Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Can Technology Make Schools Safer?

  • By Chris Holbert
  • 02/01/18

Safety in schools is a topic heard often in the news, which raises questions about what can be done to further safeguard the learning environment. According to the Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2016, 65 percent of public schools recorded one or more violent incidents during the 2013-14 school year.

If an attack is threatened or occurs at school, teachers could be alone with a student or unable to notify school authorities that an event is taking place. Typically, a teacher would have to use a phone to make a call or unlock their cell phone to send a text or email. Some schools also use handheld radios to create direct lines of communication. But, all of these options create an obvious visual or audio signal to an attacker that the incident is being reported.

An alternative solution schools should consider for classroom safety is a mobile personal emergency response (mPERS) device. Sometimes referred to as a mobile panic button, these devices are small and lightweight. They can be placed under the desk where they are permanently on. They can be set to “covert” mode where alarms and send immediately with the press of a button. A one-way voice channel is started where trained emergency response operators can clearly hear what is happening, though there is no sound coming from the device.

The mPERS device, can be mobile if the administrator or teacher needs to take it with them on the move. Most devices have days of battery life and can track the whereabouts of the carrier, while keeping the phone call or “voice channel” open for the emergency response team.

In an emergency, a simple press of the single button on the device will send an SOS alert to school authorities or multiple teams, if that is needed. Simultaneously, a phone call is made to trained emergency operators who can assess the situation, locate the individual pressing the button using GPS and other technologies, and dispatch the right assistance quickly.

This article originally appeared in the School Planning & Management February 2018 issue of Spaces4Learning.

About the Author

Chris Holbert, is CEO of SecuraTrac. Find out more at www.securatrac.com.

Featured

  • Hawaii Elementary School Reopens Following $25M Campus Modernization

    Haʻaheo Elementary School in Hilo, Hawaii, has reopened to students following a three-year, $25-million campus modernization and expansion project that significantly increases the school's instructional space while preserving one of the island's oldest educational institutions, according to local news.

  • Texas A&M Opens First Building at Fort Worth Campus, Breaks Ground on Research Facility

    The Texas A&M University System marked a major milestone in the development of its Fort Worth campus by opening its first completed academic building and breaking ground on a second facility designed to expand research and industry collaboration.

  • UCF Modernizes College of Hospitality Management

    The University of Central Florida in Orlando, Fla., recently completed a major renovation effort for the Rosen College of Hospitality Management, according to a news release. The project modernized 77,600 square feet worth of academic classrooms, teaching labs, and collaborative spaces to support both students and faculty.

  • Johns Hopkins Starts Construction on New Residence Hall, Dining Facility

    The Homewood Campus of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., recently began construction on a new residence hall and dining facility, according to university news. The work involves demolishing the existing Alumni Memorial Residence Hall I, which was built in 1923, to make room for the new facility.