METAMORA, Ohio (WTVG) – It’s a growing digital tool to increase school safety, and it’s being used at a school district in Northwest Ohio.
Not only does the technology cut down on response time, but first responders say it also allows them to be proactive and preventative, not just reactive to emergency situations.
The name of the tool is 911inform. The technology works directly with school leaders and public safety officials to increase communication in emergency situations.
“It’s the crystal ball now for first responders,” said Shannon Torres, the customer success manager for 911inform.
Torres is a retired police chief who has first-hand experience with the technology.
“We had this system, I used it as a chief,” Torres said.
The former police chief said it was a game-changer for her department. First responders can have a presence at the school before even setting foot on campus.
Using 911inform, they can tap into existing technology at the school, like cameras and door locks.
Torres said the access is not 24/7. It only gets triggered when a 911 call is made.
“So when that event happens, it gives first responders the ability to lock down all the doors with one push of a button, you can open the doors with one push of a button,” Torres said. “It gives you the best route to take to get to the emergency.”
She said it helps clear up communication between dispatchers, school officials, the person making the 911 call, and first responders.
Torres said she’s seen how the technology shifts the response from reactive to proactive and even preventative.
Evergreen Local School District officials in Fulton County were awarded $300,000 in state safety grants, and they put the money towards installing the 911inform security system.
Last school year, they showed 13 Action News how the system works.
Sirens and lights guide students and staff on what is happening. An interactive digital map pinpoints where the emergency is and where emergency tools like an AED are located. A secure messaging system increases communication.
“Visual, audio, interactive, I mean, it gives schools so many ways to alert and guide staff and students in that emergency and still communicate with first responders,” Torres said.
It adds an extra layer of safety to the school year.
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This article was published by WTVG on 2025-09-03 23:15:00
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