The Knox City Police Department is working with Hamlet Police Chief Frank Lonigro in introducing a new app to school corporations for emergency purposes.
Chief Clint Norem told the Knox Board of Public Works members Wednesday morning that Chief Lonigro learned about this app in training and both of them are finding out more information on how to provide the app to the schools that will allow teachers to hit a panic button on their smart phone if there happens to be an emergency.
Oregon-Davis, Knox and North Judson-San Pierre schools will be receiving more information about this app in the near future and no further action has been decided.
If approved by school corporations, this app would be activated by the staff where officers would receive notice of an active shooter situation, medical need or other immediate crisis instantly. The app would alert all police officers that have the app. When the app is initiated, it will activate a map on each officer’s phone to show where the incident is occurring and to show what officers are responding to the scene.
Norem stated that this process is in its infancy and they’re looking at how to implement this at a reasonably inexpensive way to benefit schools. He added that the schools would need to be on board if the app can be devised. He will keep the board members up to date when new information is available.
For more information about the app, visit www.hero911.org.
