NEW YORK (WABC) — A new pilot program in some New York City public schools is aiming to speed up the emergency response during active shooter situations.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams joined city officials in unveiling the new school Emergency Alert System in Brooklyn on Monday morning.
The system created by the NYC Office of Technology and Innovation debuted at the Spring Creek Community School in East New York, the first school building in the U.S. to have direct 911 integration.
“Public safety is the prerequisite to prosperity and the key to delivering for working-class families, because our students deserve to feel safe in school, our parents must know their children are in a secure environment, and our teachers should have the confidence to focus on shaping young minds,” Adams said.
“For the first time ever in our nation, a public school system will have direct integration with 911 services to ensure that help is on the way within seconds if there is ever an active shooter or weapon-based threat. Every parent deserves to know their child is safe in school, and this system gives them that peace of mind.”
Officials say the EAS will be activated from multiple fixed buttons and wireless lanyards within a school, and initiate a 911 response in under 10 seconds. They say the alert will go straight to dispatchers, while the schools will have audio and video indicators to warn everyone inside about the emergency and that the school is on lockdown.
“Being able to have an emergency responders respond in real time, and not just know that something’s happening at a school, but where in the school it’s actually happening,” said NYC Chief Technology Officer Matthew Fraser about the system’s capabilities.
The city plans to install the technology in 51 public schools located at 25 educational buildings across the five boroughs during the current academic year.
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