Five months after launching the K-12 Digital Mapping Program, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced over 1,000 schools and 85 school divisions have committed to using Collaborative Response Graphics (CRGs) technology as digital mapping tools to better aid first responders in the event of an emergency.
According to the press release, the K-12 Digital Mapping Program will fund $3,500 per public school for technology that will provide “accurate floor plans, high-resolution imagery, emergency response pre-planning, and gridded-overlay combined into one map.” The Virginia schools will be required to share the digitized maps with local and state law enforcement.
To better enhance response times and improve command and control, the Department of Criminal Justice Services’ (DCJS) Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety coordinated this first in the nation, top-down approach.
“Our children’s safety is the utmost priority and I’m pleased that my administration is taking key steps to enhance school safety,” Youngkin said. “Virginia is the first state in the nation to execute a state initiative to standardize maps for all public schools.”
CRGs will also provide each school with site-specific, common operating pictures, enhanced communication during emergencies, and floor plans available on cell phones and laptops.
According to the DCJS website, the $6.5 million technology program is designed to help law enforcement respond to an active attacker, fire, or medical emergency quickly and in a uniform fashion.
“The goal is simple. We want to ensure that every public safety professional has access to the most up to date facility information in an emergency, because every second matters,” said Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Robert Mosier.
