School Security

SchoolSafe Adds $4 Million to School Safety Fund

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 04/13/10

A company that sells products to allow communications among school and public safety radio systems has put together a $4 million fund for school pilot programs. The program, sponsored by SchoolSafe Communications, is intended to encourage communities to try out the technology and expand its usage through federal funding programs such as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).

The funding is managed through the School Safety Fund, which was established by Colorado-based School Safety Partners. The Fund promotes broad adoption of the National Incident Management System (NIMS), the Incident Command System (ICS), and the National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP) for schools.

The pilot program funding will specifically cover the costs of joint school safety planning, training, drills, exercises, and evaluations. In addition, school districts that win the funding will receive consulting services through 2010 and 2011 to pursue additional funding from federal agencies. The deadline for applying is June 18, 2010. The pilot program winners will be announced Oct. 15, 2010.