This article originally appeared on Missourinet. To view the original article, click here.
For more than one year, Missouri has been offering a mobile emergency alert app to public schools to quickly alert staff and 911 when help is needed. State Department of Public Safety spokesman Mike O’Connell told Missourinet that nearly 300 of Missouri’s more than 500 public school districts are using or will soon use the silent notification tool.
“Over half of the 20 largest school districts in the state are using it, as well as charter schools, and some districts that are smaller districts. Now, that 42% that are using this app, that can be a little bit misleading. There are some schools that already had their own apps similar to this one,” he said.
In other words, there are likely more than 42% of schools in Missouri using an app like this.
“We know that it was used in those school districts and schools where they had it for at least 20 student behavior alerts that can go out through the teacher assist function. We know that it was used for 71 actual emergencies of some type that it lasted for at least 10 minutes,” said O’Connell. “Or it could be that they were evacuated because of a fire. Or it could be that they were taking cover because of a weather alert.”
SECURE could be pressed to alert the school to keep students and staff inside when a nearby gas station is robbed and a suspect is on the loose, for instance.
LOCKDOWN could be tapped when there’s an active shooter in the school.
EVACUATE could be deployed during a fire, for instance.
SHELTER is for incidents like a tornado or earthquake.
HOLD could be used to hold students in a classroom.
The software provides details, such as location-based information and school campus maps, to first responders, law enforcement, and campus personnel – within seconds.
During the previous school year, the system was also used 751 times for drills.
“Practice makes perfect. Drills may not sound that important, but by exercising, that is how we get ready for when there is a real actual emergency,” O’Connell said. “The idea of using this app to help drill, so that everybody knows their role, including the children in a school, is extremely important.”
According to O’Connell, the app can be used on a cell phone or computer by school employees.
“Some school districts choose to link it into their PA system,” he said. “One of the nice functions about this is that when you’re contacting 911 with it, you can speak to the person at 911 or you can just text so that it can be silent.”
The state’s cost to provide the tool to Missouri public schools is about $1 million annually.
“Schools contain our most precious resource, our children. So, we wanted to do everything we can, as the governor’s initiative, to help protect the children in this setting,” he said. “So, the idea is, the quicker that we can get the word out to responders that there’s an issue at the school and the type of issue it is, the better it is for the response.”
Schools can sign up or get more information by clicking here.
