Panic buttons and phone alerts: How technology helped prevent further bloodshed at Apalachee

Apalachee High School teacher Stephen Kreyenbuhl was alerted to a lockdown through the school’s new alert system, just before a shooting occurred nearby. The CrisisAlert system, designed by Centegix, provided critical time for Kreyenbuhl to protect his students. The system includes a button that can discreetly notify administrators and law enforcement of an emergency’s exact location. Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith praised the system’s timing and emphasized the importance of technology in reducing police response time during emergencies. The CrisisAlert system aims to quickly inform the entire campus of a lockdown and notify law enforcement agencies of the incident’s location. Its integration with local law enforcement can automatically call 911 and provide officers with the incident’s exact location. The system’s goal is to decrease police response times, potentially saving lives. Lori Alhadeff, advocating for legislative action, cited the use of panic buttons in the Apalachee shooting as she pushes for the implementation of “Alyssa’s Law,” which requires silent alert systems in schools linked to law enforcement agencies.