North Texas school districts are breaking new ground when it comes to active shooter safety.
The new technology, called Go-to-Green, will roll out to all Pilot Point ISD campuses starting Thursday.
Pilot Point ISD is the first school district in the country to use new technology to protect students and staff when this dire situation occurs.
“As an educator in today’s world, you go there in your head. You think, ‘What if? What if this becomes my reality, what if this becomes my reality and my classroom is full of Someone else’s kid, what do I do?’” asked Andie Clark, a writing teacher at Pilot Point Middle School.
The answer can now be found by looking it up.
“I don’t have to think about it anymore. I can go,” Clark said.
How does it work?
District Police Chief Brad Merritt explained how the gunfire activated acoustic sensors mounted on the ceiling that would light up and steer people away from attackers or tell them to stay in classrooms.
When a gunshot occurs, the sensor turns red or green. Red means you don’t want to go in that direction because a shooter has been detected. Green indicates a path to safety.
Red and blue strobe lights directed first responders to the shooter’s location, which was detected by cameras throughout campus, which then tracked their movements through vapor.
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“If someone is evil enough to come into a school and do this, they’ll find a way to do it,” Merritt said. “That’s where this system comes into play, because it reminds us immediately of what’s going on. .”
Between new technologies and arming some teachers, the district is taking every possible precaution to mitigate active shootings, Merritt said.
They’re precautions that reassure teachers like Clark, and training she hopes she never needs.
“It’s an amazing thing. I’m grateful for the technology, but I hope God bless me never having to see it in action,” Clark said.
The system can also evacuate people in emergency situations such as fire or severe weather.