More misinformation in Uvalde

[ktgrok]

46 minutes ago, Harriet Vane said:

Foster care is similar. Most people who are "officials" in the system do not want children aware of their rights or aware of really anything going on. It is horrifying and heartbreaking.

I'm not surprised - I considered fostering but realized I likely would not survive it. Or would end up in jail. 

[katilac]

3 hours ago, Baseballandhockey said:

Why would an app be better?

A principal will have their phone with them far more often than they will be in quick reach of the intercom system. 

An emergency app alerts people both on and off of the campus. 

2 hours ago, Baseballandhockey said:

How do the kids know if their phone is off or out of battery, or they're like many of my students who can't read?  How do parents in the building know?  
 

It's a matter of planning for the best scenario, because you can never cover all of the bases. The deaf students won't hear the intercom, for example, and the intercom won't notify anyone off campus.

I know nothing about the particular app in question, but both of my kids' colleges had emergency alert apps. They are one layer of protection, not the only layer of protection, but they were great for providing specifics and updates.

Luckily, most alerts were for weather dangers and such, but one of the campuses did have a 'gun on campus' alert once, when the city police chased a stolen car to the edge of campus, and the thief jumped out of the car and onto campus with a gun {that he apparently then dumped into at trash can as quickly as possible}. It was good to know that the alerts did go out in a potential situation, that they went out quickly, and that very specific updates were provided. 

The article referenced a report, so I clicked through and skimmed that article a bit. According to the report, the app is part of their official emergency alert system, and the principal did set it off. Not everyone got it, but how is that the principal's fault? If she was not in a room where she could use the intercom system, I wouldn't expect her to move locations in an active shooter situation when she had already set off the official emergency alert system. I will be interested to see whether using the intercom in addition to the emergency alert system was protocol, and, if so, under what conditions. 

The click-through article also referenced the report as stating that some staff who did get the alert did not respond quickly, because the school had 47 alerts from February to the May 24 shooting, either 'secure' or 'lockdown' alerts. That's an alert every 2-3 days!

90% of the alerts were from what they call bailouts: police chase cars bc they suspect undocumented immigrants are inside, the drivers intentionally crash the car and go off in different directions. Nothing has ever happened at the school due to a bailout. 

So, yeah, this was a cluster all around, but it annoys the hell out of me when the report (or the article referencing the report) tries to place the actions of civilians on a par with those of trained, armed, and armored law enforcement officers. The principal did not use the intercom, but she did use the sanctioned emergency alert system. Some staff didn't take the alert seriously at first, but they had heard false alarms every 2-3 days for months. Some teachers did prop doors open, but that had no bearing on the outcome that day. 

The level of responsibility and competency teachers and coaches and admins should have for school shooter situations is such an insane conversation to be having. When proposed solutions are for primary schools to mimic medium-security prisons, we have lost the point entirely. 

[Drama Llama]

It doesn't surprise me that the principal is getting targeted for this.  They tried targeting teachers.  They tried the janitor.  They've talked about the doors and the intercom.  They desperately want it to stick to someone besides the police and something besides the guns.  

 

[TexasProud]

30 minutes ago, Baseballandhockey said:

It doesn't surprise me that the principal is getting targeted for this.  They tried targeting teachers.  They tried the janitor.  They've talked about the doors and the intercom.  They desperately want it to stick to someone besides the police and something besides the guns.  

 

Yep.

[Tree Frog]

8 hours ago, katilac said:

A principal will have their phone with them far more often than they will be in quick reach of the intercom system. 

An emergency app alerts people both on and off of the campus. 

It's a matter of planning for the best scenario, because you can never cover all of the bases. The deaf students won't hear the intercom, for example, and the intercom won't notify anyone off campus.

I know nothing about the particular app in question, but both of my kids' colleges had emergency alert apps. They are one layer of protection, not the only layer of protection, but they were great for providing specifics and updates.

Luckily, most alerts were for weather dangers and such, but one of the campuses did have a 'gun on campus' alert once, when the city police chased a stolen car to the edge of campus, and the thief jumped out of the car and onto campus with a gun {that he apparently then dumped into at trash can as quickly as possible}. It was good to know that the alerts did go out in a potential situation, that they went out quickly, and that very specific updates were provided. 

The article referenced a report, so I clicked through and skimmed that article a bit. According to the report, the app is part of their official emergency alert system, and the principal did set it off. Not everyone got it, but how is that the principal's fault? If she was not in a room where she could use the intercom system, I wouldn't expect her to move locations in an active shooter situation when she had already set off the official emergency alert system. I will be interested to see whether using the intercom in addition to the emergency alert system was protocol, and, if so, under what conditions. 

The click-through article also referenced the report as stating that some staff who did get the alert did not respond quickly, because the school had 47 alerts from February to the May 24 shooting, either 'secure' or 'lockdown' alerts. That's an alert every 2-3 days!

90% of the alerts were from what they call bailouts: police chase cars bc they suspect undocumented immigrants are inside, the drivers intentionally crash the car and go off in different directions. Nothing has ever happened at the school due to a bailout. 

So, yeah, this was a cluster all around, but it annoys the hell out of me when the report (or the article referencing the report) tries to place the actions of civilians on a par with those of trained, armed, and armored law enforcement officers. The principal did not use the intercom, but she did use the sanctioned emergency alert system. Some staff didn't take the alert seriously at first, but they had heard false alarms every 2-3 days for months. Some teachers did prop doors open, but that had no bearing on the outcome that day. 

The level of responsibility and competency teachers and coaches and admins should have for school shooter situations is such an insane conversation to be having. When proposed solutions are for primary schools to mimic medium-security prisons, we have lost the point entirely. 

I understand and agree with using the app. However, as a substitute teacher who is specifically told by the school district that I shouldn't be using my phone at all while at school and who likely wouldn't be on an app, it scares me. I could hear and immediately react to something over the intercom, but I would otherwise be relying on other teachers to notify me, teachers who would be trying to contain their own class and might not be able to call me on the classroom phone immediately. (I do use my phone during the day and have been figuring out how to have it on me way all times. I have many long term jobs and info is passed via text frequently.)

[Bootsie]

10 hours ago, katilac said:

A principal will have their phone with them far more often than they will be in quick reach of the intercom system. 

An emergency app alerts people both on and off of the campus. 

It's a matter of planning for the best scenario, because you can never cover all of the bases. The deaf students won't hear the intercom, for example, and the intercom won't notify anyone off campus.

I know nothing about the particular app in question, but both of my kids' colleges had emergency alert apps. They are one layer of protection, not the only layer of protection, but they were great for providing specifics and updates.

 

My university has an app system that is COORDINATED with a PA emergency system that has prerecorded announcements and emergency lights.  I do not know the logistics of how it is set off, but it does not require a person to make a voice announcement from a particular location or to type out a text.  

Emergency protocols are that if there is an active shooter we hide and TURN OFF our phone so that any sound, light, or vibration from the phone does not alert the shooter of our presence.  Updates over the PA system of the location of the issue does not give the shooter any additional information (the shooter knows the shooter's location); providing updates via a cell phone someone is carrying may give the shooter more information.  Classroom doors automatically lock remotely when the system goes off--but not office doors or conference room doors.