PHOTO: BADGEMESSENGER
Minnesota School Tests School Badge Safety System
The BadgeMessenger is a school badge that includes four buttons. The buttons on the badge represent the need for help, medical assistance, maintenance or an emergency.
- By Jessica Davis
- February 22, 2019
St. Francis Xavier Catholic School in Sartell, Minnesota, is the first school in the country to try a new system aimed at improving campus safety.
The BadgeMessenger is a school badge that includes four buttons. The buttons on the badge represent the need for help, medical assistance, maintenance or an emergency.
The badge is worn by teachers, and when a button is pressed, a signal is sent to the command center in the main office. The person in the office then responds accordingly.
BadgeMessenger was created by teacher Stephanie Pederson, her husband and entrepreneur Dave Sexton based on Pederson’s concerns about how difficult it can be for teachers to reach the main office.
"It's a two-way communication device that's dedicated for communicating between the office and the user, which in this case is a teacher," Sexton said.
The command center operator in the school’s main office can then send assistance, whether it’s a janitorial staff member to help with maintenance or calling for a schoolwide lockdown.
"This just makes you feel like in an instant I can get help," Pederson said.
According to Sexton, BadgeMessenger hopes to branch out to more schools after this pilot program.
About the Author
Jessica Davis is the Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media.