With the release of v7.5, Bicom Systems is becoming compliant with Alyssa’s Law, a U.S. legislation aimed at improving law enforcement response and subsequent threat resolution times in public schools during life-threatening situations.
Its goal is to save lives and minimize casualties, and our goal is to make implementing the systems required to support it quick, easy, and affordable.
What Exactly Is Alyssa’s Law?
Alyssa’s Law is a critical legislation that addresses the issue of law enforcement response time during life-threatening emergencies by striving to improve it. It was first adopted in the state of New Jersey in February, 2019 and has since been adopted by a number of states across the nation (currently 6) with more states working toward getting the law passed and put into effect.
In simpler terms, Alyssa’s Law states that all public elementary and secondary schools are required to have a silent panic alarm connected directly to law enforcement.
The law itself was proposed by Lori Alhadeff, mother of Alyssa Alhadeff who was one of the victims of the Parkland school shooting of 2018 in Florida.
This was done in an effort to try and minimize and, ideally, prevent, any further needless loss of life in places of public education, especially young life, an ongoing problem in the States.
While it was initially met with pushback with claims that such a reform would be too costly on existing budgets, it has proven, through practice, that the pros far outweighed the financial cons.
The Importance Of Alyssa’s Law
As stated earlier, the main goal of Alyssa’s Law is to either prevent, or at the very least, minimize casualties during life-threatening events in public schools, however, the goal is much broader than that:
Improving Law Enforcement Response Times
A second can be the difference between life and death in extreme situations, and Alyssa’s Law aims to allow them to skip the line of a standard 911 call, expediting law enforcement response times.
We at Bicom Systems recognized this and have enabled our PBX system, PBXware, with v7.5 onward, to utilize tools compliant with Alyssa’s Law in order to provide a cost effective solution for Public Schools that adheres to the requirements imposed by the Law in question, helping further combat any potential pushback on the financial front.
It does so by utilizing a device that, once activated, triggers a pre-configured call and plays a recorded message on the other end, ensuring that the alert is clear and to the point, allowing emergency services to act quickly and appropriately.
Maintaining Communication Clarity
During life-threatening situations, it’s not uncommon for people to act panicked and irrational, which can lead to needless delays in law enforcement reaction due to a delay in information.
Additionally, the people in danger may not have access to a communications device at all times which can also delay or entirely prevent law enforcement from being informed on time.
However, the devices installed that comply with Alyssa’s Law aim to eliminate these factors entirely by having them pre-installed at public schools and always connected to law enforcement, regardless of circumstance.
The tools that PBXware provide aim to do this as well, utilizing clear and concise messaging to adequately alert emergency services with the alert alone and by always providing access to the device, regardless of emergency.
This is done with the help of the CyberData SIP Call Button which is now integrated with PBXware, enhancing emergency response capabilities and ensuring compliance with Alyssa’s Law.
Enhancing Overall School Safety Infrastructure
Alyssa’s Law sets a precedent for a more modern level of safety infrastructure in schools, showcasing the flaws in existing safety protocols with the hopes that more legislations follow suit in order to provide a safer environment for children and educators alike to both learn and work in.
Building A Less Stressful Environment For Everyone
With all of these safety measures in place, parents, students and school staff alike can breathe easier knowing that the schools are well equipped to handle any life-threatening situations should it ever come to one.
Securing A Safer And Brighter Future For The Next Generation
Ultimately, the goal of Alyssa’s Law is to emphasize the sense of urgency during these life-threatening situations when they occur, to expedite law enforcement response time, to introduce clear accountability for every party involved, and to, hopefully, prevent these events in the future through its sheer presence.
Bicom Systems supports the safety of American youth and is ready to provide the tools necessary to make Alyssa’s Law take effect across the country as a whole in due time. Let’s work towards a brighter and safer future, together.