South Carolina District Deploys Emergency Response System
Kershaw County School District in South Carolina in implementing an emergency management system called Rapid Responder from Prepared Response. The district had received a $211,000 grant from the United States Department of Education in 2006 to improve its preparedness for crises. It then contracted with Prepared Response to install the system.
The Rapid Responder system is designed to provide school security, police, fire, and other first responders with information, including tactical and floor plans, interior and exterior photos, staging areas, utility shutoffs, evacuation routes, and other pieces of information. Rapid Responder also involves pre-planning meetings, system training for school staff members and responders, and digital mapping of school buildings.
Staff were trained on the system in June, along with the Kershaw County Sheriff's Office, Kershaw County Fire Department, Camden Police Department, and Camden Fire Department. The system will be ready for operation when the district's schools open Aug. 20 for the 2007/2008 school year.
Kershaw County School District operates 20 schools. The system will cover those schools, as well as district offices.
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About the author: David Nagel is the executive editor for 1105 Media's online education technology publications, including THE Journal and Campus Technology. He can be reached at dnagel@1105media.com.
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