Local schools and police departments working to decrease delay times in case of mass shootings

UVALDE, Texas — Panicked parents ran toward the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas after a deadly shooting at the school activated heavily armed police officers to move in.

“We do know that there are parents who have lost children, families that have lost children,” said Vice President Kamala Harris.

“When parents drop their kids off at school, they have every expectation to know that they’re going to be able to pick their child up when that school day ends, And there are families who are in mourning right now, and the state of Texas is in mourning with them for the reality that these parents are not going to be able to pick up their children,” said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

An 18-year-old suspected gunman killed innocent children and a teacher, shaking the tight-knit community and the country.

Texas’ governor says it is believed the shooter was killed by responding officers.

“The suspect did act alone during this heinous crime,” said Chief Pete Arredondo, Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Police.

“We’re in the process of obtaining detailed background information on the subject, his motive, the types of weapons used, the legal authority to possess them and conduct a comprehensive crime scene investigation and reconstruction,” said Gov. Abbott.

Every time news like this hits, students, parents and schools immediately start to ask the question what can be done to prevent this in my school or my child’s school. Local software developer Brandon Flanagan of In Force Technology works with schools and police departments in the area on this topic and says there has to be an onion-layered approach to school safety. He says that will work better than having medical detectors or trying to make schools look like a prison, because he says that won’t necessarily be a deterrent.

“Often times, the government sponsors something called Run, Hide, Fight,” said Flanagan. “There are other variations of things out there, but teaching staff and students to do something as opposed to nothing is paramount to the preservation of life. In addition, technology plays a huge role in this, to lock in doorways, to notifying all the people in the building of a potential deadly threat, to getting law enforcement on scene faster.”

In Force Technology works with cities and schools all over the country. Here in Massachusetts, these are entities who use the technology to get police on scene faster in case of emergency by sending alerts directly to officers.

Fall River PD & Private catholic school

New Bedford PD - Regional technical HS and city buildings

City of Worcester - schools and PD

City of Quincy - schools city hall

Medway schools

Newburyport schools

Rockport schools

Mashpee schools

North Brookfield schools

Methuen Pd and City Hall

City of Amesbury - schools and city hall

NH Archdiocese - all private, catholic schools in NH, Manchester PD

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