Florida School District Introduces Reporting App

Florida School District Introduces Reporting App

The more tools that students can use to alert authorities of potential violence, the better, according to Bay District Schools Chief of Safety and Security Mike Jones.

  • By Jessica Davis
  • December 14, 2018

Bay District Schools in Bay County, Fla., has introduced a new app called FortifyFL, which students can use to anonymously report potential threats they hear or see at school.

The app comes from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in the wake of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., earlier this year, which left seventeen dead.

Before introducing FortifyFL, Bay District Schools offered a similar tool called Friend Watch.

The more tools that students can use to alert authorities of potential violence, the better, according to Bay District Schools Chief of Safety and Security Mike Jones.

"I think it's very important that kids have several options. and this is a good one and it'll automatically alert law enforcement and we'll get the report after that," Jones told WJHG.

Jones said parents and guardians should talk to their children about appropriate use of the app, as he doesn’t want students to misuse it.

FortifyFL is different from School Guard, which is a tool that lets educators alert law enforcement if they see anyone armed on their campus.

The FortifyFL app is available in smartphone app stores.

About the Author

Jessica Davis is the Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Survey: Fewer 20 Percent of School Leaders Consider Their Main Entrance “Completely Secure”

    Singlewire Software, provider of solutions that help keep people safe and informed, releases the findings of its inaugural School Entrance Security Report, which captured responses from more than 500 school staff members across the United States. This research highlights the concerns and challenges schools are facing in securing their entrances and keeping students and staff safe from potential threats Read Now

  • Securing Higher Education: Combating Enrollment Fraud and Empowering Student Financial Success

    Higher education institutions are facing a costly and growing crisis: enrollment fraud. Between 2020 and 2022, the cost[1] of acquiring a new student surged by up to 32%, straining already tight budgets. At the same time, “ghost students” using stolen identities to enroll fraudulently put institutions at even greater financial risk. Read Now

  • How Composable Security Technologies Fortify Campus Safety

    Campus security teams have faced myriad risks threatening the safety and well-being of students and faculty this semester. Leaders have made tough tradeoffs about where to focus and how to channel limited resources to best protect their communities — but they now have a much-needed lift to their toolkit. Read Now

  • How Emerging Technologies are Transforming the School Security Landscape

    Students can't focus on learning when they're worried about their safety. As education systems nationwide face evolving security challenges with limited resources, a new generation of integrated technology solutions is helping schools create safer environments while maximizing staff efficiency. Read Now

Most   Popular