HARRISBURG (TNS) — Legislation requiring schools to consider installing silent panic alarms in classrooms that would be linked directly to law enforcement could provide another layer of protection for students and staff in educational settings, according to Pennsylvania lawmakers advocating for this safety feature.
The mother of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High school shooting victim Alyssa Alhadeff, who was one of the 17 students killed on Valentine’s Day 2018, came to the Pennsylvania Capitol on Monday to join with House members backing legislation named in memory of her daughter.
Lori Alhadeff said if Alyssa’s Law had been in place in Florida on the day the shooter came into the school, her daughter, who was shot eight times, and the other students might have been saved.
What does the bill do: It wouldn’t mandate schools to install panic alarms although its sponsor, Rep. Johnanny Cepeda-Freytiz, D-Berks County, said that could be the ultimate goal if funding could be found to help schools pay for them.
“I think it’s important that we start somewhere and this is a great start,” Cepeda-Freytix said.
Alhadeff said the systems cost between $2,000 and $8,000 per school per year to install and operate. She said it cost Florida $8 million.
What other states have this law: Pennsylvania would be the sixth state to adopt Alyssa’s Law following New Jersey, Florida, Texas, New York, and Tennessee. Alhadeff said New York leaves it optional for schools to install the panic alarms while the other states mandate them.
What people say: “Alyssa’s Law is a common sense layer of school safety protection,” Alhadeff said. “If there is a life-threatening emergency situation, whether it’s a medical emergency or an active shooter situation, we want to empower teachers to push a button and it’s directly linked to law enforcement so they can get there as quickly as possible. We know that time equals lives.”
She said the buttons have been used to get first responders to schools when medical emergencies arise.
“Our banks have had panic buttons forever. Our elderly has had their panic button they wear around their neck,” said Cepeda-Freytiz. “This should be a standard level of school safety protection in every school.”
Rep. Lisa Borowski, D-Delaware County, said some schools in her district have installed them. “Schools that have implemented these systems say it is proving to be a school safety game changer with both students and teachers reporting that they feel the silent alarms add an extra layer of protection,” she noted. “We must face the realities of going to school in America today and the reality includes the fact that the rate of school shootings is not going down.”
