BANGOR, Maine — A school shooting in Georgia earlier this month claimed the lives of four people and injured nine others. That incident is sparking ongoing concerns around safety in schools.
But law enforcement officials credit an emergency alert system used at the school with helping save more lives from being lost during the shooting.
That same emergency alert badge, CENTEGIX CrisisAlert, is used at all schools in Bangor's public school system.
“It's really a peace of mind," Superintendent Marie Robinson said.
Peace of mind knowing that help is just moments away if an emergency were to happen.
"Knowing that regardless of where I am, I will be alerted, and that we can ensure the safety with the rapid response of this system,” Ray Phinney, director of community outreach and safety, said.
Teachers wear badges that function as mobile panic buttons. In the event of an emergency, a press of the button can alert help right away.
“Every time something happens of this magnitude across the country, people like me who are in charge of safety, we learn from those instances,” Phinney said.
According to Phinney, Bangor and Yarmouth are the only two school districts in Maine that have the crisis alert system.
“If something does occur, we are really in a great position to protect people,” Robinson said.
School officials said the system was used 108 times from August 2023 to August 2024. Of that number, 44 were drills, and the others were routine practices, medical responses, or due to safety concerns.
The crisis alert system is connected to the Bangor Police Department.
“That communication, without me having to call them, is super important," Phinney said. "It saves lives with time."
District leaders have said they would recommend the system to other school departments around Maine.
“This system has made a big change in our school culture. It allows staff to get immediate response,” Phinney said. “It allows staff to feel supported at all times.”
Phinney said that response times have been as little as 30 seconds in the year and a half of using the system for various medical and safety issues.