A bill to enhance school emergency response communications systems passed in April by the state Senate was inspired by the very people it seeks to protect – school students.
In late 2024, two students from Westport’s Staples High School, Elijah Falkenstein and Zander Bauer, contacted their legislator, Sen. Ceci Maher, D-Wilton, after learning about a communications system installed in a Georgia high school that allowed for rapid response during a school shooting. The students led the MOSS program at Staples, “Make Our Schools Safe.”
Maher said that outreach led to Senate Bill 1216, which now heads to the House for further consideration, following its unanimous approval by the Senate.
“Connecticut continues to work to make our schools and children safer, and allowing for installation of these safety systems – which have already been proven to quicken emergency responses in worst-case scenarios –will serve as a strong additional resource for pinpoint accuracy and immediate notification if something goes awry during the school day,” Maher said.
Senate President Martin Looney, D-New Haven, called the legislation a “thoughtful, student-driven approach to school safety.
“This legislation is a testament to what’s possible when young people engage with their government to bring about meaningful change,” Looney said. “By allowing schools to implement advanced emergency response systems, we are giving educators and first responders the tools they need to act quickly and decisively in moments of crisis.”
The shooting, which took place in Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia in September saw the deaths of four people. However, the shooting could have been significantly more deadly if not for the activation of the school’s emergency response system.
That system allowed teachers to activate a lockdown and contact police immediately upon first noticing shots were fired, and police were on site within two minutes and had the suspect in custody within six minutes of being notified. Law enforcement officials said at the time that the system likely saved lives.
Senate Bill 1216 would expand the state’s school security infrastructure grant program to allow for purchase of systems like the one used at Apalachee High School. These systems digitally map a school campus and allow teachers to carry either physical panic buttons or a panic button app on their phones, which they can activate in the event of an emergency.
The state’s security grant program has an unallocated bond balance of $20 million which could fund a number of system installations. The systems also have multiple levels of application; for less immediate issues, school faculty could trigger an alert that stays within the school and does not reach first responders.
Sen. Saud Anwar, co-chair of the Public Health Committee, called the proposal another step toward protecting Connecticut students.
“Thirteen years have passed since the horrors of Sandy Hook, and we can always do more to protect and prevent further violence in our schools,” Anwar said. “This bill expands security resources available to school communities, including the installation of these systems that allow for immediate emergency response in time-sensitive situations.”
