New Jersey Alyssa’s Law’s Overview
New Jersey A764, aka Alyssa’s Law, was signed into law by Governor Phil Murphy on February 6, 2019, becoming the first state to enact this critical piece of school emergency response legislation. Alyssa’s Law, named after Alyssa Alhadeff, a victim of the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School tragedy, requires schools in various states to implement or consider implementing silent panic alert systems linked directly to first responders and law enforcement agencies.
Quickly gaining traction around the country, Alyssa’s Law has now been passed into law in Florida, Georgia, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Washington.
What New Jersey Schools Need to Know to Comply
Alyssa’s Law in New Jersey went into effect on September 1, 2019, requiring each public elementary and secondary school building to be equipped with at least one panic alarm for use in a school emergency.
The alarm shall:
- be directly linked to local law enforcement authorities or, in the case of a school building located in a municipality in which there is no municipal police department, a location designated by the Superintendent of State Police, and shall immediately transmit a signal or message to such authorities upon activation.
- not be audible within the school building.
- adhere to nationally recognized industry standards, including the standards of the National Fire Protection Association and Underwriters Laboratories.
- be installed solely by a person licensed to engage in the alarm business in accordance with the provisions of section 7 of P.L.1997, c.305 (C.45:5A-27).
How Raptor Solutions Align with New Jersey Alyssa’s Law Requirements
Raptor provides multiple alerting methods to enable staff to silently and easily expedite the call for help during emergencies, ensuring compliance with Alyssa’s Law requirements in New Jersey. Designed to work under duress, Raptor Alert and Raptor Badge Alert provide a silent panic alert system for school staff.
The system:
- allows users to initiate an alert directly through 911 and provide critical information to first responders, law enforcement, and campus personnel.
- is compatible with all standard Public Safety Answering Points and emergency calling infrastructure, and is RapidSOS Ready, accelerating the transfer of critical emergency alert data to 911 and with first responders during emergencies.
- includes an option to silently alert and share critical information through RapidSOS with 911 dispatchers.
- supports clear, compliant visual communication during emergencies through integrated live visual messaging and strobe notifications, designed in alignment with NFPA and UL standards to ensure alerts are accessible, synchronized, and reliable for all building occupants.
- We are committed to sourcing installers that meet the requirements of any school district, including those in New Jersey.
Raptor’s annual subscription includes not only innovative technology but also a fully managed service, including professional installation, active monitoring of all devices, and a hassle-free replacement service for badges and network components.
Grants Supporting New Jersey Mobile Panic Alarm System Implementation
The FY25 COPS SVPP grant program provides $73M to school boards and districts nationwide and includes “technology for expedited notification of local law enforcement during an emergency” as an allowable expense. Additionally, schools who were awarded funds from FY24 federal grant programs such as COPS SVPP, BJA STOP, and the State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSP) have until 2027 to spend their awarded funds.
At the state-level, local educational agencies (LEAs) or school districts that were awarded funds from the Stronger Connections Grant or the Emergent Capital Maintenance Needs Grant Program could use these funds to support panic alarm system implementation.
Want to learn more about how Raptor can help your district or school comply with Alyssa’s Law? Schedule a demo.
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