Louisville, KY. (WDRB) – A bill in the Kentucky Legislative Assembly aims to improve school safety by encouraging the implementation of portable panic alert systems in state schools.
Bill 14, which will be heard on a committee on Wednesday morning, encourages schools to implement “portable panic alarm” technology. The system, already used in the schools of the County of Meade, allows teachers to silently alert the application of the law and the administrators in emergency situations by pressing a button.
Mark Martin, a superintendent of the County of Meade schools, stressed the importance of technology in critical moments.
“The seconds count, and in these extreme situations, it is essential that everyone on the campus knows their role in an appropriate response,” said Martin.
The county of Mead was among the first school districts of Kentucky to implement the system, which operates through a discreet badge carried by the teachers. Press the button eight times triggers immediate locking and informs the authorities. A lower answer is launched if it is in a hurry three times, alerting school administrators, resource agents and medical staff.
The system, which includes GPS follow -up, allows the police to determine the exact location of a threat inside the school.
Martin noted that if technology is often used for behavioral incidents, it has also been crucial in a medical emergency, such as crises and diabetic episodes.
“It is an investment in people, and you cannot put a price on human life,” said Martin.
The technology has already been recognized for preventing a new tragedy during a shooting by Georgia High School.
At Apalachee secondary school, a 14 -year -old opened fire and killed two students and two staff members. The school had installed panic alarm technology a week before filming. According to the Associated PressFrom the moment the employees pressed their badges until the school resources approached the shooter and placed him in police custody, three minutes have passed.
Now Kentucky legislators hope to make it more widely available.
For families like Matilda Jenkins, whose grandchildren are at school, security remains a major concern.
“I don’t know what’s going on with the world – it’s crazy,” said Jenkins. “I hope they have the measures of what they need to do to protect our children.”
If adopted, Bill 14 could provide additional financial resources to schools in order to implement the panic alert system, giving parents and educators greater peace of mind.
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