Schools in multiple states are installing panic button systems that allow students and teachers to silently alert law enforcement about an emergency. That鈥檚 thanks to family members of a student who was killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018.
In late June, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed 鈥� named in honor of Alyssa Alhadeff, who was 14 years old when she was murdered in Parkland.
鈥淚t's not a mandate, but I stand by here today and ask all school districts to adopt this,鈥� Hochul said at a bill signing event. 鈥淧lease, please consider this technology to protect your students and your staff and your administrators. It will save lives.鈥�
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Alyssa鈥檚 Law has already been passed in and . Bills have also been introduced in Arizona, Nebraska, Texas and Virginia, as well as in the U.S. Congress, according to , a nonprofit founded by the Alhadeff family.
港澳天下彩education reporter Kate Payne spoke with Lori Alhadeff 鈥� Alyssa鈥檚 mom and a member of the Broward County School Board 鈥� about what it鈥檚 like to see more states adopt this law.
The following is an excerpt of their conversation, which has been edited for length and clarity.
ALHADEFF: Of course I would love to have my beautiful daughter Alyssa here with me. But I鈥檝e turned my pain and grief into action. It means so much to me and my family. Every time Alyssa鈥檚 Alert is pushed and a life is saved, Alyssa was part of that.
WLRN: The New York law encourages districts to look into these panic button systems, but it doesn鈥檛 require them to adopt them, like the laws in Florida and New Jersey do. Are you satisfied with that voluntary approach?
ALHADEFF: I would have loved for it to be mandatory. But I think it's a step in the right direction. It's something that school districts will now look more seriously at to implement as one of their layers of school safety protection in their schools.
WLRN: Florida鈥檚 version of Alyssa鈥檚 Law, like we said, mandates that all public schools have these mobile panic button systems 鈥� whether that鈥檚 on a computer or cell phone app or physical buttons. That went into effect this past school year. How has it been going?
ALHADEFF: It鈥檚 been going great. Our school board has asked our staff to put the Alyssa Alert, the panic button, on every teacher's computer so that they at least have it there. So some school districts rolled it out as an app and some rolled it out as a 鈥� like a badge a teacher wears around their neck.
And for me, honestly, success is saving one life. If that happens, because we were able to get EMS to a medical emergency faster, because of the push of the button, then it's all worth it. And hopefully it never would have to be used in an active shooter situation. But we know that seconds really matter when someone is bleeding. If that button is pushed, and law enforcement knows exactly where the threat is coming from, lives will be saved.
WLRN: We know there were a series of in law enforcement communication during the Parkland shooting. Some officers鈥� radios simply weren鈥檛 working. Other officers didn鈥檛 bring their radios at all. With the shooting in Uvalde, Texas, we saw similar issues of officers and just a in basic communication. What lessons do communities across the country still need to learn from Parkland?
ALHADEFF: It breaks my heart and upsets me so much to know that these mistakes were repeated. Like, wake up people! You can't be living under a rock. If you're responsible for children in school, you need to make sure that you are protecting them. That you are implementing these best school safety practices within your school. And that they're followed with fidelity.
And make sure that everyone is trained. Training, training, training. I can't repeat it enough ... Alyssa鈥檚 Alert will do its job but then it's law enforcement's job 鈥� the next step. To go in, engage and take down the threat. And if you are not willing to do that, then this is not the profession for you.
