This article by Brookley Cromer originally appeared on foxcarolina.com. To view the original article, click here.
GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) – An Upstate school district hopes a new safety device will give parents and students peace of mind.
Greenville County Schools just rolled out a new district-wide alert system that gives faster access to help during an emergency.
All teachers and staff now carry a Raptor Alert badge. With just a few clicks, they can call for help.
It’s about the size of a credit card, but the tiny device could be a lifesaver.
“The faster you can notify law enforcement for them to respond is beneficial everywhere,” Greenville County Schools Director of Security, Greg Porter said.
The device is equipped with a silent panic alarm button. When pressed, it activates lockdown mode.
It also dispatches Greenville County deputies to the school.
The badge pinpoints the exact location in the school where the alert came from.
“We have staff that are responsible for over 700 kids every single day and they’re working hard to ensure their needs are met, that we keep our focus on academic achievement, and just knowing they’re all empowered at the push of a button to communicate that there’s imminent danger and they need support and help regardless of their location, internal or external in the building, that just gives me great comfort,” Taylors Elementary School Principal, Heather Dye said.
The initial cost of the new alert system is $1.1 million over the first three years. Then, it will cost around $250,000 per year.
The money comes from the school district’s capital projects fund.
The district tested out the devices at Taylors Elementary School and Woodmont High School last year.
It’s now active across all schools in Greenville County.
