Cincinnati school district introduces high-tech security system for potential threats – WKRC TV Cincinnati

CINCINNATI (WKRC) – After a 911 call reported an active shooter, a local school district immediately began looking at more ways to keep students safe.

The call turned out to be a hoax, but Princeton City Schools still introduced a new security program in case it ever faces the real thing.

It’s the first district in Southwest Ohio to implement this system, which allows staff members to alert first responders with the simple press of a button.

“Unfortunately, in the world we live in today, bad things happen. In the fall of 2022, we had a pretty big hoax and it was really hard for a lot of people,” said Princeton superintendent Elgin Card.

Card says this new technology is the next step in campus security.

“We wanted to put something in place where we could have an alert system that people would know immediately what was going on,” Card said.

All 777 staff members across the district’s 11 schools have been trained on the system and are equipped with an alert badge.

“If a staff member sees a gun or any peculiar behavior, we train them to just keep clicking this badge until you see the lights on the building,” said Jeff Downs, with security company Centegix.

Once the button is pressed, school staff and dispatchers are alerted to the emergency. Lights also start going off across the building, and teachers’ computers display a lockdown message — all within seconds.

“It helps ease your concerns on something that I think is on top of everyone’s mind, anybody who has kids,” said Lisa Flacke, who has children in the district.

Parents were on hand Thursday to get a look at the new system in action.

“I think it’s a great way to give the teachers a way to get a quick response, and for us to be more proactive about what’s happening,” Flacke said. “I think it’s great.”

The alert gives first responders the exact location of where the button was pressed in the building, including the room number.

The number of alerts coming from the building helps dispatchers determine how many emergency units to send.

As a parent, I feel better, because my kids are safe,” said Vishnupria Sudarsean. “Even if some emergency happens, it means they’ll get an immediate response.

The district says the system gives them eyes and ears in every school and, when seconds count, that can make all the difference.

“We hope we never have to use it, but we have it here for peace of mind,” said Card.

Card says this comes along with a number of other safety measures, including cameras in every school.

Princeton City Schools is one of 20 districts in Ohio rolling out this new security system.