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Since that day, another 279 people have died in 189 different shootings that have occurred at schools across the United States, BBC News reports. Among them are the 19 students and two teachers who were killed at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, in May 2022.
What has changed, though, is the technology that’s available to schools to help keep students and teachers safe should tragedy show up to their classroom doors.
In June 2022, New Haven County’s Saint Mary School, a Catholic school in Milford, became the first school in Connecticut to implement an app-based security system called SaferWatch.
With the push of a button right on their cell phones, teachers and staff can activate a silent panic alert system that sends real-time updates to 911 dispatchers and initiates a lockdown.
The app automatically provides dispatchers with key information like the caller’s name and address, saving critical time when every second counts, developers said. Users can also live stream video directly to police.
Every employee at Saint Mary School, including the janitor, has the app installed, meaning they can send an alert from anywhere, provided they have their phone with them.
Once an emergency has been reported, police can identify the person’s location and establish direct communication with them to provide updates on the ongoing situation.
Police departments also have the ability to tap into a school’s surveillance system, allowing them to see video in real time.
Deacon Dominic Corraro, Saint Mary School’s principal, told WFSB that testing showed alerts were received by the Milford Police Department’s dispatch center within seconds.
“The safety of all those in our Saint Mary community remains our top priority and I’m confident that the recent addition of the SaferWatch Mobile Panic Alert System will help provide an additional layer of security and comfort,” Corraro said in a statement.
The Saint Mary School, Rectory, and Parish are all utilizing the technology, he added.
SaferWatch creators Gene Roefaro and Shannon Donev said they came up with the idea for the platform following the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, in June 2016. Since then, it has been picked up by school districts and municipalities across the country.
“Our mission at SaferWatch is to empower people and ensure that they always have the necessary tools right at their fingertips to help keep them, their loved ones, and fellow community members safe,” Roefaro said.
“The implementation of the SaferWatch Mobile Panic Alert System at Saint Mary School and Parish does just that and provides a platform for real-time communication between staff and law enforcement when seconds count.
"I’d like to commend all those at Saint Mary for their leadership and commitment to enhancing the safety and security of the school and church community.”
The city of Uvalde, Texas, the scene of the Robb Elementary School shooting in May 2022, has since implemented the system as well, KSAT reports.
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