Julie Song, President at Advanced RF Technologies (ADRF), responsible for overseeing all aspects of the company globally.
First responder communication technology in K-12 schools has gained momentum in both awareness and execution over the last decade due to a growing number of tragedies and school shootings. Much of this growth has been due to public outcry; however, sometimes there is legislation that acts as a catalyst to move the needle.
Alyssa’s Law, named after Alyssa Alhadeff, a 14-year-old student who was killed in the Parkland, Florida, school shooting, is one important example of this that is slowly sweeping the nation. Currently, Alyssa’s Law has been passed in New York, New Jersey, Florida, Tennessee, Texas and most recently Utah in March 2024. It is also proposed nationally and in Nebraska, Arizona, Michigan and many other states.
Alyssa’s Law mandates the installation of silent panic alarms in elementary and secondary schools, which can immediately alert law enforcement in the event of an emergency. These alarms are directly connected to local law enforcement agencies and are designed to provide a quick, discreet way for school staff to signal for help without alerting an intruder, enabling a faster police response and potentially saving lives.
Although the legislation is primarily about mandating the installation of alarms in schools, it is also a gateway to other related school safety advancements impacting the wireless industry.
How Tech Can Enable Better Public Safety Communication
While the core of the bill is unchanging, there are state-by-state variations in its implementation, some of which push Alyssa’s Law to include other school safety mechanisms. Utah’s bill (H.B. 84, School Safety Amendments, 5th Substitute) requires all new and existing public schools to have specific types of communication equipment, establish school resource officer training and have many other safety reporting measures and mandates.
As schools implement panic buttons on-premises, officials need to ensure police officers can communicate with each other once they get on-site. According to the Safer Building Coalition, less than half of K-12 schools sampled had adequate coverage for wireless connectivity. In fact, the Parkland shooting that led to the creation of Alyssa’s Law also had reports of communication issues with police radios that hindered response times. This means schools could be more likely to bolster their first responder communication on premises with emergency responder communication enhancement systems (ERCES).
Implementing ERCES in schools has not been mandatory on a national level. Designed to provide adequate connectivity for police officers, EMTs, firefighters and other first responders, ERCES propagate radio frequency (RF) for push-to-talk radio communication, which would otherwise be disrupted by man-made building materials like metal and concrete.
The deployment of ERCES in schools also incentivizes the investment of commercial in-building wireless systems, which can help support other school safety measures that rely on connectivity such as implementing AI-powered advanced surveillance cameras that can detect unusual behavior, unauthorized access or weapons. Cellular data can be the backbone for the use of automated emergency doors in a building in case of a crisis, and help improve geolocation capabilities so first responders can locate individuals better within a school environment to improve time to save lives.
While Alyssa’s Law will instantly impact safety, the ripple effect of it will be felt for years by encouraging the adoption of other comprehensive safety measures in the future. These enhancements are crucial in addressing the gaps exposed by past tragedies, where communication failures impeded a swift and coordinated response.
Julie Song
Julie Song, President at Advanced RF Technologies (ADRF), responsible for overseeing all aspects of the company globally. Read Julie Song's full executive profile here.