It can be a scary time to be a student nowadays, and with some schools, like Gainesville High, having multiple buildings, it can be concerning to think what might happen in an emergency.
Monday night, the Gainesville City School Board chose to move against those fears and approved a quoted $252,500 for a security alert systems to be worn by faculty and staff.
Director of Facilities Adrian Niles said Centegix is a device worn on teachers, staff and administrators' key lanyards. "It alerts authorities inside and outside of the school location and has the capability to alert additional staff as well as police, fire and rescue," said Niles in the online board meeting.
Niles explained the device was worn and an alert button was pressed in case of emergency and notified first responders and fellow staff. "It's campus-wide coverage reaches both indoor and outside, is both visible and audible, and it contains mapping technology that will be able to pin point their location of a crisis or an incident, or in the time of an emergency."
And, it works independently of Wi-Fi and cellular data and regardless if the device is inside or outside of the internal system.
Niles said the quote for the cost of the system could be reimbursed through the Governor's Safety Grant. The high school recently used the grant for security vestibules at the front of the building.
60 different school districts throughout the state have implemented the system, including Jefferson City, according to Superintendent Jeremy Williams.
If completely approved, the goal would be to have the system functioning by the return to school in August.
