Keeping Students Safe: 5 Safety Apps To Know About

Safety apps that give students access to crisis management plans and enables them to contact emergency personnel quickly can reduce the risk of harm during emergencies.

December 10, 2015 Rachel Quetti Leave a Comment

CrisisManager

Every school has a crisis management plan, but not often do students have direct access to it. With the free CrisisManager app from SchoolDude, students can access their schools’ custom safety plan once it is published on the app. Once students have downloaded the app, they are able to easily pull up the safety plan with their smartphone and know the steps to take in the event of an emergency. If you’re looking to educate students on your school’s safety plan, consider downloading an app like CrisisManager that will allow all members of the school to access the plan.

CrisisGo

When students feel threatened, it can be difficult to know how to properly report the incident. Many students witness violence or threats of violence throughout a school year, but may not report these instances if they don’t want to be identified. With CrisisGo, students can report any threats to administrators anonymously through the app. Furthermore, administrators can opt to use gps when receiving panic notifications from students when in distress, helping them to reach students in danger faster. CrisisGo can help students feel more comfortable reporting threats and help them reach safety faster in the event of an emergency.

Punch Alert

Notifying school administrators and emergency personnel of an emergency as quickly as possible can significantly affect the harm done to a school. The Punch Alert app is an all-in-one emergency communication system that allows students to press a button through the app that notifies responders, whether they be administrators or emergency personnel, of an emergency. Responders receive an email, text message, and automated phone call with the emergency location, when it was reported and who reported it. Responders can also deliver text updates to any user on campus in addition to user submitted content and emergency plans. This app not only allows students to report emergencies right away, but also keeps them updated as to what areas of campus are safe and when threats no longer exist.

Rave Panic Button

The easier it is for students to get in contact with 9-1-1, the safer they will be. With Rave Panic Button, students can simply push one button and immediately get connected to a 9-1-1 responder. When a panic call is made, key on-site personnel are notified immediately. Throughout the process, users will continue to be notified with situational updates in real time and take action as needed. Furthermore, 9-1-1 immediately receives critical data about the campus a Panic Call is placed from such as the caller’s location, building floor plans, campus contact and access info – and is given the ability to rapidly message campus employees and first responders. With just the push of a button, students can act quickly in the event of an emergency and contact the appropriate people for help.

Cellular's School Safety App

Emergencies can be handled faster and more adequately when they are reported with as many details as possible. With 911Cellular’s school safety app, each member of a district’s faculty and staff is set up with quick links connecting their smartphone directly to local 9-1-1. Using 911Cellular’s app, local police are provided the precise location of an emergency, and can receive live photo and video streams of the situation as well. Video and photos can help determine how dangerous a situation is, as well as identify any suspects. Having the option to quickly contact 9-1-1 as well as provide media to report an emergency can help responders get control over the situation faster and easier.

Mobile technology has undoubtedly had an effect on learning in the classroom. Smartphones have now become learning tools in many K-12 classrooms, where students can use their own personal devices to access online learning programs, wirelessly present projects and collaborate with fellow classmates. With the development of numerous safety apps, now students can use their smartphones to help protect themselves and their entire school from harm, too.

Concerns over school security have certainly increased in the recent years. Mass shootings have motivated many schools take a look at their security plans and systems to look for any flaws or areas in need of improvement in order to ensure they are adequately protecting students from harm.

While high-tech security technologies are a great help to identifying unwanted visitors and preventing intruders from entering school buildings, placing simple technology such as safety apps into the hands of students is a security option schools shouldn’t forget about.

Many safety apps are easy to download and extremely comprehensive, however it’s important schools take the time to not only share with students the benefits of downloading safety apps to personal smartphones, but also how to properly use the app in the event of an emergency.

Placing safety tools in the hands of students is extremely empowering, but an important responsibility as well. Once you learn about these 5 new safety apps, consider holding informational meetings and trainings to inform students and staff about the apps, how they can increase safety, and how to responsibly use the app in the event of an emergency.

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