Suffolk Executive Bellone Announces 90 Percent of School Districts Have Signed Up for RAVE Panic Button Mobile App
Suffolk County, NY - November 23, 2018 - Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone today announced that 90 percent of public school districts across Suffolk County have signed up to use the RAVE Panic Button Mobile App since it was introduced earlier this year. The state-of-the-art app, provides a stratum of features, all designed to dramatically enhance the County’s police and first responders’ ability to effectively react and respond to active shooter events and other emergency situations.
“Our students deserve to feel safe in their schools and we owe it to our teachers, administrators, and facility to provide them with the state-of-the-art tools available to ensure both a safe and secure environment,” said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone. “With such a high enrollment number, schools across the County are recognizing the need for these types of innovate technologies that offer life-saving and time-saving features.”
To date, 64 total school districts have signed up for the Rave Panic Button. There are 24 school districts who are fully deployed with the app activated, there are 12 school districts in the training and testing phase, and 28 school districts are in the process of building out their Rave Facility profile.
County Executive Bellone and Rave Mobile Safety also presented Kings Park Central School District with a commemorative plaque to congratulate them on their commitment to school safety and being the first school district in Suffolk County protected by the Rave Panic Button.
”The Suffolk County Police Department is committed to supporting and utilizing all resources to keep students safe in school,” Suffolk County Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart said. “The RAVE Panic button mobile app is another tool to aid law enforcement in the event the department needs to respond to an emergency at a school building.”
Suffolk County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services Acting Commissioner John Jordan said: “The Department of Fire Rescue Project team will continue their efforts disseminating information on this vital school safety program to school districts and communities across the County through meetings, presentations and direct access to program specialist. The team can be contacted via emailing safesuffolk@ravemobilesafety.com.”
Dr. Timothy Eagen, Superintendent, Kings Park Central School District said: “I am very thankful for Suffolk County’s focus and support in the area of school safety. The RAVE App is an example of how Suffolk County schools, government, and emergency medical agencies are working together smarter. I am proud that Kings Park is a “pioneer school district’ of the RAVE Panic Button App.”
Dr. Kenneth Bossert, President of the Suffolk County School Superintendents Association said: “The Suffolk County School Superintendents Association appreciates the work of the County Executive and SCPD officials to provide another resource in the tool kit for school safety. It is not surprising that a large percentage of districts within the County elected to participate in the RAVE program as it is one way to decrease response times and increase notification speed in the event that an emergency arises on school campus. While we all hope that no such events occur in Suffolk, it is essential that we are prepared in the event one does. We appreciate the continued collaboration and communication with county and police officials to ensure the safety, health and welfare of our students, faculty and staff.”
In July, County Executive Bellone signed legislation to provide $2 million in funding for the Rave Panic Button. The funding provided the County with an unlimited, perpetual licensing model for the Rave Panic Button and the capacity to offer access to the 450 K-12 schools across Suffolk County.
During an emergency situation, a teacher, administrator, or staff member can activate the Rave Panic Button App system by pushing one of the five emergency button types, such as active shooter emergency, medical emergency, fire emergency, police emergency, and additional emergencies requiring 9-1-1 assistance. Once the button is pushed, the app will immediately dial 9-1-1, while simultaneously sending an instant notification with details of the emergency to all faculty and staff on-site. Administrators have the ability to manage the on-going incident by sending and receiving real-time messages to and from their staff with information and updates regarding the current emergency situation.
The Rave Panic Button App delivers critical data to 9-1-1 dispatchers and first responders, such as detailed caller location, building floor plans, emergency exit locations, emergency contacts, and key procedures. This critical information provides police officers and first responders with the tools necessary to accelerate emergency response time and effectiveness.