Missouri public and charter schools can begin signing up to use a new state-funded mobile emergency alerting app that rapidly alerts school staff and first responders of emergencies.
The Missouri Department of Public Safety made funding available for the emergency alert app for public and charter schools across the state, and the app will be free for schools and users. Each district will have its own account, which links the alerts to their localities’ first responders.
“We want all students across Missouri to have the opportunity to learn in safe and secure schools,” Governor Mike Parson said in a statement. “That’s why our administration included funding for this school safety app.”
The app utilizes technology already in place to expedite and streamline emergency response. Last month, Missouri contracted with Raptor Technologies to provide a silent panic alerting system. This technology allows teachers and other school staff to rapidly initiate a silent alert through their mobile devices or computers.
“It puts a simple-to-use silent alerting app into the hands of teachers and school personnel, so they can get the 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,” Governor Parson said.
The silent alert system works directly with 911 systems to rapidly provide critical information, such as location-based information and school campus maps, to first responders, law enforcement, and campus personnel.
Raptor Technologies will conduct training for each district, beginning with pilot schools and then followed by district-wide training.
