SENATOR ANWAR VOTES TO ALLOW SCHOOLS TO INSTALL SAFETY SYSTEMS FOR BETTER EMERGENCY RESPONSE

In an effort to ensure Connecticut never relives the horrors of the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting, the Senate today passed legislation allowing for emergency response communications systems and personal emergency communication devices in Connecticut schools.

Senate Bill 1216, “An Act Concerning School Emergency Response Systems,” would allow for the state’s school security infrastructure competitive grant program, signed into law in 2013 after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, to be used for schools to purchase emergency response communications systems and personal emergency communication devices for school personnel.

“Thirteen years have passed since the horrors of Sandy Hook, and we can always do more to protect and prevent further violence in our schools,” said Sen. Anwar. “This bill expands security resources available to school communities, including the installation of these systems that allow for immediate emergency response in time-sensitive situations. It’s another step to keep our schools safer and protect our youth.”

Emergency response communications systems and personal emergency communication devices would likely resemble ones used in other schools across the country. Most prominently, the system at Apalachee High School in Georgia saw teachers carry devices that served as panic buttons; when activated, those buttons would inform law enforcement that an emergency was happening on campus, Reuters said.

A September 2024 shooting at that school that killed four was likely to have led to more violence if not for the activation of the system, police said at the time. Upon activation when shots were fired, police were on site at the school within two minutes and the shooter was taken into custody within six minutes of initial alerts.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, such systems can activate general alerts and emergency alerts; the former stays within the school for medical emergencies or other incidents not requiring outside assistance, while the latter, for more serious events, would trigger flashing lights and a lockdown on a school campus. Most uses of the systems, more than 98%, remain within schools.

While these systems can be expensive, a fiscal note for the bill noted that there is currently an unallocated bond balance of $20 million for school security programs, which would be able to fund a number of installations.

This bill received strong support in public testimony, with the Connecticut Education Association, Connecticut Association of Independent Schools and Connecticut Catholic Public Affairs Conference among the organizations endorsing it.

The bill previously passed the Committee on Children with a unanimous 17-0 vote; it now heads to the House for further consideration and potential passage. If passed by the House, the bill proceeds to Governor Lamont’s desk to be signed into law.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joe O’Leary | Joe.OLeary@cga.ct.gov | 508-479-4969