NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) – The clock is ticking for college districts to use for a grant that will pay for state-of-the-art panic alarms inside colleges.
It could have been the one a part of the emergency response to the Uvalde faculty bloodbath that went proper.
Moments earlier than the shooter entered Robb Elementary, silent panic alert expertise, often called SPAT, was activated which despatched information and an alarm to different faculty workers, in addition to authorities and directors.
“Raptor Alert was utilized as the alert process that the principal initiated a minute before the guy walked into the building,” mentioned David Rogers with Raptor Technologies. “Unfortunately, doors weren’t locked.”
That lapse together with a scarcity of motion by responding officers overshadowed the effectiveness of silent panic alarms that the state is providing pay for if faculty district’s apply earlier than a December deadline.
“Pretty much every district is going out there and looking to get this technology,” mentioned Rogers. “I think if you don’t, you’re risking the lives of your staff and your students.”
Former DISD Police Chief Craig Miller is a proponent of the alarms that may instantly provoke lockdowns or evacuations by anybody with the varsity who has licensed entry to an app, from academics to even bus drivers.
“I think the ability to immediately make contact with administrators and law-enforcement to get people going to the right location, not just going to the school but we know a specific classroom where that panic alert has been set, I think that will help us,” mentioned former Dallas ISD Police Chief Craig Miller.
Raptor Technologies is considered one of a handful of firms that present the silent panic alarms and says solely about half of North Texas faculty districts have them.
Many rural districts do not as a result of the techniques value about $1,900 per faculty.
Quinlan ISD advised CBS 11 they are going to be among the many districts making use of for a grant to put in them on its 4 campuses.
“With this grant, there’s certainly no excuse not to embrace this technology,” Rogers mentioned.
The state is providing every faculty district in Texas a minimal of $200,000 to enhance security. The deadline to use for this grant is December 12.
