OHIO — Technology connected to schools is helping to protect thousands of students each year facing emergency situations.

What You Need To Know

  • 911 inform allows dispatchers to see where someone is in a building before the phone is connected to police
  • As details pop up for first responders, they can push one button and let themselves in to certain places In a building 
  • Schools can also be put on lockdown through the system
  • It also notifies everyone in the building and correct personnel that there's a medical emergency 

“911 Inform connects into a school’s technology, which includes all cameras, doors, paging systems, and phones,” said Ivo Allen, CEO of 911 Inform. “So whenever there’s an emergency, whether it be a 911 call made, or a panic button or any kind of triggering event, 911 Inform will bridge the caller with the police and all the school personnel in real time.”

He said the technology also allows dispatchers to see callers if they’re in view of any cameras, giving them the ability to track someone through a building. 

“Everybody’s throwing more software at schools, and it’s never used in an emergency. If you look at a typical medical emergency or active shooter event, it’s over in eight minutes,” said Allen.

Essentially, there’s no way for first responders to see or fully know what’s happening at a scene in real time. Seeing it as a broken system, Allen decided to do something about it. Now, it’s in schools across the country, including Ohio.

“We’re seeing about a 60% reduction in response time to emergencies,” said Allen. “If there’s a fight in the cafeteria, a fight at the football game or a mental health issue, people can go to a phone, dial a code or hit a button and trigger a mega medical emergency,” said Allen.