A crisis alert system for teachers and staff is rolling out this school year in CUSD called Centegix. With district funding, every staff member in schools are provided with the new badges that give them a faster and easier way to get help in an emergency.
Centegix is an easy-to-use safety badge that teachers and staff wear at all times. The system alerts bluetooth devices attached to every classroom and hallway, and are activated when their buttons are tapped by staff.
“Every admin gets a notification on their phone that’s been triggered so we can communicate whether or not we need the police right away,” said Principal, Cina Abedzadeh.
Unfortunately, Centegix is not free but has been funded by the district. There was an initial cost for the installation, followed by a yearly cost for maintenance.
“All the first 61 sites were $1.5 million, and it’ll be about $500,000 each year after that for maintenance,” said Darrin Jindra, Executive Director of Safety and Student Services.
The bluetooth devices are able to pinpoint the exact location of where the badge was activated because the whole school is mapped out and it creates an efficient and smooth response to a situation.
These devices have a wide range that covers entire campuses from the parking lots, to the fields. If one beacon doesn’t pick it up, another one will.
“At SJHHS six administrators have it on their phone, our office manager, the front desk person, and our two student service administrative assistants have it…I would hope between the ten of us, someone can get that,” said Abedzadeh.
“We’re empowering the over 5,400 employees in our district to be eyes and ears out there to be able to ask for help if something seems off or an emergency happens on campus just with pushing a button,” said Jindra.
With recent national events concerning the safety of innocent people, many parents and school administrations have been concerned about the safety of their students. To fix this problem, CUSD sought to find a new safety system that would fit all of their schools.
“We conducted an extensive selection process, and Centigix provided the solution that was comprehensive, technologically driven, and easy to use,” said Superintendent, Chris Brown.
With this non-complicated additional safety system, any unexpected emergencies can and will be handled swiftly. The badge is a direct connection to 911 services and local public safety, so it ensures that schools have constant and quick access to help.
In a serious situation the police will be notified immediately and the entire school will be sent into a lock down.
In a situation that does not involve the police, admin will receive a notification and immediately respond to the situation. This eliminates the worry for every emergency not having enough resources or timing for help.
Even though every school in the district has or will implement Centegix, it does not mean that the rest of their safety precautions were discarded. Drills, security, and other forms of safe practices are kept at all times.
“It’s not the automatic go-to to take care of everything,” said Jindra.
“Centegix is just another layer of safety,” said Abedzadeh.
The new Centegix safety badge is overall meant to keep our campus safe, timely, and on top of all the safety precautions in all CUSD campuses.
