School is back in session. That means new schedules, teachers and technology, some of which is lifesaving in the event of an active threat or crisis.
By the end of 2019, there were 417 mass shootings in the U.S., according to data from the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive, which tracks every mass shooting in the country. Thirty-one of those shootings were mass murders.
Caroline County’s public school’s district and local law enforcement recently started working with Boston-based company In Force Technology LLC to install its lifesaving school technology, In Force 911, in all of the county’s schools.
In Force 911 is a desktop and mobile application that provides a two-way communication window where staff and faculty inside a school can launch an alert and provide one another and police officers responding to an active threat with real-time intelligence sharing.
The application sends alerts and messages directly to the dispatch consoles, in-vehicle terminals and mobile devices of the local police officers in the field and regardless of duty status, avoiding the call routing process.
In Force President and CEO Brandon Flanagan explained that the software empowers teachers, faculty and staff with the ability to summon law enforcement in 12 seconds or less, compared with a two-minute time by calling 911.
Caroline Safety and Compliance Coordinator Jeff Wick said that in the event of a threat or crisis, any school staff is able to immediately notify law enforcement for a more expeditious response time as well as allow schools to more quickly implement the necessary steps to keep staff and students safe.
The safety initiative is funded with a grant.
In Force 911 is used throughout the country. Several communities and school districts in Virginia, including Northampton, Amherst and Pulaski counties.
