Montgomery County, Texas adopts Rave Panic Button to enhance school safety
The Woodlands, United States – As part of its progressive, proactive approach to helping protect students, faculty, and staff, Montgomery County, Texas announced that they have deployed the Rave Panic Button mobile safety application in approximately 130 public and charter schools. The application is available through Rave Mobile Safety, a Motorola Solutions company specialising in mass notification and incident management.
Educational leaders throughout the state of Texas have been looking for ways to increase safety in and around K-12 schools. In October, the state’s Legislative Budget Board and the Texas Education Agency (TEA) authorised more than [$17 million (€15.98 million)] in grants so that schools can purchase and install panic alarm systems. An additional [$400 million (€375.94 million)] in funds is expected to be available in 2023 for a wider range of school safety enhancements.
“The safety and wellbeing of our students and staff is and will always be our number onepriority. Our school community should be focused on learning, not worrying about their safety,” says Andrea Shepard, associate director at Montgomery County 9-1-1. “Montgomery County 9-1-1 and School Districts firmly believe that Rave Panic Button is the right solution for the times, and we are proud to be seen as leaders in the state and to serve as a resource for others looking to advance school safety.”
Prior to the recent statewide push, Montgomery County 9-1-1 and School Districts researched, vetted and purchased panic button technology ultimately choosing one of the country’s most widely deployed solutions for its schools, so that educators, staff, 9-1-1 dispatchers and first responders can activate a rapid, effective response to any type of school emergency. The Rave Panic Button app that Montgomery County selected is a fast, smart, reliable technology utilised by thousands of schools in 46 states. It has been utilised by the Willis Independent School District (ISD), located within the county, since 2018.
Summoning police assistance quickly, and helping on-site personnel be informed and engaged throughout an emergency situation, can make all the difference when seconds count. When an authorised user activates the Rave Panic Button app, 9-1-1 and key school employees are quickly notified so that first responders and users who have deployed the app are simultaneously informed about the emergency type and incident location.
Schools, community leaders and local public safety officials interested in learning more about panic button technology can attend a forum taking place on Thursday, January 5 at 9:00 a.m. at the Woodlands Emergency Training Centre. The 90-minute program, hosted by Montgomery County and Rave Mobile Safety, will feature experts discussing panic button capabilities and a demonstration of the technology.
The Rave Panic Button is part of Motorola Solutions’ Safe Schools ecosystem of technologies, which help schools to secure campus perimeters, manage access to buildings and coordinate with law enforcement. The ecosystem includes access control, video security, body-worn cameras, critical communications, command centre software and weapons detection technologies.
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