Jim Thorpe Area School District’s Board of Directors unanimously approved the purchase of a new security alert system designed to provide immediate emergency response capabilities throughout the district’s buildings.

The board voted 8-0, with one member absent, to approve the purchase of the Raptor Technologies “Badge Alert” system at a cost of $39,700 for installation and the first year of service, with an ongoing yearly cost of $24,000.

The system will provide every staff member in the district with a wearable badge similar to existing ID badges. According to district officials, the badges feature two buttons that staff can use to alert security and administration during emergency situations.

“If there’s an incident in the hallway or classroom or something, the teacher pushes it three times and on the map and sends an alert to our security and to administration in that building,” Lori Lienhard, Jim Thorpe Director of Security. “It gives an exact location on mapping as to what room number it is or where it’s at.”

The system is designed to escalate emergency responses automatically. If staff members continue pressing the alert button and reach seven presses, the system will automatically contact 911 and dispatch police, bypassing the traditional alarm company notification process.

District officials cited recent emergency drills as motivation for implementing the new system. During Alice drills conducted at district buildings, officials discovered significant delays in the current emergency notification process.

“We had our Alice drill at the high school, something that we learned is that out at Penn Kidder, it took us three minutes until our alarm system reached the alarm company, and then the alarm company called 911,” Lienhard said. “The high school is a little bit quicker. That took a minute and half in order for that company to get the call, and then call out to the police.”

The Badge Alert system aims to eliminate these delays by providing direct communication with emergency services.

“With the alert system, it’s going to be an automatic call out to 911,” Lienhard said.

Beyond emergency communication, the system integrates with the district’s existing technology infrastructure. The alerts will activate display panels throughout school buildings to provide building-wide notifications.

“It will activate all panels and put the alert that is sent out on all the screens so every classroom will be alerted,” Rob Moyzan, director of technology, said.

Moyzan said the system will also utilize displays in building lobbies and hallways.

To ensure accessibility for all students and staff, the system includes visual alert components.

“There are also going to be strobes that are going to come installed throughout the building on the inside, so that way if we have any hearing-impaired children, they’re also going to know something’s going on,” Lienhard said.

The district plans to pursue and utilize grant funding to help offset the system’s costs.