A new panic alarm system that was triggered during Wednesday’s deadly shooting at a Georgia high school likely saved countless lives, authorities and advocates for the technology said.
Lockdown warnings flashed on classroom screens at Apalachee High School as gunshots rang out, prompting students and teachers to lock the door, turn off the lights and huddle in the farthest corner from the entrance, witnesses said.
At the same time, alerts automatically went out to law enforcement officers, who responded and ended the shooting rampage within minutes, according to Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith and Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey.
As a Canadian, I find it very sad that schools have to resort to panic alarm systems as if they were living in a Mad Max movie without a government.
As a Canadian, I literally worry about being shot whenever I have to visit the US (I try to avoid it). That’s the kind of reputation the US has
As an American, I get it. Personally I’m very weary of being out in large crowds at this point, which sucks because, you know, life.
It may ultimately be a subset of our population which has directly or indirectly caused this situation, but make no mistake: we put ourselves in the hole.
While I agree with regards to school shootings, this has a lot of other value as well, such as medical emergencies. I think its great to have a system like this available, I just wish the reasoning behind it was more for those medical emergencies and less because school shootings are all too common…
I’m glad it helped in Georgia. I hope its never needed for the same reason ever again - though with the idiots out there that think guns are more important than kids, its likely my hopes will be dashed soon.
This is why republicans are opposed to reasonable gun control. These emergencies are money making opportunities. The more our lives are under threat, the more opportunity there is for businesses to cash in on our fears.
Smith said the panic alarm system at Apalachee, powered by Georgia-based safety solutions company Centegix, has only been in place at the school for about a week.
Other companies also offer technologies that claim to improve real-time reporting in emergency situations, NBC News has previously reported.
Centegix, in particular, advocates for Alyssa’s Law — a measure, passed in seven states and introduced in nine others, that would require schools to install silent panic alarms that are directly linked to law enforcement.
I mean, yes it’s fantastic that we have these technologies to notify emergency services but, what are we doing to actually prevent the emergencies?
We can pass laws requiring states to spend money on buying things from other businesses but we refuse to pass laws actually preventing the emergencies from occurring.
I just wish we lived in a world where the nutjobs went after politicians that opposed gun control, firearms manufacturers, or gun nut gatherings. In the immortal words of Futurama, “smite someone who deserves it, for once!”
To put it another way: If they were shooting up board rooms instead of classrooms we’d have gun control yesterday.
It sure would be nice if this kind of alarm system was a part of a broader initiative to make schools safer instead of the only thing. I’m still dumbfounded a father had no qualms with and was able to purchase a gun for his 14 year old after the FBI visited him on account of his child’s terroristic threats. Can’t possibly make it more difficult for these kinds of dipshits to get guns though, oh no
I’m of the opinion that if you can charge all sorts of accomplices with murder for doing FAR LESS than buying the guy who did the murder a gun, those parents should be arrested, tried for murder for each dead kid and teacher, then locked the fuck up until everyone forgets they exist and/or they die in prison.
They charged him with two counts of second degree murder so you may get your wish
Good. He’s unquestionably responsible, and deserves to rot.
I’d ask what kind of fucking idiot buys their kid a gun AFTER the FBI shows up to investigate them threatening to shoot their school up and then leaves it unlocked where the kid can access it, but well, we already know the answer there.
Yes, arresting one to two more people, the solution we’ve missed all this time. This will stop shootings. It’s all solved now.
Only a week? Timing is perfect! What a coincidence!
Part of choosing a free society is giving people the freedom to do bad things.
No?? It isn’t?? The entire point of a society is working together and protecting each other instead of it just being everyone for themselves
“Free society” is an oxymoron. Pick one or the other.
Even more so when that Free society is designed to create poor, uneducated, unhealthy, and mentally unwell people. Any proactive solutions to any societal issue requires the signing of a social contract, which means lose of some “freedoms”. 2A advocates want all the benefits of society but want none of the responsibility!
Can you define what a “free society” is?
Absolutely anything to avoid gun reform in this country…
Even new industries!
alerts automatically went out to law enforcement officers, who responded and ended the shooting rampage within minutes, according to Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith and Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey.
Uvalde officers rn:
I SUPPORT this UNLESS it’s used when someone has a Gun! THEN it INFRINGES on Their Second Amendment Rights!
What about finger guns? Safe to use then?
The barest of arms.
I want a 5-day shooting forecast on the news.
You know, if you had an LLM processing social media posts you could probably get some type of forecast. It would be pretty inaccurate but it’d be something.
I’m pretty sure schools must already have lockdown alarms in Australia (and drills every few years), so it’s surprising that this isn’t already a thing in America, especially with its issues.
I’m remembered of this video essay: Games, Schools, and Worlds Designed for Violence
