(photo of Pike County School Board, Sheriff Jeremy Britton, Chief Deputy Kent Johnson and Exec. Dir. of the ISA Steve Luce)
As the nation continues to mourn, and talk and debate school safety in light of recent events, a new standard in school safety was approved by the Pike County School Corporation on Friday. The school board voted to implement what’s known as the “Best Practice Solution” to protect against threats and active shooters.
Southwestern Schools in Shelby County was the first in the nation to be networked to local E-911 for instant alert and the capability for remote countermeasures and is the Indiana Sheriff’s Association’s Flagship School for the changes. Pike County will do the same, however, Pike County will be the first to fully implement all of the new practices which are part of Indiana Public Law 27 signed by then Governor Mike Pence in 2016 and defined by the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. Indiana Sheriff’s Association Executive Director Steve Luce was at a special meeting Friday in Petersburg to endorse and promote the “Best Practice Solution”. He calls the system a whole process of school safety…
The system includes new video technology and much more and also calls for every school in the district to have an onsite School Resource Officer at all times. That’s something that Pike County Chief Deputy Kent Johnson says is the best way to increase response time in an emergency…
A company called NetTalon will install the components for the new system. It will be paid for through a lease with Mosaic International Corporation. The price tag according to School Board President Chris Satterfield is over $700,000. He says the corporation can handle the cost and will make yearly payments for five years. The corporation is also looking for other funding options and grants.
School Board member Chris McKinney says it was a great day for the school corporation and community.
The plan is have the first phase of the system up and running by the start of the next school year in August.
School Board President Chris Satterfield’s unedited comments on funding of the program….
Here is the full un-edited audio of the meeting…