Many US states have passed versions of Alyssa’s Law. This critical legislation aims to reduce law enforcement response time when life-threatening emergencies occur on school campuses. Schools can comply with Alyssa’s Law by utilizing a school alert system featuring a silent wearable panic button directly linked to law enforcement.
Alyssa’s Law
Alyssa Alhadeff’s parents named Alyssa’s Law in honor of her after she was killed in the February 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Her parents founded Make Our Schools Safe, which aims to “empower students and staff to help create and maintain a culture of safety and vigilance in a secure school environment.” The organization partners with communities and lawmakers to advocate for school safety legislation nationwide.
Florida, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah have adopted versions of Alyssa’s Law. Other states, including Michigan, are working to pass Alyssa’s Law legislation requiring wearable panic buttons or similar technology.
Michigan House Bill 4241
Michigan House Representative Brenda Carter introduced HB 4241 in March 2023. Rep. Carter described the purpose of the bill: “The panic alarm system in each school can help save precious seconds and quite possibly, save lives in an emergency situation, including an active shooting.”
HB 4241 requires that every Michigan school must install a panic alarm for use in the event of a school security emergency, including:
- non-fire evacuations
- lockdowns
- active shooter scenarios
Panic alarms must be “directly linked to the local law enforcement agency designated as a first responder for the school building.” They must also be capable of transmitting a signal or message to the agency immediately upon activation. These requirements apply to Michigan public schools (including school buildings operated by school districts, intermediate school districts, and public school academies).
HB 4241 defines a panic alarm as “a silent security system signal generated by the manual activation, either virtually from a phone or computer system or nonvirtually, of a device or an alternative mechanism intended to communicate to law enforcement life-threatening or emergency situations that require a response from law enforcement.”
Throughout Michigan, school districts are endorsing and implementing panic alert systems to nurture a culture of safety. Many educators agree with Representative Carter that “a child shouldn’t be afraid to go to school.”
In November 2024, the Wayne County Commission unanimously resolved to urge the Michigan Legislature to adopt Alyssa’s Law. Implementing school alert systems will be particularly significant in Detroit’s schools, where incidents of violence and safety threats make reliable, life-saving technology a critical necessity. Many of Detroit’s students come from neighborhoods grappling with poverty and systemic inequities. Giving school staff the tools for rapid emergency response empowers them to serve their students and communities more effectively and to save critical seconds when students and educators are in danger.
Michigan Schools Use CrisisAlert Wearable Panic Buttons to Increase Safety and Achieve Compliance
Michigan schools can prepare to comply with Alyssa’s Law requirements by implementing school safety solutions that include wearable panic buttons that integrate with local first responder agencies. The CENTEGIX Safety Platform™ performs precisely these functions. The school alert system currently aids schools nationwide in complying with Alyssa’s Law. In everyday and extreme emergencies, CENTEGIX school safety solutions enable school staff to request immediate help and reduce emergency response times.
The Hazel Park School District in Hazel Park, Michigan, implemented the CENTEGIX Safety Platform to help create a culture of safety. According to Dr. Amy Kruppe, the district’s Superintendent, the district purchased the Safety Platform because “we wanted to get the biggest safety bang for our buck.”
CrisisAlert wearable panic buttons have positively impacted staff burnout. Dr. Kruppe states, “All of us know that teacher burnout added to school safety alerts are making our teachers and staff fearful to be in schools. The ability to have the CrisisAlert system helps our staff know that someone is going to be there immediately.” A sense of safety contributes to staff members’ job satisfaction and decision to continue their essential work. Says Kruppe: “We want our staff to feel safe and secure in our buildings.”
Jim Fish, Superintendent at North Branch Area Schools says, “I ask for the data every three or four months, and I look at it and I see, ‘okay, [is it mainly] medical emergencies or are we using it for mostly teacher issues with student behaviors or what is it? Why? How are we using this mainly? I’m glad to say we’ve never used it for an intruder and we hope we never do. But that, again, is to me one of the reasons why we wanted it. It’s insurance. I hope it never happens. But in the meantime, how can I utilize this platform on an everyday basis? And that’s what we’ve been able to do. That to me has been huge.”
Administrators also highlight how CENTEGIX facilitates rapid communication. “We’re very excited about all the different possibilities that CENTEGIX provides us, more than just the active shooter part of it. We use it almost every day—if a teacher has an issue with a student or there’s a medical emergency. We don’t have to worry about getting to a phone and calling the office and trying to page someone. [With the badge], we just react automatically and it saves on time. It’s been very helpful,” says Mark Hiltunen, Principal of North Branch High School.
“We love it. It’s such a great product. There are not too many things that are easy anymore, especially in education, and this is an easy one,” says Thomas McKee, Superintendent of Rudyard Area Schools.
CrisisAlert™
When a staff member initiates an alert with their CrisisAlert wearable panic button, emergency response protocols go immediately into effect, and the system contacts law enforcement. Because every second matters in an emergency, this instant communication helps improve outcomes.
CrisisAlert:
- Uses strobes, desktop screen take-overs, and intercom announcements to issue campus-wide communication
- Enables direct communication with first responders by integrating with public safety answering point infrastructure
- Supports coordination among first responder agencies in real time
- Empowers effective decision-making by providing critical information to designated school personnel in real time
- Assists first responders by instantly transmitting essential information such as floor plans and alert location
- Prevents further escalation of ongoing safety incidents by enabling staff to request help discreetly
- Runs on private, installed networks that don’t rely on Wi-Fi or cellular service to provide full campus coverage, indoors and outdoors
Safety Blueprint™
CENTEGIX Safety Blueprint is a critical incident response mapping solution that helps districts comply with Alyssa’s Law. Safety Blueprint provides the real-time data first responders need to respond effectively to emergencies. Critical incident mapping technology creates situational awareness that can accelerate law enforcement and medical team responses.
Safety Blueprint helps schools reduce response times by:
- Providing precise locations of alerts and safety assets, including automatic defibrillator devices (AEDs), first aid kits, fire alarms, fire extinguishers, and other emergency equipment
- Showing evacuation routes
- Providing visual data about a school’s entire campus and facilities
- Eliminating information delays during emergency response by making critical data available in real time
Incident Activated Video
Incident Activated Video is an additional CrisisAlert feature that transmits real-time video of ongoing emergencies. Incident Activated Video:
- Automatically selects the cameras nearest the location of an alert, giving responders a real-time view of an incident so they can assess the severity and respond accordingly
- Elevates situational awareness by allowing dispatchers to direct first responders on where to go and what equipment to bring
- Improves coordination and communication among responders so teams can synchronize their efforts
How Can Michigan Schools Comply with Alyssa’s Law Requirements?
CENTEGIX school safety solutions facilitate rapid emergency response. Schools seeking to comply with Alyssa’s Law in Michigan when it passes are turning to CENTEGIX technology. The CENTEGIX Safety Platform is the foundation of a school’s multilayered safety plan, helping to protect staff and students by establishing direct communication with first responders.
Request a demo today to learn more about how the CENTEGIX Safety Platform and CrisisAlert accelerate emergency response and make Michigan’s schools safer.
