Our society entrusts the safety of our children to our educators. It is crucial we provide them with the necessary tools to protect our children in times of crisis. On September 4, 2024 we witnessed a tragedy at Apalachee High School, in Winder, Georgia where 4 innocent people were killed. Staff members used a panic button that is attached to their employee badge to alert authorities discretely and quickly. The technology is from an Atlanta based company called Centegix. The use of this technology, which includes features such as automatically locking down schools and alerting nearby police, proved invaluable and may have saved lives that day.

Nationally, school shootings result, on average, in nearly 30 deaths annually (Source: Center for Homeland Defense & Security). With increased law enforcement response time, the risk of casualties in these horrifying events can be drastically reduced. Teachers equipped with panic buttons on their badges could be instrumental in mitigating this risk.

Let us empower our educators and school staff. Let us equip each member with a Centegix badge, or similar technology that enables quick response times and automatic lockdown procedures. We ask our education boards, district leaders, and legislators to implement these safeguards.

Further, to ensure equity across the nation we ask that this be passed using a federal budget so that ALL faculty have access. Local decisions will leave gaps and this problem is too widespread. 

Please sign this petition to show your support for the safety of our children and the brave individuals who educate them.

More info: Teacher testimony about the technology