SchoolSAFE

How Prepared Are You To Communicate During A School Crisis?

Interoperable Communications In Schools

SchoolSAFE Communications is a web-enabled two-way radio-based product that allows for communications interoperability between school radio systems and public safety radio systems.

School-based radio systems are generally less capable and lack the channel capacities, power, and digital signaling to interoperate directly with public safety professionals who may have more sophisticated and much more advanced radio systems. Once the SchoolSAFE Communications product is in place, then school personnel easily receive or initiate communication with public safety professionals such as police, fire and EMS.

With training, SchoolSAFE will permit more comprehensive school safety planning, training, drills and exercises, leading to well-coordinated rapid response and recovery.

Problem

When there is an incident at a school, some schools have only one method to contact police: a local phone call. Calling 9-1-1 usually gets the school location information to the authorities; however, once the responders are en route or arrive at the school, there is no clear line of communication for them to quickly assess the situation. Without constant communication, responders may not be able to find the exact location of the event to quickly gain control of the incident. But what if the school personnel, principal, administrator, security staff, or others could talk directly to the responders?

Time-critical and crucial information from the incident location could inform the responders with up-to-the-second information, enabling officials to respond with the best equipment and personnel to manage the incident.

Lives could be saved, and dangerous situations could be controlled more quickly.

Solution

Two-way radios are used for normal school functions like maintenance and operations, custodial duties, and staff communications. The system can also connect the school or multiple schools to the district talk group for inter-school and district-wide communications as required.

Many emergency situations are time-critical. The capability of school personnel to provide instantaneous information about the status of a school incident can make the difference between success and failure in the response.

Each patrol car, fire engine, and ambulance has a two-way radio installed to allow rapid communications between these first responders and their dispatch center or Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP, where 9-1-1 calls are answered). Mobile radios in vehicles allow responders to coordinate their safety and lifesaving actions while on the road. Most officers and firemen also carry a handheld radio on the same radio system. SchoolSAFE is the exact same type of public safety radio and works as a second radio associated with the communications used within the school.

SchoolSAFE provides digital signaling, a method of bridging these two radios together to allow school personnel carrying radios within the school to talk directly with first responders.

School personnel located near the incident can provide real-time information about the situation to assist rapid and succinct actions by the first responders. Not only can the school call the public safety field units on the radio, but the PSAP dispatch or responders can also call the school to alert them to lock their doors or take other emergency precautions based on the incidents outside the school. This will prevent unanswered phone calls or other failures.

The school administrators or school security personnel can constantly monitor the radio bridge for this activity.

Technology

SchoolSAFE bridging is based on industry standard devices that are time-tested and reliable. Complex public safety radio systems regularly use similar equipment for temporary patches to outside radio systems. This is where SchoolSAFE Communications differentiates itself from temporary radio patches. SchoolSAFE equipment is permanently installed and integrated into school and public safety data networks to allow remote activation and deactivation, and select personnel alerting.

Technology to prevent unauthorized use and activation is part of the package. The training included with installation will define how to invoke the SchoolSAFE ADI and disable it when necessary.

Package documentation also describes how to schedule regular tests and exercises to ensure the equipment is useful and working properly.

Sales efforts will also facilitate a cooperative environment through demonstrations and informal meetings with public safety and school officials. The SchoolSAFE solution is flexible; radios can be provided for both complex and simple radio systems. The SchoolSAFE radios and ADI will be programmed to preclude interference to either system.

The solution will be observant of FCC rules and regulations, with either programming or equipment to satisfy licensing demands.

Features

• Remote Activation
  SchoolSAFE Communications with remote activation software and firmware gives SchoolSAFE an IP address and a presence inside school and PSAP data networks. With this powerful, yet simple activation and de-activation tool, the audio communications is instantly available for rapid response, or for other applications such as audio recording or situation play back. This takes the burden off the school and PSAP staff so they can focus on the incident.
  
  Activation of the SSC bridge is typically prompted by a 9-1-1 call from the school. The 9-1-1 call center then activates the particular emergency and can selectively activate the two-way radio bridge over the local or wide-area network. Once the bridge is activated, personnel located at the communication end point can then directly communicate by radio with the emergency responders who have been dispatched.
• Enhanced Notification
  SchoolSAFE Communications with Enhanced Notification Software works in conjunction with Remote Activation to inform and warn students and faculty via e-mail that a SchoolSAFE event is in progress. Enhanced notification provides awareness to those who need it so the utmost command and control over schools and first responder resources can be attained and situations can be handled most effectively.
• Upgrade And Expansion Capabilities
  Expansion modules can be easily added in the future. As radio systems change, the SchoolSAFE product can be easily modified to accommodate those changes. Dependent upon what changes, one or two radios can be replaced or reprogrammed. A second channel maybe added for daily use by school security and administrative personnel.

A School Is A Safe Place For Learning

To keep it that way, new ideas have been developed in school security, emergency response, and two-way radio communications.

SchoolSAFE’s network combines new two-way technology, training, and committed personnel to provide the best opportunity to keep schools safe.

“Parents will forgive us if we have not taught their child advanced algebra, but they will never forgive us if we don’t keep their kids safe.”
– Ed Smith, Superintendent Pueblo School District

Contact us today to find out how the SchoolSAFE system can secure your school, your staff, and your students.