Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

What Do We Already Have That Can Improve Safety?

  • By Jana Rankin
  • 05/01/17

More than likely, you have your phone within a few feet of you. This is becoming a critical tool for today’s campuses in keeping students safe. Technology now exists that can send alerts directly to a phone that’s connected to the Wi-Fi, which means students and teachers can stay connected to what’s going on in the event of an emergency.

Mobile devices that are connected on a school’s Wi-Fi are using real-time location system (RTLS) technology, like when you “checkin” somewhere on Facebook. RTLS can track the movement of these devices (and therefore the person in possession of a device) within a facility. When an emergency occurs, this technology can act as a two-way communication tool; first, by letting a mobile user know there’s an incident in progress and giving directions, such as “stay where you are,” and second, by allowing the mobile user to let the school know they’re safe and accounted for during the same incident.

We’re seeing that schools require a robust security posture for students, faculty, staff and visitors. Parents and law enforcement are demanding an advanced level of protection in the event of a threat. Installing this kind of technology is cost-effective because it doesn’t require anything more than a Wi-Fi signal to operate. The software can be uploaded to a security official’s or administrator’s computer or mobile device to allow operability and active monitoring, and a school can provide standard operating procedures for teachers directly on a device to help streamline the process during an emergency. The platform can also be used as a communication tool for routine messages, such as a closure or delay due to weather, helping operations run more smoothly.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

About the Author

Jana Rankin is the co-founder and CEO of VuTeur, the market's first emergency management and asset protection solution built on real-time location system (RTLS) technology. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • R.I. District Holds Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for New Elementary School

    Cranston Public Schools in Cranston, R.I., recently announced the completion of Gladstone Elementary School, according to a news release. The 100,000-square-foot facility serves as a replacement for the 1950s-era former building, and it consolidates the student, faculty, and staff populations of Gladstone and Arlington Elementary Schools.

  • Missouri K–12 District Cuts Ribbons on Two New Middle Schools

    Springfield Public Schools in Springfield, Mo., recently celebrated the completion of two new middle school facilities with ribbon-cutting ceremonies, according to a district news release. The district officially opened the new Pipkin Middle School and Reed Academy on Sept. 3, both of which were funded through the $220-million Proposition S bond program approved by voters in 2023.

  • URI Cuts Underwater Ribbon on New Ocean Robotics Laboratory

    The University of Rhode Island recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new Ocean Robotics Laboratory at its Narragansett Bay Campus, according to a news release. Two students used a remotely operated vehicle to cut an underwater ribbon in a 30-by-20-foot test tank.

  • Embry-Riddle Completes Construction on Research, Lab Facility

    Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Daytona Beach, Fla., recently announced the end of construction on a new research and lab facility on campus. The Center for Aerospace Engineering II (CAT II) will support aerospace research and technology development and broke ground last summer.