BOERNE— With the issue of safety weighing heavy on the minds of Boerne Independent School District trustees, the board Tuesday passed two measures designed to better protect campuses.
In the wake of school shootings across the country – notably Uvalde’s Robb Elementary School in May that left 19 students and two teachers dead– BISD is stepping up its security measures for students and staffers.
During the roughly twohour session, the school board approved the addition of an emergency-notification system to employees’ cell phones and a request for state dollars to buy bullet-resistant shields.
“There is a lot of talk. One of the first things that Rick (Goodrich, chief of safety and security) asked whenever he first arrived was he heard money was coming down from Austin for safety and security,” Superintendent Thomas Price said of the shield-grant applications. “Well, none of that’s come to us yet. This is the first stab at that, and it is to give shields to all our (school resource officers) and each campus. I think it’s something we need, but we need your (the board’s) permission to apply.”
Trustees unanimously agreed to allow staff to move forward with the grant application.
Next up, Kendall County sheriff’s Lt. Kevin Klaerner coordinated a discussion about an emergency-alert application developed by LifeSpot aimed at solving seven challenges tied to active-shooter events.
The company’s founder, Brett Titus, said the app reduces law-enforcement response time by simultaneously notifying police officers, deputies, all campus staffers, emergency medial services and fire departments to “get the good guys there … faster than they do today.”
Using geofencing, a locating service that employs several wireless-connection platforms to identify specific areas, first responders more accurately, and in real time, can identify where a report is coming from — including which floor.
In addition, Titus said the app prevents a communications logjam for local dispatchers, who otherwise could get bogged down during a crisis by calls from worried relatives.
Titus also said second-to-second communication software between first responders and those at the scene creates a smoother alert system for seriously injured victims and an efficient reunification process once the event is de-escalated.
He’s seen scenarios where fearful, barricaded victims wouldn’t let emergency personnel into a room, but real-time communication lets those under threat know when the all-clear is given, he added.
The school board gave a unanimous thumbs up to the technology, and Klaerner added he is working on behalf of the Sheriff’s Office to implement the software across the community.
“I would love to have it on everyone’s phone,” Price said. “It’s just the next step of making sure we know where people are. …One of my biggest fears has always been — even before all the shootings, even when there’s a fire or we have drills or bomb threats — am I accounting for everyone that’s there? Have we left anyone behind? And this to me where I can see where all our folks are is just a plus.”
'I think it’s something we need.'
— BISD Superintendent Thomas Price
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