State announces mobile safety alert application for schools

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The state announced in a Wednesday press release that public and charter schools in Missouri can begin signing up for a state-funded mobile emergency alerting app.

The Missouri Department of Public Safety has funding available for an emergency alert application to be available for public and charter schools across the state, according to the release. Last month, Missouri contracted with Raptor Technologies to provide what is referred to as a "silent panic alerting system."

The press release states the application allows teachers and other school staff to quickly initiate an alert through their mobile device or computer.

“We want all students across Missouri to have the opportunity to learn in safe and secure schools,” Gov. Mike Parson said in the release. “That’s why our administration included funding for this school safety app. It puts a simple to use silent alerting app into the hands of teachers and school personnel, so they can get word out of an intruder or other emergency. We will continue to advance school safety and the ability to quickly respond to threats to Missouri’s students and educators.”

The silent alert works directly with 911 to provide critical information, such as location information and school campus maps to first responders.

Additionally, districts are able to schedule and manage their ongoing safety drills using the software. Each school district will have its own account that links alerts to first responders in the selected area, the release states.