Peter Schorsch
Among the school safety proposals moving through the Legislature are bills that would require schools to install panic alarms.
It’s a good idea — panic alarms allow emergencies to be reported faster, help first responders pinpoint where they need to go, and unlike simply calling 911, they can initiate school lockdown procedures quicker than a call to the front office.
As the MSD Commission said: “The timeliest way to communicate an on-campus emergency is direct reporting from a school staff member to everyone on campus and the 911 center simultaneously.”
Sen. Lauren Book and Rep. Michael Gottlieb are each sponsoring panic alarm bills, and they share much in common.
Both HB 23 and SB 70 designate the policy as “Alyssa’s Law,” in honor of 14-year-old Alyssa Alhadeff, one of the 17 killed in the Parkland massacre two years ago. Both would require public schools to install panic alarm systems. And both would mandate those alarm systems be accessible in every corner of a school campus.
Still, they aren’t identical. One area in which the bills diverge is in their definitions of panic alarms.
Panic alarms have been around for decades, and to most the term brings up images of a button under a desk or on a wall — generally something hard-wired. The House bill goes the extra mile by calling for a “mobile panic button system” with “mobile device application activations,” which would allow for more forward-thinking approaches.
A system that harnesses the GPS capabilities in smartphones could make it easier for first responders to pinpoint where they need to go, especially if students and teachers have been forced to flee from their original location. It would also allow personnel to let law enforcement know the nature of the threat they’re facing.
That’s in addition to allowing school personnel to sound the alarm even if they aren’t able to reach a physical button — such as if they’re walking between buildings, in the parking lot, or if an active shooter stands between them and the switch.
Another key advantage of HB 23 is who would be responsible for implementing the system.
Rather than burdening our already cash-strapped schools with another mandate, HB 23 assigns the responsibility to the Florida Department of Education and sets aside $8 million to pay for it. It’s also written in plain text that the solution will be “used by all school districts at no cost to the school district.”
Putting DOE in charge makes way for a statewide system, which has some benefits over district-by-district solutions. Namely, first responders would only need to be trained once to understand the ins and outs, and, should tragedy strike, getting back up from neighboring counties would be a breeze.
A statewide alert system brings challenges, too.
The DOE selection process would need to place a lot of weight on security, as the alert system would need to house student and parent contact information from across the state. Speed is equally important, as the House bill calls for the system to be up and running by the time classes start in the 2020-21 school year.
To meet those demands within the allotted budget, DOE should consider adopting an existing alert system that’s already been tested and proven effective.
One viable option is AlertFlorida, a system that Florida Division of Emergency Management has been using since 2016. It would only need minor alterations to fit the bill.
In its current state, AlertFlorida allows users to receive alerts by text, email, voicemail, through a phone app or on their PC. It also loops into social media accounts and broadcast alert systems to spread the word about an emergency far and wide.
As an added benefit, the platform is already in place within 65 of the state’s 67 counties, allowing many first responders to become familiar with how it works through hands-on experience. Some municipalities have joined FDEM in using AlertFlorida as their go-to emergency notification and reporting platform, including the City of Orlando.
When it comes to school safety, the state shouldn’t roll the dice on an unproven solution. Nor should it confuse first responders and add to parents’ stress with a patchwork alert system. Especially when a workable solution is readily available.
