New Jersey District Installing Silent Panic Alarms in Schools

New Jersey District Installing Silent Panic Alarms in Schools

The School District of the Chathams will be implementing silent panic alarms in all schools by September, as mandated by New Jersey State law.

  • By Jessica Davis
  • May 03, 2019

The School District of the Chathams will be implementing silent panic alarms in all schools by September as mandated by New Jersey State law, Superintendent Michael LaSusa said.

In February, Governor Phil Murphy signed “Alyssa’s Law,” named after one of the 17 people killed in the Parkland shooting in February 2018. Alyssa’s Law requires all New Jersey public schools to install silent panic alarms. In emergencies, the alarms will alert law enforcement.

At Monday’s Board of Education meeting, LaSusa said he had been meeting with vendors to decide what kind of silent panic alarm the district will use and discussed some of the options he’s seen.

"One the benefits and the goal of this system and it bypasses, entirely, the dispatch," LaSusa said. "So you hit the button and whether you're wearing the button or the button is on the wall and the signal goes to a preprogrammed list of folks including the Township or in our case the Borough Police Department without having to go through the county dispatch. And so they say the communication will be much, much faster than it would be otherwise. "

LaSusa noted that the board will have to discuss in greater detail the kind of alarms and how they are distributed.

"Just like you have AEDs sprinkled around the building and fire alarm pulls, one vendor put something right over the fire alarm pull that will go to the local Fire Department, Police Department or EMS," LaSusa said. "So there is a just a greater saturation of points where someone can hit the button and get a response."

About the Author

Jessica Davis is the Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media.

Featured

  • How a Rural School District Enhanced Safety, Reduced Vaping, and Improved Efficiency by Modernizing Security

    As educational leaders, our primary mission is creating safe, productive learning environments where our students can thrive. Today, that unfortunately means addressing ever-evolving challenges that range from security threats to the growing epidemic of student vaping, all while managing tight budgets and (for many of us) geographically dispersed facilities. Read Now

  • Turning Surveillance Into Strategy: AI’s Role in Driving Proactive Security

    Video surveillance has long been part of the campus safety toolkit, indispensable for investigating security incidents after they occur and a valuable tool for proactive deterrent. Read Now

  • A.C. Camargo Cancer Center Enhances Security, Patient Care with Help from Advanced Video Surveillance

    A.C. Camargo Cancer Center, a leading oncology treatment center in São Paulo, Brazil recognized for its history of innovation, today announced that its partnership with Axis Communications has produced savings of more than $2 million over its first two years, all of which will be reinvested in patient care. A.C. Camargo has deployed more than 2,000 state-of-the-art video surveillance cameras throughout the Center’s corridors, complex care units, and parking lots, embracing a more holistic approach to security that emphasizes patient and employee safety along with improved quality of service. Read Now

  • 2025 Secure Campus Award Winners Announced

    Campus Security Today is pleased to announce the 2025 Secure Campus Award winners. Twenty companies are being recognized this year for products that help keep education and business campuses safe. Read Now

Most   Popular