Administrators across the country are preparing schools to reopen this fall, and they have a lot to consider in the wake of COVID-19. In order to best protect both students and staff, the CDC has presented a list of guidelines for schools to open safely and effectively. Many of these guidelines can be met and make for a smoother transition with the use of technology.

Communication portal

The CDC has recommended the use of a communication system for “staff and families [to] self-report to the school if they or their student have symptoms of COVID-19, a positive test for COVID-19, or were exposed to someone with COVID-19 within the last 14 days,” as well as for “Notifying staff, families, and the public of school closures and any restrictions in place to limit COVID-19 exposure.”

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A communication portal is an efficient and effective way to meet these recommendations and go beyond. With a communication portal, staff, parents, and students are provided a login to view important information directly from the school. Administrators can use this platform to share updates and news with students and their families, as well as educate parents on other CDC recommended information, such as when it’s appropriate that their children remain at home, how to teach students proper hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette, and to suggest the use of face coverings.

During an emergency situation, there is nothing more important than response time. A single minute can be the difference between help arriving on time versus too late. In fact, the average school shooting lasts 12.5 minutes, while the average police response time is 18 minutes. There is no time to waste when something goes awry, especially in a school.

Anyone who has worked in the education field can tell you that there is no such thing as a typical school day–whether it’s a burst pipe, student fight, an intruder, or an allergic reaction, no two days are ever the same and they rarely go according to plan. In these situations, teachers and staff should have a way to summon help quickly and easily, and a great tool for this is a panic button.

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Why panic buttons?

Panic buttons give teachers and other staff the ability to trigger a safety response plan with the simple press of a button, relieving a lot of stress and potential for mistakes during an emergency situation. For instance, if a teacher sees a suspicious person in their school, they shouldn’t have to spend time trying to figure out what they should do. Instead, there should be set protocol for them to use their panic button to alert people of the situation immediately. This ensures that every second is being optimally utilized and that emergency help is alerted in real-time.