When an emergency occurs on a school campus, the communication between the people onsite and first responders can mean the difference between control and catastrophe. Effective response to medical crises, natural disasters, and security threats requires clear, real-time communication between the people on the scene and first responders. School alert systems that eliminate manual communication handoffs can help your district reduce emergency response times and potentially improve outcomes.
According to Emergency Medical Service (EMS) providers, there are various reasons why calling 911 might be delayed or complicated, including an uncooperative caller, a high call volume, a language barrier, or technical failure. Some districts address these challenges by using tools that connect staff directly with 911 dispatch, allowing help to be requested without navigating multiple steps or communication handoffs. The goal in any emergency is to ensure first responders receive accurate, real-time information from those on the scene as quickly as possible.
Analyses reveal that communication delays are directly related to longer response times. And delays can be deadly: starting CPR within one minute results in a 33% survival rate, whereas a delay longer than one minute to begin CPR results in only a 14% survival rate. Reviews of past incidents consistently show that communication gaps can slow emergency response. By examining these findings, school leaders and public safety officials can identify opportunities to streamline communication.
The Impact of Communication Handoffs in School Tragedies
In the aftermath of a school tragedy, law enforcement agencies and schools perform post-incident analyses to discover what factors impacted response time and effectiveness. In these analyses, a theme emerges: quick, clear communication is critical.
Lessons from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting
The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission Report identified critical communication breakdowns that resulted in first responder delays. Dispatch protocols in the region slowed communication between people on the scene and law enforcement. On February 14, 2018, at the time of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, many students and staff called 911 from their cell phones. These calls were initially routed to Coral Springs, which required dispatchers to transfer callers to the Broward Sheriff’s Office to request law enforcement response.
This process caused delays by adding approximately 30 seconds to each call. This half minute can be a devastating delay in an event when seconds matters. The time that elapsed while transferring calls also delayed people on the scene from communicating critical information to public safety personnel. In the time it takes to transfer a call, the events on the ground can change drastically. Immediate communication between first responders and staff onsite facilitates faster, more informed action. While no single solution or process can prevent a tragedy, ensuring that critical details reach responders without delay is a goal every school can strive toward.
Lessons from the Covenant School Shooting
On March 27, 2023, three children and three adults lost their lives when a shooter opened fire in Nashville’s Covenant School. The response by law enforcement was swift. Officers entered the building and began a methodical sweep of the first floor. Initially, officers weren’t able to hear where the gunfire was coming from due to the layout of the school, which affected the acoustics. When they came to a stairwell, the sound of gunfire became clearer and they moved towards the second floor, following the sounds and leading them to where they would confront the assailant.
According to the Investigative Case Summary, the circumstances warranted a substantial response and police officers came from different precincts and units. The responding officers had never been inside the building nor were they familiar with its layout.
While no communication method can remove every obstacle in a fast-moving emergency, ensuring that all responders have the clearest possible information—shared quickly and consistently—can help them adapt more effectively as a situation unfolds.
Lessons from the Robb Elementary School Shooting
After the May 24, 2022, shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, the Texas House Investigative Committee on the Robb Elementary Shooting published a report. The report identified multiple communication breakdowns that took place during the incident. An uncoordinated response and communication delays increased the amount of time the attacker had to shoot and decreased the amount of time first responders had to provide critical medical care to those injured.
In addition, the Uvalde School District Police Chief did not have a radio throughout the incident and was obligated to use a cell phone to call 911 dispatch. As a result, first responders and law enforcement officers were slow to learn of 911 calls coming from inside the school’s classrooms. Because communication was delayed, first responders did not have real-time information to facilitate an adequate response.
Even in the most challenging circumstances, reducing the time it takes for accurate, detailed information to reach responders can help them coordinate more effectively and direct resources where they are most needed.
What the Data on Response Time Teaches Us
The speed and clarity of communication can mean the difference between a contained emergency and a widespread disaster. According to Jaclyn Schildkraut, executive director of the Rockefeller Institute’s Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium, “When we look at the data that we do have on mass shootings, we know that these tragedies are over very, very quickly […] so it’s about, what can we do to put more time on the clock?…the sooner that you can notify people, the better you are, because you’re giving them that time to not only put the clock on their side but to put the distance on their side.” School alert systems facilitate immediate communication between schools and first responders because every second matters.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) estimates that reducing 911 dispatch response times by just one minute could save up to 10,000 lives annually. Standard 911 calls involve multiple steps and interactions that can cause communication delays. To reach a dispatcher, a caller must:
- Find a phone
- Power on and/or get through passcodes
- Connect with a 911 operator
- Answer the dispatcher’s questions
These steps can be challenging for someone under extreme duress during an emergency. Because various psychological and physiological factors influence reaction times, callers may respond differently to an emergency. Some experience heightened awareness and quicker reflexes due to the release of adrenaline. In contrast, excessive stress can lead to decreased performance for others by overwhelming a person’s capacity to process information and make decisions. When a caller is overwhelmed in this way, they often make unclear statements or errors that can cause further delays.
After these steps are complete, the dispatcher coordinates the emergency response. All these steps—from the moment the incident begins to the initiation of the response—take time. Every second saved can speed up the response, potentially prevent injury, and even save lives.
How Wearable Panic Button Technology Eliminates Communication Hand-Offs During Emergency Response
Some school alert systems use wearable panic button technology as one way to reduce emergency response times. School safety advocates, including those supporting Alyssa’s Law, have encouraged districts to explore such approaches for staff nationwide. Alyssa’s Law aims to reduce law enforcement response time during life-threatening emergencies because “time equals life.” The law calls for the installation of silent panic alarms in schools. These school alert systems must be directly linked to law enforcement so that responders can arrive on the scene as quickly as possible to respond to threats and triage any victims.
One goal of Alyssa’s Law is to remove unnecessary steps between an emergency event and first responder action. Schools can meet this goal in various ways, from silent alarms to integrated communication systems.
State lawmakers advocate for implementing wearable panic button technology to eliminate communication handoffs. The Oklahoma legislature recently passed Alyssa’s Law. Representative Kevin Wallace states, “Alyssa’s Law ties school security together by coordinating our schools and law enforcement. [Even] the most secure buildings have vulnerabilities when communication isn’t clear.”
The CENTEGIX Safety Platform™ is one example of a system designed to support these objectives, combining wearable panic button technology with critical incident mapping to provide school leaders and responders with real-time location information. The Safety Platform can be fully integrated with responder CAD software or downloaded onto city and county-issued phones and Mobile Data Terminals (MDTs). As a result, all critical alert information reaches responders immediately accelerating their response. Responders are empowered to go immediately to the locations where they are needed and eliminates the potential miscommunication and delay associated with typical 911 calls.
For example, instead of dispatch receiving a call from a teacher pleading, “Send help! We’re in the band room,” an alert initiated on a CrisisAlert badge appears on a digital campus map. Responders know from what direction to approach campus, which exterior door to enter, and exactly where help is needed.
Responders Rely on Critical Incident Mapping
The CENTEGIX Safety Platform fulfills the mission of Alyssa’s Law by putting schools directly in touch with first responders during emergencies. School leaders see the advantages of this school alert system. According to Paul Cordova, Police Chief at Aldine Independent School District in Texas, “The system has a very sophisticated mapping feature that allows responders to see exactly which room or hallway the emergency is coming from and from whom. In the event of a real active shooter, we could share this information with outside police agencies who may be coming to aid us.”
Critical incident mapping technology can help responders locate and address threats more quickly, which may reduce risk and improve the chances of a better outcome. Stacey Locke, Former Assistant Superintendent of the Yakima School District in Washington, says the CENTEGIX Safety Platform protected her school during a nearby shooting: “All of our police officers that were on street patrol during the day were getting the alert immediately. It wasn’t having to go through dispatch at all. And, for us, it was the ‘where and who’ so that we could respond that quickly. It was a big deal.”
Lawmakers Agree: Wearable Panic Button Technology Reduces Response Times
According to Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey—a state that has passed Alyssa’s Law—“We have seen, time and time again, public mass shootings taking place across our country. Providing our law enforcement and first responders with the critical incident mapping data will aid them in their efforts in case of an emergency at a school.” The detailed information on a school’s digital incident maps helps reduce response times in major incidents and everyday emergencies.
The Partner Alliance for Safer Schools advises that “detailed yet easily understandable information” must be made available to first responders in an emergency since schools can vary drastically in size, complexity, and occupants. One of the Safety Platform’s powerful features is the ability to provide critical information to responders, including who sent the alert and their precise location on campus. To further streamline the response to emergencies, school administrators can pre-program the exact communication between badge users and responder groups and specify which alerts go to which onsite and offsite teams.
CENTEGIX CrisisAlert™ wearable panic button technology and Safety Blueprint™ digital mapping technology combine to inform agencies’ emergency responses. According to former Phoenix Chief of Police Jeri Williams, the information afforded by critical incident mapping technology saves vital time. “First responders need to know exact locations and what they’re arriving to.” When they do, they can deploy the right resources, respond to threats, and support staff and students as quickly as possible.
Clear, immediate communication during an emergency—no matter the tools in place—can help first responders act faster and more effectively. Schools benefit when communication systems are tailored to their unique layouts, staffing, and safety plans.
To see one example of a system designed with these goals in mind, request a demonstration of the CENTEGIX Safety Platform.
