Rapid Responder gives us this ‘one-stop-shop’ approach to school security, and in real time. It has helped us to modernize our plans and approach for crisis management.
Retsof, NY (PRWEB) November 17, 2015
York Central School District is the newest district in New York to increase their safety and security with the NYSSA Rapid Responder Program. Rapid Responder is an emergency preparedness and crisis management system designed to be used by Sheriffs, law enforcement, school personnel, and other responders in order to create an effective and cohesive response to any incident or emergency. Since implementation, York CSD has begun logging fire drills and working to log past fire drills in order to easily compare their progress. The school’s safety team and SRO has also used it to determine tactical responses and most effective ways of egress during evacuations.
Dr. Dan Murray, Superintendent of Schools explains how the New York State Sheriffs’ Association (NYSSA) Rapid Responder Program is helping them to expand on their school safety and security objectives. “Safety is always a top priority and having Rapid Responder is another layer of safety for our students and our schools. Rapid Responder gives us this ‘one-stop-shop’ approach to school security, and in real time. It has helped us to modernize our plans and approach for crisis management.”
Before launching the school security system, York CSD had an outdated approach that used a binder to house their emergency response plans. Now that the NYSSA Rapid Responder Program is fully implemented, they have updated their response plans and floor plans, and put them into the system. Thanks to Rapid Responder, their plans are now completely digital and can be accessed by not only school administrators, but also by first responders 24/7.
Dr. Murray says, “We have always had a great relationship with our first responders, but the NYSSA Rapid Responder Program allows us to offer them more support by providing them with exact visuals and layouts of our buildings, inside and out. Before deploying this system, that was never an option.”
School Resource Officer, Rebecca Kane is actively involved in the implementation of Rapid Responder and is excited to start utilizing it more. “One of my favorite features of Rapid Responder is the ability to connect it directly to our IP cameras,” says Kane. “As a first responder, I know how important it is to be able to see exactly what is going on in an emergency and soon we will be able to by connecting our cameras to the system.”
Although first responders are aware of York’s Rapid Responder implementation, they are soon going to meet with administrators to set up log in information and become familiar with the emergency response information available in the system. Once school administrators and responders are comfortable using the system, they will start running full scale drills and relying heavily on Rapid Responder for their daily security needs, as well as incidents.
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
York Central School District
Dr. Daniel Murray
dpmurray(at)yorkcsd(dot)org
585.243.1730
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.