover bathrooms. Prices are per device, per year, on a 3-year term. Setup is a one-time fee for each building.
About Brave Buttons
For care centers and public bathrooms
Brave Sensors
Detects a possible overdose in a bathroom and alerts staff. Works in single-stall bathrooms, or multi-stall bathrooms with floor-to-ceiling partitions.
$500
per sensor per year · 3-year term
How it works
Check fit first. Then order.
The fit check covers everything your site or facility needs, so nothing surprises you after you pay.
01
Check fit
Tell us about your rooms, cell signal, power and staff. It takes a few minutes.
02
Get your estimate
Devices, setup, shipping and tax, with Year 1 and Years 2–3 shown separately. Download it as a quote.
03
Order, or talk to us
Pay by card or request an invoice. Not a fit yet? We'll book a call with your answers attached.
04
We set up remotely
We configure your devices and Responder Phone with you. Sensors take at least 8 weeks.
Step 01 checks that you have
Strong cellular signal in every building
Devices send alerts over the cellular network.
A Responder Phone
Responder Phones are provided by the client. It stays with whoever is on shift.
Power where each Sensor mounts
You'll need an electrician. Cost varies by site or facility, so we never include it in a quote.
A 3-year term
Setup and Year 1 are invoiced and due when you order.
Talk to someone like you
Speak with a site or facility that already runs Brave.
We'll introduce you to a housing manager or facility lead at a site or facility like yours. Ask them anything.
Request an introduction{{tRain.quote}}
Sites and facilities running Brave today
Select a marker or a name to see the site or facility. Site list, locations and logos – Brave to supply
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Case studies
What staff see after Brave goes in.
From housing providers and care centers running Brave today.
Brave Buttons · Supported housing, Downtown Eastside, Vancouver
472
connections to care in the first 105 days, from Buttons in 20 units.
33 critical overdose interventions.
Read the case studyBrave Buttons · Low-barrier supportive housing, Vancouver
100%
response rate across 488 connections to care in the first two quarters.
14 critical overdose interventions.
Read the case studyBrave Sensors · REACH Centre, Vancouver
4
public washrooms covered by Sensors at an urgent care center.
Staff report less stress, better focus and a calmer space.
Read the case studyFigures from Brave's published case studies.
Proof / In action
What changes when Brave goes in.
Outcomes from housing providers and care centers running Brave today, in their staff's own words. Want to hear it firsthand? We'll connect you with a site or facility like yours.
Across all Brave sites and facilities
13,000+
connections to care
1,168+
safer spaces
270+
overdoses reversed
Case studies
Three sites and facilities, in their first months.
Figures from Brave's published case studies.
Brave Buttons
472
connections to care in 105 days
Supported housing, Downtown Eastside, Vancouver
Buttons went into 20 units. Residents press their Button to reach staff, and the alert goes to the Responder Phone carried by whoever is on shift.
472 connections to care in the first 105 days
33 critical overdose interventions
{{tRain.quote}}
Brave Buttons
100%
response rate
Low-barrier supportive housing, Vancouver
Staff answered every alert across the first two quarters.
488 connections to care in the first two quarters
14 critical overdose interventions
Brave Sensors
4
public washrooms covered
REACH Centre, Vancouver
Sensors cover four public washrooms at an urgent care center and alert staff when someone may be overdosing inside.
Staff report less stress and better focus
A calmer space for staff and visitors
Every case study names the site, the devices, the dates and where each figure comes from. All evidence and research
Talk to someone like you
Speak with a site or facility that already runs Brave.
We'll connect you with a housing manager or facility lead at a site or facility like yours. Ask how setup went, what staff think and what they'd do differently.
Request an introduction{{tCov.quote}}
Ready to see if it fits?
Check your site or facility in a few minutes.
The fit check covers signal, power, rooms and staff, and ends with an all-in estimate.
Overdose Detection
Overdose detection, matched to your building.
Brave Buttons and Brave Sensors work together to alert on-site staff when someone may be overdosing. Whether your site or facility is ready depends on your rooms, signal, power and staff. The fit check takes a few minutes and ends with an all-in estimate.
Find the right fit
One system for every room where someone could be alone.
Buttons and Sensors send alerts to the same Responder Phone, so staff respond to both the same way.
In residents' units
Brave Buttons
A resident presses their Button and staff get an alert.
$100 per button per year · 3-year term
Brave Buttons in detailIn bathrooms
Brave Sensors
For single-stall bathrooms, or multi-stall with floor-to-ceiling partitions.
$500 per sensor per year · 3-year term
Brave Sensors in detailThe fit check confirms your rooms, signal, power and staff are ready.
Start the fit checkPricing & funding
Every cost, up front.
3-year subscription. Setup and Year 1 are invoiced and due when you order.
Brave Buttons
For supportive housing
$100
per button per year · 3-year term
Brave Sensors
For care centers and public bathrooms
$500
per sensor per year · 3-year term
Set-up & configuration
Per building. Buildings that share one Responder Phone share a fee. A building with more than one program needs one setup per program. We calculate this from your fit answers.
$2,000
one-time
Not included
Your Responder Phone. Your electrician for Sensors (cost varies by site or facility). Shipping and tax appear in your estimate.
Estimate your cost
Change the numbers to match your site or facility.
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Plus shipping and tax. Your fit check confirms setup fees and turns this into a downloadable quote. Currency USD or CAD – TBD
Check fit and get your quoteFunding and procurement
Need approval first?
Every estimate downloads as a quote, with Year 1 and Years 2–3 split out for procurement and grant applications. You can request an invoice or pay with a purchase order.
Proof / In action
What Brave has done so far.
13,000+
connections to care, all sites and facilities
Nearly 5,000
connections to care with Brave Buttons
100+
overdoses reversed with Brave Buttons
[Sensor outcome]
Brave to supply
Talk to someone like you
Speak with a site or facility that already runs Brave.
We'll connect you with a housing manager or facility lead at a site or facility like yours. Ask how setup went, what staff think and what they'd do differently.
Request an introduction{{tCov.quote}}
Talk to us
Rather talk first?
Book a call with our team. If you've started the fit check, your answers come with you.
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Plus $2,000 one-time setup per building.
Takes a few minutes. Ends with an all-in estimate and a quote you can download.
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How it works
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The fit check asks about everything you'll need, before you pay.
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Questions
Before you decide.
Can I speak to someone like me who has installed this?
Yes. We'll introduce you to a reference client at a site or facility like yours, so you can ask about setup, staff response and cost.
Request an introduction{{f.q}}
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Adding to 88 Elm Street · Riverside Housing Society
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Choose an answer to continue.
Fits your site or facility
{{prodName}} fit your site or facility.
Your quote is ready. It's built from the answers below. Nothing is charged until you order.
Your answers
- {{x.q}}
- {{x.a}}
Not in this quote:
Your quote
Based on your answers
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What's in this quote
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Set by your fit answers
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This is an estimate. Final shipping and tax appear on your invoice.
Want to hear from a site or facility like yours first? Request an introduction.
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On a call, we can talk through
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Consultation requested
Thanks. We'll be in touch to set a time.
We'll email you within [response time – Brave to confirm] to confirm a time. Your fit answers are already with our team.
What we'll cover
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We'll look at your site or facility with you and tell you plainly whether Brave can work there, now or later.
Helpful to have
Photos or a floor plan of the rooms you want to cover.
A rough idea of your budget and approval process.
Anyone else who should join, such as facilities or finance.
Your cart
Fit check passed for {{prodName}}.
Already a Brave client? Sign in or match by address so we don't charge setup twice.
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Set-up & configuration
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Set by your fit answers. To change it, .
{{setupFmt}}one-time
No account needed. You'll check out as a guest.
Review your order
Your commitment
A 3-year subscription. {{totalFmt}} over 3 years, plus shipping and tax.
Year 1 · due when you order
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Setup + first year, plus shipping and tax
Year 2
{{annualFmt}}
Plus tax
Year 3
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Plus tax
When Years 2 and 3 are invoiced: TBD – Brave to confirm
What you're ordering
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What you provide
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Floor plan: {{fpReview}}
Please confirm the 3-year term to continue.
Order placed
Thank you. Your order is in.
Order [Order number – generated at checkout]. We've emailed a confirmation to {{demo.email}}.
{{qty}} × {{prodName}}{{annualFmt}} per year
{{setupStatus}}{{setupFmt}}
{{confDueLabel}}{{y1Fmt}} + shipping and tax
Years 2–3{{annualFmt}} per year + tax
What happens next
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brave
Brave Technology Coop
Prepared for
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Terms
3-year subscription. Setup and Year 1 are invoiced and due when the order is placed. Years 2 and 3 are invoiced at the annual rate shown.
Not included: Responder Phone (provided by the client) and electrical work for Sensors (cost varies by site or facility).
Fit check passed October 6, 2026. Answers attached on page 2.
Currency, tax and shipping basis: TBD – Brave to confirm
Returning clients
Welcome back.
Sign in or find your account by address. We'll check which buildings are already set up, so you're never charged setup twice.
New to Brave? You don't need an account. Start the fit check.
Account found
Riverside Housing Society
Sample data
On file
88 Elm Street
Brave Buttons · Responder Phone on file
Setup complete
Setup rules for returning clients are a draft. Brave to confirm
Knowledge Center
Guides and manuals for your staff, evidence for your board, and resources for your community.
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Stay current
New guides and research, by email.
Case studies, guides and harm-reduction resources as they're published. Sending schedule – Brave to set
You're subscribed. Check your inbox to confirm.
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In their words
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Quote slotQuote from site staff, with name, role, organization and the date it was approved – Brave to supply. The case study publishes without a quote if consent isn't given.
How we checked these figures
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Brave's summary · Harm Reduction Journal, 2024
What Canada's national overdose response line learned in two years
A plain-language summary of a 2024 article on the National Overdose Response Service (NORS), Canada's phone line for people who use drugs alone.
Key findings
- 6,528 calls between December 15, 2020 and March 31, 2023. 61.1% were virtual supervised consumption.
- 57.7% of 331 unique clients had no access to a physical supervised consumption site.
- 77 drug poisoning events led to an EMS or community naloxone response. There were 3 false alarms.
- The authors report no deaths or prolonged hospitalizations among those events, confirmed by follow-up wellness checks.
What NORS is
NORS is Canada's first national phone line for people who use drugs alone. A volunteer stays on the line, and if the caller stops responding, sends help to their location. It started in December 2020.
It was formed from existing overdose response services, including Brave Co-op in Vancouver, Grenfell Ministries' Overdose Prevention Line in Hamilton, and Alberta Health Services in Calgary.
Why it was needed
The authors point out that harm reduction services are concentrated in large cities, and that the COVID-19 pandemic made access worse, especially outside them.
What the service learned
Callers needed more than overdose monitoring. The service grew into peer support, psychosis de-escalation and crisis support, which meant new staff training and policies.
The authors recommend testing texting and web chat, vetting referral resources, and planning for volunteer retention.
Limits of the evidence
This is a lessons-learned account, not a controlled study. Two authors co-founded NORS and disclose that as a competing interest. The authors also note that no permanent funding has been provided for the service.
Cite the original
Rioux W, Taplay P, Morris-Miller L, et al. Implementing Canada's first national virtual phone based overdose prevention service: lessons learned from creating the National Overdose Response Service (NORS). Harm Reduction Journal. 2024;21:102. doi:10.1186/s12954-024-01017-7
brave
How-to guide · Version {{hd.version}}
Respond to a Brave alert
What to do from the moment the Responder Phone alerts you until the alert is closed.
If someone is unresponsive, call 911 first.Then follow your site's overdose response protocol and your naloxone training.
Before your shift
1
Check the Responder Phone.
Charged, switched on, sound on. It stays with whoever is on shift.
2
Find your naloxone kit.
Know where it is, and check that it's in date.
3
Know your site's protocol.
Who calls 911, who meets paramedics, who stays with the person.
When an alert comes in
1
Read the alert. It tells you where to go.
Brave Alerts · one Button pressThere has been a request for help from Room 204. Please respond okay after you have followed up on the call.
Brave Alerts · two or more pressesThis is an URGENT request for help from Room 204. Please respond okay when you have followed up on the call.
Sensor alert wording: Brave to confirm
2
Go to the location now. Take your naloxone kit.
An urgent alert can mean an overdose, a medical emergency or a personal conflict. For a Sensor alert, follow your site's procedure for opening a locked washroom.
3
Check on the person and follow your protocol.
If they're unresponsive or not breathing normally, call 911 and start your overdose response. If they're OK, check in. A single press can mean someone wants company.
4
Reply "Okay" to the alert text.
This ends the response. Until you reply, the alert stays open.
5
Reply with the number that describes what happened.
0Overdose1Safer use2Conflict resolution3Connected to care4Other
Your site's list may use different words.
If no one responds
What happens to an unanswered alert: reminders, escalation to a second phone or manager, timing – Brave to confirm
Troubleshooting
| If | Do this |
|---|---|
| You get a low-battery alert for a Button | Recharge that Button. Buttons need charging about once a year. |
| The Responder Phone is lost, broken or out of charge | Tell your manager now, then email clientsupport@brave.coop. |
| An alert looks like a mistake | Go and check anyway. Then reply 4 (Other). |
| You're not getting alerts during a test | Test procedure and support phone line – Brave to confirm |
Steps 1, 4 and 5 follow the Brave Buttons User Guide v7 (July 2024). Clinical or ops sign-off – Brave
Printed from brave.coop/knowledge-center/responder-guide on {{hd.today}}. Version {{hd.version}}.
Check the website for the latest version before you rely on this copy.
Brave Buttons
Installation guide
Version 11 · 9 pages · Updated July 2024
Setting up the Hub and Buttons, linking the Responder Phone, and testing the system.
What's inside
- Welcome to Brave Buttons2
- Installation process3
- Preparing your facility3
- Receive the Button system3
- Brave Hub installation4
- Brave Button installation and test5
- Primary Responder Phone6
- Testing the system7
- Tips8
- Troubleshooting8
Before installation day
1
Choose the Hub location, with an electrical outlet nearby.
2
Confirm cellular signal in that room.
3
Place the Hub centrally, out of sight, away from clutter and dust.
4
Decide which rooms get a Button, and on which wall.
5
Use two 3.5 mm screws per Button, or the tape Brave provides.
6
Give every room a unique name. Staff see it in the alert.
Version history
| Version | Date | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | July 2024 | Changes since version 10 – Brave to supply |
| 10 | Date | Brave to supply |
Event recordings · 2023
Tech and Harm Reduction Symposium 2023
What the symposium is and who it brings together – Brave to supply
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Session {{kd.evSelN}} of 6 · Speaker · mm:ss
Sessions
Earlier symposiums
Tech and Harm Reduction Symposium 2022YouTube playlist, opens in a new tab Event recordingsUsing alone? There are services that can send help.
These phone lines and apps stay with you while you use. If you stop responding, they send help to where you are.
- Call [number]
National Overdose Response Service (NORS)
Phone line across Canada. A volunteer stays on the line with you. Hours – Brave to confirm
- Call [number]
Never Use Alone
Phone line. Where it operates and hours – Brave to confirm
- Get the app
Safespot
App that checks in on you with a timer. How it works – Brave to confirm
How these services work
Plain-language explanation, written with people who use drugs – Brave to supply
What to have ready
Your address details, naloxone, what the volunteer will ask – Brave to supply
Your privacy
What each service shares, and when it calls emergency services – Brave to confirm with each service
Written with peer reviewers – Brave. Last checked Month YYYY. If someone is unresponsive, call 911.
Template. Every claim on this page waits on Brave's data privacy review. Dashed fields are slots for the review to fill. Nothing here is approved copy.
Privacy & dignity
What Brave knows, and what it never captures.
Brave devices go into bathrooms and people's homes. They're built to send one message: someone at this location may need help. Here's exactly what that involves, so you can answer your residents, your staff and your privacy officer.
Read the privacy policyLast reviewed [Date – after privacy review]
Never captured
No cameras. No microphones.
Brave Buttons have no GPS, camera, lights or sound. They send an alert for one fixed location.
No cameras
No images or video, from any device.
No microphones
No audio is recorded or listened to.
No GPS
Devices don't track where a person goes.
No names
Whether any personal data is linked to a device – review to confirm
How Brave Sensors detect a possible overdose: [Sensing method in plain language – Brave to supply]
What an alert contains
A location. Not a person.
In the alert
The location label your site chose, such as Room 204
The time
Other fields, such as device ID – review to confirm
Never in the alert
Images, video or audio
A GPS position
A resident's name or health information – review to confirm
Data handling
What Brave keeps, and for how long.
One row for each kind of data. The privacy review fills in every cell.
| Data | Why Brave keeps it | Who can see it | How long | Where it's stored |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alert records | [Purpose] | [Roles] | [Retention] | [Country / provider] |
| Device status (battery, signal) | [Purpose] | [Roles] | [Retention] | [Country / provider] |
| Responder Phone numbers | [Purpose] | [Roles] | [Retention] | [Country / provider] |
| Client account contacts | [Purpose] | [Roles] | [Retention] | [Country / provider] |
| Fit check answers and quotes | [Purpose] | [Roles] | [Retention] | [Country / provider] |
Consent and dignity
People choose. Staff respond with care.
Brave is a co-op that designs its technology with people who use drugs.
Residents and ButtonsWhether residents choose to have a Button, and how they say no – Brave to confirm
Bathrooms and SensorsHow visitors are told a Sensor is in use, such as signage – Brave to confirm
Co-designHow people who use drugs shaped these devices, in their words – Brave to supply
What Brave will never do with alert dataFor example, share it with police or landlords – privacy review and board to approve
For your privacy officer
Documents for your review.
Privacy review summary
PDF – after the review
Privacy impact assessment support
Template or answers Brave can provide – to confirm
Ask Brave's privacy contact
Name and email – Brave to supply
Legal
Privacy policy
In plain language
Brave devices send an alert for a location. They have no cameras or microphones. This policy is the legal detail behind that.
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