The Urgent Demand for a Panic Alarm System
By: Sonya Richmond
There have been 32 school shootings between Aug. 1, 2021, and Dec. 16, 2021, according to Education Week in which 66 people have been killed or injured. That is 6.4 incidents per month. After each school shooting incident, there are well-intentioned promises from the community to improve response, better protect our children, and reduce chaos. That often requires a lot of coordination. For example, the schools must be in communication with the police or sheriff’s department, which must then get in touch with ambulance or fire departments. Also, city and town leaders must be notified so that the greater community will be alerted to stay away from the incident area.
Some local governments have followed through on these promises. For example, several states including Colorado and Indiana have passed legislation that provides funding to improve situational awareness and response times from first responders. These communities are pulling together all their resources for a planned response – one that is rapid, efficient, and effective – with a shared goal of saving lives.
Since being signed into law in 2013, the Indiana Secured School Safety Grant (SSSG) Program has served as a critical resource to ensure Hoosier schools are safe and secure. The program has awarded more than $110 million in matching grants to Indiana school districts across the state to address potential safety threats and help them prepare. The program supports a dedicated state grant fund that provides matching grants to school corporations, accredited non-public schools, charter schools or a coalition of school corporations and/or charter schools.
However, you can’t wait for your local or state government to prepare a plan to respond to school shooting incidents. We need to provide the fastest response possible — now. We also need to make sure that students, teachers, and staff are safe if a school shooting takes place. Did you know that most active shooting incidents are over within 10 to 15 minutes? Multiple deaths can occur in that narrow window of time.
That’s why it’s critical to act fast. And the right panic alarm system for schools can help to equally protect all our children.
Learn more about how Mutualink helps save lives when school shootings occur.
Checklist for Your School Safety Alert System
Learn more about 6 critical elements to protect your schools.
Why a Panic Alarm System for Schools Is the Solution
A panic system can save lives. For example, think about the hidden buttons that bank tellers can press if their bank is being robbed. That alarm instantly notifies police for rapid response.
Now imagine if a teacher or school administrator had a similar button. It could be as easy as opening an active shooter app on their smartphone and clicking a button that instantly links to 911.
It’s even better if the panic alarm system for schools provides a video connection. This feature would allow the eyewitness to share footage of what is happening. This helps first responders better understand the exact location of the incident, such as which classroom or building the active shooter is in. Security personnel don’t have to waste as much time searching for a shooter.
The best situation is when the panic alarm system instantly connects the community of first responders — including police, fire, and town leaders – so everyone is on the same page and knows what is happening. That results in less panic and less chaos for the victims.
How Mutualink Improves Response and Resolution Times for School Shooting Incidents
Mutualink is the only company that provides a communications bridge that connects first responders with schools to enable fast response and resolution. Our technology works with whatever system you already have — two-way radio, video cameras, police vehicle laptops, mobile devices, etc. It also works with whatever applications you already have, such as video calling and text/SMS apps.
Mutualink LNK360™ allows safe and secure information sharing that is separate and apart from the public for data privacy. It is a panic alarm system that speeds response times. It offers push-to-talk and push-to-see capabilities. For example, this means that school teachers can alert first responders instantly to a situation, and they can create two-way audio and video communications with just one push of a button.
Our Mutualink LNK360™ system has proven to save significant time in responding to security situations (ask us to share our case studies with you!). That’s because it provides immediate collaboration and communication among the community responders. We are dedicated to building safer, smarter communities and are happy to share guidance toward securing funding for first responder alert systems.
Every child deserves equal protection. Mutualink LNK360™ shares the best information available using the best technology available. This improves response and resolution and better protects our next generation. For more information on school safety solutions please visit our website.
