The Lowndes County (MS) School District announced today that it has implemented a new mobile emergency response solution to promote school safety. The system was developed by NowForce, a developer of mobile and cloud-based rapid emergency response solutions, and PTS Solutions, a developer of public safety software.
The Lowndes County School District is providing its teachers and administrators and other faculty members with a personal safety app from which a user can signal an SOS call or report other incidents via a see something, say something function. In addition to dialing 911 with the swipe of a button, the 911 center will see the exact location and identity of the caller in its computer aided dispatch (CAD) software.
The solution is essentially a mobile command and control system, both for routine operations as well as for crisis and emergency situations.
Starting with New Hope High School, the system will eventually be rolled out in all Lowndes County schools, including three elementary schools, three middle schools, and two additional high schools, according to Matt Smith, principal of New Hope High School.
"We're very proud to be the first school district in the country to be implementing this technology," said Smith. "While we hope never to have a major crisis situation, emergencies often come whether we like them or not, and this system is a great tool to help get our first responders on scene as quickly as possible."
PTS Solutions, whose CAD software is at the heart of the system, is leading the implementation in Lowndes County. The company's CAD software manages incidents, records, addresses, complainants and other information related to the call. The addition of NowForces mobile apps allows a real-time view of every incident, as well as situational awareness of all public safety resources.
