CENTEGIX | Education
Alyssa’s Law and CrisisAlert
Making Schools Safer Every Day
What is Alyssa’s Law?
Alyssa’s Law requires public elementary and secondary schools to be equipped with “silent panic alarms directly linked to law enforcement.” The law is named in honor of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting victim Alyssa Alhadeff.
The purpose of Alyssa’s Law is to decrease the time it takes for first responders to arrive at an emergency situation—whether it’s a shooting, a natural disaster, or any other unforeseen event. The legislation requires schools to make it possible for staff to request immediate assistance, no matter the nature of the emergency.
Alyssa’s Law has passed in several states: New Jersey in February 2019, Florida in July 2020, New York in June 2022, and Texas and Tennessee in May 2023. Lawmakers in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nebraska, Oregon, and Virginia have introduced Alyssa’s Law for consideration. Alyssa’s Law has also been introduced on the federal level.
Alyssa’s Law Requirements
Alyssa’s Law aims to improve law enforcement response time to life-threatening emergencies in schools. The legislation requires “the installation of silent panic alarms that are directly linked to law enforcement, so in case of any emergency they will get on the scene as quickly as possible, take down a threat and triage any victims.”
Districts seeking to comply with Alyssa’s Law must therefore invest in everyday safety solutions that improve emergency response times. In an emergency, every second matters.
School safety solutions that include silent panic alarms enable school staff to request help in various situations:
- a student or staff member experiencing a medical emergency
- an individual threatening a teacher
- active shooters
- a student attempting to self-harm
- suspicious or unauthorized person on campus
CENTEGIX’s CrisisAlert Achieves Alyssa’s Law Compliance
CrisisAlert technology is designed to improve communication with first responders, empower staff members to request assistance, and make school buildings more secure. The CENTEGIX CrisisAlert safety solution fulfills the purpose of Alyssa’s law: to decrease emergency response times, saving lives and creating a culture of safety in schools.
CENTEGIX CrisisAlert's features include:
- a mobile panic alert system
- connections to diverse emergency services technologies
- real-time coordination among multiple first responder agencies, including county, local, and on-site responders
- integration with local public safety answering points to transmit 911 calls and mobile activations
Unlike safety solutions that rely on mobile-based apps, CrisisAlert features a wearable panic button that enables staff to request assistance from anywhere on campus. CrisisAlert technology does not require cellular or Wi-Fi service to initiate a safety alert; it is reliable and functional in any emergency.
CENTEGIX CrisisAlert’s innovative technology delivers:
- 100% coverage of all indoor spaces and outdoor areas
- location accuracy to the floor and room-level
- wearable panic buttons to empower every staff member—not just teachers
- audio and visual alert notifications, including lighted strobes and desktop screen takeovers
- integration with intercoms
Funding for School Safety Solutions
To comply with Alyssa’s Law, state governments have made grant money available to school districts. Texas, Florida, and New Jersey have allocated many millions of dollars to ensure their schools achieve compliance. Funding requirements and resources vary by state.
On the federal level, the U.S. Department of Justice’s School Violence Prevention Program provides funding for school safety solutions. The 2023 application deadline passed in May, but districts can anticipate that more funds will be available for 2024. The same is true of the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s STOP School Violence Grant Program, which can be used to implement training, purchase technological safety solutions, and execute school safety strategies.
Funds have been used to upgrade school safety features, including but not limited to:
- purchasing panic alarm systems
- replacing or enhancing doors and windows
- purchasing access control systems
- improving perimeter security
The CENTEGIX CrisisAlert solution enables schools to achieve the measures specified in Alyssa’s Law, and its many features align with different states’ school safety standards. CENTEGIX’s multilayered approach to school safety provides campus-wide coverage and swift communication with emergency responders whose intervention can save lives.
CENTEGIX CrisisAlert’s innovative technology empowers and protects school staff and students. Discover how CrisisAlert can help your district achieve compliance with Alyssa’s Law and shorten emergency response times by connecting with a CENTEGIX specialist today.
CENTEGIX Life-Saving Stories
CrisisAlert Helps Save a Life at Brantley County Schools
One teacher’s quick-thinking and use of CrisisAlert got help to the scene quickly during a medical emergency and resulted in a life being saved at Brantley County Schools in Nahunta, GA. Hear Superintendent Dr. Kim Morgan share how the event unfolded.
School Day Student Cardiac Arrest
Earlier this year, a student at Avon Park High School in Avon Park, FL, collapsed after sudden cardiac arrest. Quick thinking and use of the CENTEGIX CrisisAlert badge was used to get help to the scene within two minutes. Read the full news story here.
Child’s Life Saved Due to Teacher’s Quick Thinking and Use of CrisisAlert Badge
Hear from Courtney McBride, Principal of Flomaton Elementary School in Escambia County, AL, as she shares how, thanks to the CrisisAlert badge, her staff members were able to quickly and easily call for medical help when a young boy started choking on a rock on the playground.
Schedule a Demo to Learn How CrisisAlert Can Help You Meet Alyssa’s Law Requirements
“We partnered with CrisisAlert to give each and every one of our employees the ability to call for help anytime anywhere when they are on one of our campuses. For a 30-year law enforcement professional, we call that a force multiplier, with this technology in the hands of over 25,000 employees, that gives me 25,000 sets of eyes to help keep the campus safe.”
Chief John Newman
Director of Safety & Security
Hillsborough County Schools
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Alyssa’s Law News
Michigan Rep. Brenda Carter Introduces Alyssa's Law
Earlier this month, State Rep. Brenda Carter has taken up Alyssa’s law, which would require schools to install panic alert systems to rapidly initiate lockdowns and alert the authorities if adopted in Michigan. Watch our video to learn more.
Tennessee Passes Alyssa's Law
Tennessee legislators recently passed Alyssa’s Law, a law that encourages schools to equip all classrooms with panic buttons. Now it heads to Governor Bill Lee’s desk, where he is expected to sign it. Learn more about the story in this video.
CENTEGIX Applauds Texas after Alyssa’s Law Officially Enacted
Texas becomes the fifth state to pass Alyssa’s law. Texas requires all schools to have silent panic alarm technology. Learn more about the legislation and what it means for Texas schools in our press release.
Leading School Safety Provider Applauds Introduction of ALYSSA Act
CENTEGIX commended Rep. Joshua Gottheimer (D-NJ) and other Congressional leaders for their introduction of the Alyssa’s Legacy Youth in Schools Safety Alert Act.
Additional Resources
Florida HB301: What is it? Why is it Important? What’s Required?
Enacted on July 1, 2023, Florida’s HB301 provides funds and guidance for creating digital maps of schools that law enforcement can use during emergency situations.
Alyssa’s Law Supports Wearable Panic Buttons as Silent Panic Alert Solution
Alyssa’s Law requires schools to install silent panic alarms. Wearable panic buttons can be a vital component of any school safety plan.
Texas Ahead of the Curve with New Bill: Texas HB3
Texas HB3 ushers in a historic increase in funding for Texas schools, but with this bill come some changes. How can you make sure you comply with this new law?
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IN A CRISIS, EVERY SECOND MATTERS.