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

  • Wold Completes Geothermal Projects at Two Minnesota Schools

    Wold Architects & Engineers recently announced that it has completed two geothermal expansion projects for Mounds View Public Schools in Shoreview, Minn., according to a news release. The work at Highview Middle School and Irondale High School serves the district’s long-term goal of reducing energy costs and dependency on non-renewable fuel sources, as well as improving building performance.

  • University of Washington Opens New Broadcast Studio

    The University of Washington in Seattle, Wash., recently announced the opening of Sundodger Studios, a new broadcast, production, and content facility, according to a news release. The university partnered with Anthony James Partners for the design and development of the studio, which will host about 100 live broadcasts and 120 live videoboard shows per year.

  • Carnegie Mellon University Receives $3B Gift to Launch New Campus

    Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Penn., recently announced that it has received $3 billion—the largest individual gift in higher education history—from Citadel CEO and founder Ken Griffin, according to a news release.

  • University of Rochester to Break Ground on New Student Life Center

    The University of Rochester in Rochester, N.Y., recently began construction on a new Student Life building, according to a news release. The first floor will contain campus-wide gathering, program, and rehearsal space; the second floor will play home to the Greenbaum Center for Jewish Life.