TUCSON, Ariz. — Two school districts in Tucson, Ariz., will soon equip its teachers and staff with wearable panic alarm badges that aim to improve emergency response.
The Tucson Unified School Governing Board unanimously voted last week to approve a $5 million five-year contract with Centegix to adopt its wearable panic button solution, CrisisAlert. When a staff member pushes the button, a safety alert instantly reaches administrators and first responders, displaying a map of who needs help and where they are located.
TUSD Director of School Safety Joe Hallums said he is excited to implement the new tool and has received positive feedback from staff, Tucson.com reports. He also noted providing every staff member with a walkie-talkie would far exceed the cost of the new system. The school system is made up of 90 schools and employs approximately 8,000 people.
“We want to make sure any staff member receives the help they need,” he said. “The whole idea is just to keep it really simple.”
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On Oct. 22, the Catalina Foothills School District also announced its governing board unanimously approved the purchase of the new technology. CFSD is the first Arizona school district to adopt it, according to Inside Tucson Business.
“Our district is committed to creating a safe learning environment, and the adoption of the CENTEGIX CrisisAlert system is a significant step in enhancing our response capabilities,” said Superintendent Dr. Denise Bartlett. “This system will help us protect everyone on our campuses by ensuring rapid and effective communication during emergencies.”
The solution has been credited for saving lives during the deadly Sept. 4 Apalachee High School shooting. Several teachers initiated a lockdown using their badge, and a law enforcement official told the Washington Post that they found out there was an active shooter through an alert from the system. The district had only implemented the solution a week before the shooting.
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