Installing panic buttons, connected to law enforcement, in every school of the country, is the goal of a bipartisan group of congressional members who are taking a commonsense school safety concept—that originated in New Jersey—and scaling it nationwide through federal legislation.
Originally sponsored by New Jersey Assemblyman Ralph Caputo and signed into law by N.J. Gov. Phil Murphy (D) this year, “Alyssa’s Law” requires that each public elementary and secondary school building in the state be equipped with at least one panic alarm for use in a school emergency, including active shooter situations. AFSA’s New Jersey affiliate endorsed this bill and worked hard for its passage.
Caputo first introduced the bill shortly after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, where 26 children and educators were killed, including the school principal and AFSA member Dawn Hochsprung. "The panic alarm gives people an opportunity to notify the police directly without exposing themselves. It’s not going to solve all the problems with guns, but it can save lives,” said Caputo.
This month, Reps. Roger Williams (R-Texas) and Ted Deutch (D-Fla.) introduced H.R. 3665, the School Violence Prevention and Mitigation Act of 2019, which would create a federal grant program for schools to conduct security risk assessments and harden schools, including requiring the installation of panic buttons for all schools receiving grants.
AFSA President Ernest Logan said “this bill represents the continuation of an important conversation about ensuring the safety of our students and our educators."
While AFSA has worked hard to increase funding for federal programs that support student mental health services and subsidize the hiring of more school counselors, psychologists and psychiatrists, we think securing school buildings with commonsense technology like panic alarms is an important part of the safety equation.
The School Violence Prevention and Mitigation Act is a step forward in protecting our schools and we look forward to working with its authors to refine its current language. In particular, we would like to see panic buttons fully funded in this bill as they are in the New Jersey law.
