GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) — The Green Bay Area School District is making sure it’s students and staff are safe.
New security systems by Centegix were installed in all district buildings over the summer.
“Strobe lights are placed all over that are color-coded based on the situation,” said district chief operations officer Josh Patchak. “When we do our drills, wheather it’s a tornado drill or an intruder drill, each of those situations is associated with a different color that’s posted all over the school.”
The new system can also work with intercom systems. The previous security system relied solely on the intercom, which presented some challenges as students and staff in the cafeteria, music rooms, or other noisy areas were having trouble hearing the message.
Staff will be given badges that connect to the system. Those badges have a button that when pushed three times, security teams in the district receive a notification that the teacher needs help, and it also shares their location.
Patchak says the new system will also help collect safety-related data.
“It’s my hope that in late fall and early winter, we will be going back to the board with some of this data to show the value the system is providing, and showing we are using that data to possibly change the way we do things.”
The new system cost $1.8 million from the districts general fund.
