SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – Schools in Seminole County are testing a new security system that uses mobile panic buttons to help with response to emergencies on campuses.
This week, Choices in Learning Elementary Charter School held a code red drill to demonstrate the capabilities of the CENTEGIX CrisisAlert system.
“This ranges anything from one school charter all the way up to our largest districts, almost 400 schools that we’re part of,” CENTEGIX VP of Innovation Dean Olds said. “There’s no right or wrong type of campus. This is really about supporting staff and giving a faster emergency response to any size campus.”
The wearable panic buttons allow teachers and staff to call for help or trigger a lockdown from any location on campus.
“Having that wearable in the event that you’re not next to your phone and you can click a button a certain number of times and it activates a response that can save lives,” Choices in Learning Principal Jordan Rodriguez said. “There is a strobe that starts flashing red. So you have a visual indicator...and it automatically triggers the call to law enforcement.”
When an alarm is triggered, authorized users have access to the GPS location of the badge and access to nearby security cameras.
According to CENTEGIX, the company’s wearable panic buttons help protect 53% of public schools and more than 1.5 million students.
Rodriguez said his school is testing out the technology in hopes of a full implementation of the system.
“When you come into a critical response, whether it’s a need for medical assistance or potentially, God forbid, an active shooter, seconds matter,” Rodriguez said.
For more details about the CENTEGIX safety technology, click here.
