New law proposed in Illinois to improve school safety response times
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Multiple states have passed Alyssa’s Law and installed silent panic alarms in their schools
By MONICA SEALS
SPRINGFIELD — The day after the nation’s most recent deadly school shooting, an Illinois legislator has filed a measure, referred to as Alyssa’s Law, that would require schools to implement a mobile panic alert system capable of connecting directly to law enforcement.
In 2019, the Illinois State Board of Education reported 4,231 public schools across the state. Outfitting each school with a panic button at an estimated cost of $8,000 could amount to nearly $34 million.
The proposed measure, House Bill 5923, would require each public school district and charter school, beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, to have silent panic alarms installed that are directly linked to law enforcement, so that in case of any emergency, they can get on the scene as quickly as possible, take down a threat and triage any victims.
Regional Office of Education #13 Superintendent Matt Renaud said that it is still early in the legislative process, but notes that it would be hard to argue against having another tool in the toolbox to protect students.
“There’s a lot of work to do and a lot of conversations need to be held. But we can’t deny we must absolutely take steps to protect our kids,” said Renaud.
Named after a 14-year-old student, named Alyssa, killed in the 2018 shooting incident at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., Alyssa’s Law has been enacted in at least seven states in the U.S. and has been proposed in nearly a dozen others.
A mobile panic alert system similar to the one proposed in Illinois was used during a deadly school shooting this year in Georgia.
The suspect — a 14-year-old student at Apalachee High School — was encountered by three school resource officers and immediately surrendered.
According to authorities, all teachers at the school have an ID made by the safety technology company CENTEGIX that allows them to press a button to alert an “active situation.”
The button was pressed during the active shooting situation and the school resource officers began actively looking for the suspect.
Centralia Police Department Lt. Steve Whritenour said that he is in favor of such action.
“I think (that) this is a great idea. Any added tool to help keep kids (stay) safe is beneficial,” Whritenour responded.
The timeliness of the emergency message has been a concern voiced by some. Currently, most mobile panic alarm systems are designed to directly connect with law enforcement agencies, ensuring a rapid response to critical situations.
Centegix provides the state of Texas with the equipment and services used in their schools. The company released a report in January showing about 15,000 alerts sent within Texas schools, 98 percent were for everyday incidents related to health and behavioral emergencies. The report cites incidents of cardiac arrest and seizures on campus, where a panic button was used to quickly get help.
Centegix technology used in Texas and Florida schools includes wearable security badges that transmit a silent panic alarm directly to local law enforcement dispatch and 911 centers.
With Illinois’ proposed measure filed last week, multiple steps remain before public schools could see mobile panic alarms installed.
