School district implements high-tech security system

By Ann Powers
Editor

MINERAL WELLS – Mineral Wells ISD has added a two-fold layer of security giving first responders a 360-degree view of school rooms, and a second-by-second accountability of students and staff during crisis situations.

It’s called Navigate360 Emergency Management Suite. It’s one of nine Navigate360 wellness, preparedness, intervention and prevention platforms the district started implementing last year amid the growing epidemic of violence and school shooters on campuses nationwide.   

“Students are why we’re here,” said Mineral Wells ISD Assistant Superintended David Tarver. “There’s nothing more important in what we do than taking a family’s child and protecting them. We have to ensure their safety and wellbeing before we can do anything else.”

The Naivigate360 team built electronic floorplans of every building in the district. Next, specialized photographers took 360-degree photos of each room creating a kind of virtual reality tour of the schools. A 360-degree photo is a controllable panoramic image that simulates being in an area and looking around to the left, right, up and down.

This information, along with the district’s emergency operation plan and established drills, is provided to first responders when a crisis alert is activated. That way if there’s a major emergency where police, SWAT, the fire department or EMS is called in they can access that information and see where everything is – doors, stairs, furniture, equipment, utility cut-off switches and more.

“They can plan their entrance, what they’re looking for and where their concern spots are going to be,” explained Tarver.

Palo Pinto County Sheriff Brett McGuire agreed. 

“It’s great,” McGuire said. “Anything that give us an edge and lets us know what we’re going to navigate before we get there.”

The platform’s second benefit is accounting for people in real time during an urgent situation. With this program teachers are able to mark themselves and students safe, unsafe or absent. That data is communicated to emergency personnel letting them know where priorities are if anyone is designated unsafe or unaccounted.

“It gives first responders an area of focus going into a building.” said Tarver.

Mineral Wells Fire Chief Ryan Dunn said it gives fire and EMS personnel a considerable advantage in getting people to safety and medically treated quickly. It also allows them to better assess what kind of additional assistance may be needed from first responders of neighboring counties and agencies.

“It’s very helpful instead of going in there blind,” he said. “It’s good to know the resources you’re needing based on the number of people involved.”

Other Navigate360 products the district is utilizing address behavioral threat assessments, social-emotional learning, visitor management, anonymous tip reporting, safety and security audits, active shooter response training and personal safety.

Gov. Greg Abbott has taken measures to improve school safety in the wake of the May 25 shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas where a lone gunman killed 19 children and two adults. It is the deadliest school shooting in Texas history.  

Earlier this month, Abbott and the Texas Department of Public Safety launched a public service announcement to promote awareness of the iWatchTexas community reporting system as teachers, students and school faculty statewide return to campuses.

The PSA began airing on television Aug. 17 and features “Walker, Texas Ranger” Chuck Norris. iWatchTexas is a partnership between communities and law enforcement that makes it easier for the public to report any kind of suspicious activity, including school safety dangers.

“There is nothing more important than keeping our schools and communities safe,” Abbott stated in an Aug. 16 press release. “We ask Texans to utilize iWatchTexas to report nearby suspicious activity to help our law enforcement quickly and effectively respond to any criminal, terroristic or school safety threats. If you see something, say something and together we can protect our children, teachers and communities.”