“Every employee in the district has a badge that they can use to initiate either a lockdown or a staff alert,” Security Director Michael Lemish said.
ARGYLE, Texas — Fort Worth ISD is working to implement a silent panic alert system for its schools in order to comply with a new state law.
The Fort Worth ISD Board of Managers approved the purchase of Centegix on Sept. 8.
“We are pleased to have Centegix as an added layer of safety for our schools and look forward to implementing the technology once the contract is finalized,” the district said in a statement.
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After the May 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, where 19 students and two teachers were killed, Texas lawmakers passed Alyssa’s Law, requiring schools to have silent panic alert systems. The law took effect last school year.
Argyle ISD has had the safety measure in place for years
If an AISD school has an emergency, staff members know help is on the way. They upgraded its panic alert system to strengthen safety. Even if the emergency is medical in nature, a designated team is trained to respond to the person handling the emergency.
“They know the help is on the way,” AISD Security Management Coordinator Michael Lemish said.
That’s because in 2019, the district purchased the Centegix silent panic alert system, overseen by Lemish.
“Every employee in the district has a badge that they can use to initiate either a lockdown or a staff alert, and then every campus has a group of responders,” Lemish said.
Lemish says the district added the extra layer of security after a gunman killed 17 people in the 2018 Parkland school shooting.
AISD spends between $12,000 and $15,000 per campus each year for the system. The district was using a different system prior to Centegix that did not have the same features. The district can also use the system during non-class time. During sporting events, if there is an emergency, they can alert staff and administrators, Lemish said.
The system is also being used in Mansfield ISD, where staff, administrators and teachers received training in 2023.
MISD Director of Security Brit Fortner says the system gives every employee the ability to respond when there is a threat. The district used to rely on a cellular-based alert system that required staff and teachers to download the program on their personal devices. Upgrading to the panic button style system has proven more effective for the district. They even supply substitute teachers with Centegix training.
“A threat isn’t always going to enter at the front door. So, we want every staff member in the district to be able to put a building into lockdown if they need to,” Fortner said.
It’s an extra layer of security Lemish said he believes can make a difference.
“Anytime that a staff member needs help, we can use the system,” Lemish said.