The Texas Department of Education recommends that all Texas schools implement such technology, but critics say the money for these services could be better spent.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas – The pressure to keep students safe in schools continues as more and more districts begin using panic button technology.
The Texas Department of Education recommends that all Texas schools implement such technology, but critics say the money for these services could be better spent.
On Thursday, Montgomery County released a new phone call request for six of its school districts with 130 schools in the area. They expect to use the app in emergency situations.
The district signed a 3-year contract with Rave Mobile Safety for services.
“When you press that button, you’re going to contact 911,” said Todd Miller, vice president of Rave Mobile Safety.
Once the panic button is pressed, it will send an alert to everyone on campus who has the app on their phones.
“It’s not just calling 911, it’s notifying everyone on campus. The other thing is notifying all 911 centers at the same time,” said Chip VanSteenberg, the district’s executive director. Emergency Communications in Montgomery.
The TEA proposed this type of panic alarm technology to be implemented in all Texas schools as part of new safety regulations. A month after the Uvalde shooting, the agency committed $17.1 million to the technology.
That money is a drop in the bucket. If TEA were to distribute this equally to all districts in the state, that would be approximately $14,250 per district.
Montgomery County’s panic button system costs about $170,000 a year for just six counties.
Some national security experts don’t think the money could be put to better use.
“We see a focus on safety products and technology and little time on training and people,” said Ken Trump, president of the National School Safety Security Services. “We can’t solve people’s problems with technology.”
A similar system of chaos was in place in Uvalde when the shooting happened. An employee activated an internal alarm system, prompting the campus to go into lockdown.
“It worked to some degree and alerted people and law enforcement that there was an attacker,” said Senator Roland Gutierrez.
Gutierrez, who represents Uvalde County, said these silent alarm technologies are just an aid to the real problem.
“There are remedies on both sides of the aisle but they don’t really address the root of the problem, which is putting 18-year-old guns in the hands of kids,” Gutierrez said.
The TEA is still working on other safety rules, including installing a 6-foot fence around the school. It will not be completed until mid-2023.
You can see what else TEA does on their website.
