Roma ISD using new app to improve safety on campuses
Student safety is every school district's top priority and this year Roma Independent School District has a new tool to improve safety across all of their campuses.
The school district is using a new app that will not only notify of a threat to one of their schools, but also help request assistance in an emergency.
The app, Raptor Silent Panic Alarm, allows teachers and staff to be in control during drills and active incidents.
How it works is teachers open the app, swipe, and the entire school they are at. First responders then get an alert that there is an active emergency.
The message informs first responders of the type of emergency and where on campus it's happening.
Each teacher has the app on their phone, smartboards, laptops and desktops, so even substitute teachers will get the message every time a drill or an emergency is initiated.
Another feature on the app is Team Assist.
"So, let's say at the football field, a kid breaks his arm. The coach can initiate a medical assistance, and that itself will only notify administration and the police officer on campus. That an ambulance is being requested at the football field," Roma ISD Assistant Police Chief Debby Amador said.
Amador says they can customize the Team Assist feature to meet the individual needs of every school.
So far, only administration, teachers, school police and Roma fire have the app on their phones. The district says they plan to push it out to all school employees in the upcoming weeks.