Aubrey ISD is a school district outside of Dallas that serves 2,500 students across five campuses.
The Challenge:
The district needed to replace its old phone system and find ways to create an efficient emergency response process to get people the help they needed during a crisis.
The Solution:
Working with Splendid Technology and using solutions from Singlewire Software and Cisco, the district was able to send alerts when someone dialed 911 from within a school building, giving security advance notice to respond to serious issues.
K-12 Emergency Response
In K-12 schools and districts, being able to respond quickly to an emergency makes all the difference when trying to protect students and staff. For Scott Collins, chief of police for the Aubrey ISD Police Department, replacing an old phone system brought with it an opportunity to do more when it came to safety and communication in his district. With 2,500 students spread out across five campuses, having the right communication tools gives Collins and his team the best chance of delivering an efficient emergency response when someone is in need of assistance.
Collins and his team had several needs, the most pressing of which was to be notified immediately before a 911 or radio call goes out about an emergency. Receiving those notifications helps his team take a proactive approach to their response so they can begin managing a situation as it unfolds.
“There can be a significant delay by the time someone dials 911, talks with a dispatcher, and the dispatcher pushes the information out to the officers who can respond,” said Collins.
His goal was to minimize the delay between the initial 911 call and dispatching an officer as much as possible because in an emergency, every second counts.
911 Alerts
Working with Splendid Technology, Collins was able to make a plan for rolling out the new phone system they originally needed, as well as implementing InformaCast mass notification software. With InformaCast connected to the district’s IP phones, speakers, and other communication tools within its buildings, Collins could enhance safety and communication to reach more people, more quickly.
One of the most useful features for Collins has been setting up InformaCast CallAware, which allows his team to receive notifications when someone dials “9-1” from a phone on any of the district’s campuses. When that happens, Collins and his team receive a notification from InformaCast directly on their mobile devices as a text message and phone call.
This functionality came in handy when Aubrey ISD responded to a medical emergency happening on one of its campuses. An employee was experiencing a medical event and before the 911 call came in, Collins’ team was notified via InformaCast and responded to the incident
“It was a life-saving measure where seconds and time really mattered,” said Collins. “If we had not known that event had happened through our Cisco phones, through our InformaCast and Singlewire…getting treatment for this patient would have been significantly delayed.”
Other Uses for School Safety
Aubrey ISD also integrates its access control system with InformaCast. In the event of a lockdown, they hit one system and it locks down an entire building. It also works with the district’s video control systems and phones to get the message out in the event of an emergency.
No matter the size or location of your school or district, student and staff safety should be a top priority. Schools across the country and around the world use InformaCast to send alerts about a wide range of emergency events, including active shooters, severe weather, evacuations, and more. With the ability to reach on-premises and mobile devices and to trigger messages with the push of a button, it offers schools the speed and reach they need to keep everyone safe regardless of the situation.
Visit our Schools & Districts page for more information about how InformaCast can help enhance safety and communication on your campus.