Commissioner of Education encourages every school district to implement alert system called for in 2018 school safety preparedness report.
CONCORD, NH – Schools and parents around New Hampshire now have a free app they can download to improve communication between educators and families in case of emergencies. Ping4, a New Hampshire-based company that offers a cellphone alert system in the commercial market, recently authorized its foundation to create the Safety. Alerts. For. Education. (S.A.F.E.) application to enhance school safety. The free app is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
The company created the app after the Governor’s School Safety Preparedness Taskforce determined, via Recommendation 43, that New Hampshire needed to establish a system “to alert parents, staff, and non-first responders during an emergency to quickly and efficiently notify them of current incident and safety information.”
Following up on the free offer in October, the company recently set up accounts for all New Hampshire schools and are encouraging parents sign up and make sure their schools also activate the alert system.
“While it may be that not all schools decide to use the Ping4 platform, as there are other products in the market,” stated Frank Edelblut, the commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Education, “it is important that all schools get some platform set up and have broad parent sign up so that we can have the appropriate response in the event of an emergency.”
“Any measure that provides support for police to respond quickly and thoroughly to a school crisis is important,” added James Morse, the superintendent of the Oyster River Cooperative. “A uniform approach across the state is an important step forward. Ping or similar measures, adopted by local school systems and their respective police departments, just makes sense for the safety of NH students.”
The app uses geo-fencing technology via the global positioning system allowing administrators and law enforcement to instantly and simultaneously alert students and staffers of a threat via their cellphones. The technology creates a unique virtual perimeter in and around schools which can include parking lots, athletic fields, and more. This allows as many people as possible, in the designated area, to be alerted in real-time, noted Jim Bender, the CEO of Ping4.
“The S.A.F.E. Foundation is offering this program free to New Hampshire schools because our children’s safety is a top priority,” Bender added. “This technology is proven and effective, and will enhance security and reduce response time in the event of a crisis.”
For more information about the S.A.F.E. app, visit https://safeschoolapp.com/