The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission within Florida was created during 2018. This legislative measure encompasses a thorough strategy for recognizing and resolving the challenges brought to light by the tragic event that unfolded at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The Commission’s main purpose is to carefully examine data from the school shooting and similar incidents of mass violence in the state, while also focusing on implementing recommendations and enhancing the existing systems.
In 2022, Governor Ron DeSantis wanted to improve school safety in Florida and mandated that all schools should have some type of mass notification system that will help schools communicate with local authorities. Because of the Margery Stoneman Douglas Act, Gadsden County School District decided to deploy Intrado’s Safety Shield solution to help keep staff and students safe and informed in the event of an emergency.
We sat down with Matthew Bryant, Safe School Specialist at Gadsden Schools to learn how his district uses Intrado’s innovative solutions for school safety.
Using Intrado Safety Suite to Help Keep Students and Staff Safe and Informed
In search of a user-friendly system that includes geofencing capabilities, Gadsden County School District was introduced to Intrado Safety Shield by a local Florida dispatcher. This school safety solution not only aligns with the mandate set by Florida’s governor, but also facilitates direct communication with 911 local authorities during emergencies.
“Having the relationship with local authorities makes it a lot easier to communicate with them. It can also be helpful to allow authorities to get familiar with the campuses and the people who are there,” Matthew Bryant stated.
Bryant also shared that Gadsden had a great experience overall and said it was an easy transition to learn Safety Shield with the help of Intrado’s team to help make sure everyone understood the system, how it worked, and how the transition would take place.
The Florida school district was asked what features and functions were the most valuable to their school district and they responded, “Everything Safety Shield has to offer! The ability to schedule drills, communicate in real time with emergency dispatchers, using maps to deliver and retrieve information of what is taking place in an exact location on campus, creating different events for each specific district, and more.”
Gadsden Schools has specifically been using Safety Shield’s reunification feature. Bryant mentioned the district is planning on a mass training for reunification drills so staff will have the opportunity to see the system at its full potential. “One staff member was still learning Safety Shield and they accidentally triggered a real active shooter emergency and the authorities arrived within a matter of seconds. We were so pleased to see that emergency services responded so quickly!” said Bryant.
About Intrado Safety Suite
Intrado Safety Suite comprises four components: Revolution, Safety Shield, Wearable Panic Button, and Visitor Management.
Revolution offers real-time instructions and updates to individuals in impacted areas, helping prevent panic and confusion during critical situations. Safety Shield provides an added layer of protection by allowing school administrators and 911 emergency responders to coordinate their response efforts more efficiently and effectively. The Wearable Panic Button ensures immediate access to emergency assistance with a simple press of a button, empowering students, and staff to quickly communicate distress signals and receive the necessary help. Finally, Visitor management enhances security by efficiently managing and monitoring individuals entering and exiting the premises, ensuring a safe environment for everyone in the school.
Together, these solutions improve school safety, enhance communication, and protect the well-being of students and staff members.
About Gadsden County School District
The Gadsden County School District is comprised of 11 campuses and about 5,000 students with 780 employees in the State of Florida. The mission of Gadsden Schools is to collaborate with and engage all stakeholders in providing safe, caring, rigorous and engaging environments in which students can learn and succeed.
