Walker County Schools will conduct a lockdown drill during Fall Break to review the integration of new technology designed to enhance student safety and improve response times for law enforcement dispatched to schools.
The drill will take place at Saddle Ridge Elementary / Middle School during a teacher’s in-service day on Oct.
15. Staff from all county schools, the Walker County Sheriff’s Office, Walker County Emergency Management and E-911 Center will be part of the exercise.
Walker County Schools recently invested state school safety funds to enhance its Incident Management System. The improvements will result in Walker County becoming the first school system in the state to fully integrate dynamic mapping of each school, push button intercom notifications and closed circuit cameras with the county’s E-911 Center.
In the event of a crisis on a school campus, E-911 dispatchers will be instantly alerted when a lockdown occurs. Dispatcher will then be able to access real-time information at the school to relay accurate, firsthand visuals to officers. This will save emergency responders valuable time, while also letting them know what kind of situation they are walking into.
Walker County Schools partnered with South Western Communications on the technological enhancements to the school system’s Incident Management System.