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AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas School for the Deaf is a big school with more than 40 buildings, and Superintendent Claire Bugen said it’s a lot to protest in an emergency situation.
Their workers are now using the Smart Button instant panic button mobile app to communicate with medics and law enforcement in an easier way.
“We sit right in the middle of urban Downtown Austin and there are things that happened along South Congress and our community,” said Bugen. “It will allow us to broadcast that communication with our administrative group.”
When teachers press the Smart Button for three seconds, it connects them to officials immediately. It cuts down response times compared to traditional 911 methods during a crisis situation. Employees can have a real-time chat with officials, as well.
The Texas House passed the school safety bill, or Senate Bill 11, after the 2018 Santa Fe High School shootings. It pushes schools to make thorough crisis plans, like this one.
