School Security Around The Nation: Rochester, NY
Program can help increase safety at schools
What if a computer program could make your child’s school safer than it is now? Most parents would push their child’s school district to get it. We’ve learned some school districts in Livingston County are considering a new program to do just that.
It’s called “Rapid Responder.” It puts everyone on the same page in the event of an emergency. First responders, schools and parents would all have access to the system. A web link shows live video inside the school, pictures and maps of school campuses. Deputies say the response from parents has been great.
Mother Alison Guesno says, “Today with everything that’s going on in the world, it’s good to be safe.”
For parents like Guesno, Rapid Responder is peace of mind.
She says, “As a parent you definitely want to know what’s going on. You don’t want to be left out in the dark. You want to know what the plan is and you want to stay current on where your child is and what’s going on with them.”
It’s a safety tool that schools across Livingston County are putting into action. Daniel Murray is the Superintendent at York Central Schools.
“All it can do is help us and improve our safety,” says Murray. “So I like to be the eager one and say let’s go for it.”
Murray adds, “In the event of an emergency, which we of course hope never happens, but you want to be prepared and you want to have access to that information quickly.”
Fire, police, EMS, even 911 dispatchers would have the information available at their fingertips to better prepare and respond to an incident.
Sheriff Thomas Dougherty says, “Our deputies can have instant access right out in their patrol cars through their laptop computers, live images of what’s going on in that school, know the safety plan, be familiar with it. It’s leaps and bounds ahead of where we are right now in this moment.”
Now, the question is: are there any risks with this program? Superintendent Murray says he’s aware of the fact it could be hacked but says the system is secure and is even backed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The cost of the program is only about $100 per month. School officials we spoke with say it’s money well spent especially when you consider how much safer it will make students.
