New app allows schools to rapidly alert responders, school staff to emergencies
(KBSI) – Missouri Governor Mike Parson announced that public and charter schools in Missouri can begin signing up to utilize a new state-funded mobile emergency alerting app that allows teachers and others to rapidly alert school staff and first responders to emergency situations. The alert app will be available free to schools and users.
“We want all students across Missouri to have the opportunity to learn in safe and secure schools,” Governor Parson said. “That’s why our administration included funding for this school safety app. It puts a simple to use silent alerting app into the hands of teachers and school personnel, so they can get word out of an intruder or other emergency. We will continue to advance school safety and the ability to quickly respond to threats to Missouri’s students and educators.”
The Missouri Department of Public Safety has funding available for an emergency alert app to be available for public and charter schools across the state. Missouri contracted with Raptor Technologies last month to provide what is referred to as a silent panic alerting system.
The app uses technology that schools already have in place to expedite and streamline emergency response by allowing teachers and other school staff to quickly initiate an alert through their mobile device or computer. The silent alert works directly with 911 to provide critical information, such as location-based information and school campus maps, with first responders, law enforcement, and campus personnel – within seconds. Districts are also able to schedule and manage their ongoing safety drills using the Raptor software.
Missouri school districts can begin enrolling in the alerting program by going to raptortech.com/Missouri. Each district will have its own account that will link the alerts to selected area first responders. Raptor will conduct training for each district. The training will begin with pilot schools and then district-wide training. Districts interested in using the app are encouraged to contact Raptor to begin the enrollment process.
