Park Hill School District Actively Improves Safety with the Help of Rapid Responder®
Kansas City, MO (PRWEB) October 06, 2015 -- Park Hill School District in Kansas City, MO has been a Rapid Responder customer and end user since 2005. Ten years later, in 2015 they still actively use Rapid Responder, but are also increasing other areas of security for their district to keep students, staff and faculty safe. All 17 of Park Hill’s school sites are mapped in Rapid Responder and the district continues to use the system when further enhancing school security.
When asked how the district uses Rapid Responder emergency preparedness and response system, Dr. Josh Colvin, Director of Student Services for Park Hill School District, explained they currently use the system in all 17 of their sites to document response information including interior and exterior photos, hazards of each facility, building structure information, floorplans, and emergency contact information. They plan to further build out their use of the system while improving school safety by capturing imagery of all interiors including rooms, with descriptions and uploading that information into Rapid Responder, providing first responders current response information.
“In Kansas City it is a community norm for continual work toward greater security,” says Dr. Colvin. “Many districts work together to collaborate on features that are working and areas that can be improved upon. Rapid Responder helps us to keep safety at the forefront of our conversations with our first responders and other districts.”
Dr. Colvin further states they are devoted to using Rapid Responder as an “electronic database for emergency plans and procedures that provides a cohesive response.” Park Hill often trains with their law enforcement for a variety of situations and continues to update emergency response information in Rapid Responder. This provides administrators quick access during a crisis but the emphasis is placed on providing up-to-date information to first responders in the event of an emergency.
Further district safety improvements included increased access control. In the past, a person could enter a school and walk some distance before checking in but will now be met by repositioned front desks and vestibules restricting access to the school. Desk staff are also equipped with technologies to check information on visitors and record their reasons for visiting. Constricting access points has become a norm in school systems and aims to further increase district security.
Although the long time Rapid Responder customer has implemented significant safety changes that welcomed students back this school year, they continue to use legacy safety procedures and systems empowering them to provide a safe school climate for faculty and staff. In the past, the Park Hill School District has put an emphasis on school safety and they continue to do that today, while still utilizing the most up-to-date technology that Rapid Responder offers.
Rapid Responder is an all-hazards site-based crisis management system which provides school administrators and first responder’s instant access to site specific emergency response information. Site specific information includes floor plans, aerial views, site maps, hazardous material locations, utility shut off information, emergency and evacuation plans, and live camera feed. Currently deployed in over 16,000 facilities nationwide, Rapid Responder is SAFETY Act certified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and has been successfully used during active shooter events, bomb threats, lock downs and other emergency situations.
Media Contact
For Further Information, Please Contact:
Prepared Response, Inc.
Samantha Caron
scaron(at)preparedresponse(dot)com
253.363.8561
Park Hill School District
Nicole Kirby
kirbyn(at)parkhill(dot)k12(dot)mo(dot)us
816.359.6030
About Prepared Response Inc.
Prepared Response Inc. is the leading innovator of emergency preparedness and crisis management solutions in the nation. For over a decade, Prepared Response has provided industry leading technology and consulting services that have been proven to save lives and mitigate property damage. The company’s flagship product, Rapid Responder, is used by over 1,300 public safety agencies nationwide and is SAFETY Act Certified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as a Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technology, along with being endorsed by the National Sheriffs’ Association. Rapid Responder is currently deployed in educational facilities, public buildings, critical infrastructure and private facilities across the U.S.
The privately held company is headquartered in Kirkland, Washington. Additional information can be found at http://www.preparedresponse.com or by calling 1-866-862-7741.
Samantha Caron, Prepared Response, http://www.preparedresponse.com, 253-363-8561, [email protected]
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