Galesburg District 205 will implement a new district-wide safety platform that could alert first responders to emergencies before a 911 call is even placed.
The school board on Monday approved a five-year, $307,500 agreement with Centegix, a school safety system that includes wearable crisis alert badges for staff, visitor management tools, and emergency response technology integrated directly with law enforcement dispatch systems.
Jennifer Hamm, assistant superintendent for finance and operations, said the Centegix system will reduce costs by replacing the district’s existing tardy kiosk and visitor management system.
“This is a system that is widely used through school districts and other public entities throughout the United States that allows for another layer of security in our safety and school management program,” Hamm said.
School board member Jake Taylor, who is an officer with the Galesburg Police Department, participated in a demonstration of the system before the board’s vote. He said if a staff member hits the button, the alert will be sent directly to the computer-aided dispatch screens in squad cars, fire trucks, and some ambulance tablets.
Taylor said that can make “a tremendous difference” in terms of response time.
The system will allow first responders to pinpoint the exact classroom or location of an emergency instead of responding only to a building or campus. It also includes outdoor geo-locator strobes for all athletic facilities and playgrounds.
“Yes, we're looking at it from like a school shooting standpoint, right? But also it can be used as something for like medical emergencies,” Taylor said. “Somebody's having a seizure. We can get to you with this system. It tells us exactly where we're at and we can have an ambulance on the way before that call is even placed to 911.”
Hamm said the platform also includes student reunification software tied to the district’s Skyward student information system to help safely release students to authorized adults during emergencies.
The agreement includes setup costs of $71,500 followed by annual fees of $47,200.
The system will be installed this summer and paid for through the district’s tort fund.
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