Simple notification button for restocking refrigerators
Hi everyone,
I'm looking for advice on a simple automation project for our volunteer fire department.
We have a team that's responsible for restocking the drinks in our station. The problem is that there's no reliable way to let them know when the refrigerators are running low, so sometimes they only notice when they're almost empty.
Our idea is to install a button next to the refrigerators. If someone notices that the drink supply is getting low, they simply press the button.
Here's what we'd like the system to do:
- When the button is pressed, the drinks team should immediately receive a notification on their phones. We don't really care whether it's WhatsApp, SMS, email, Telegram, or something else—as long as it's reliable.
- After the button has been pressed, it should light up red so everyone can see that the notification has already been sent. This prevents multiple people from reporting the same issue.
- The red light should stay on until someone from the drinks team resets it after restocking the refrigerators.
- Ideally, the reset should only be possible by the drinks team (for example via an app, another button, or another simple method).
I'm completely new to smart home automation, so I'm looking for recommendations on the easiest and most reliable way to build something like this. I'm open to any ecosystem (Home Assistant, Shelly, Zigbee, Wi-Fi, etc.) if it fits the requirements.
Has anyone built something similar or can recommend the hardware and software needed?
Thanks in advance!