Affigent, an IT solutions provider and VAR focused on the federal, state, and local governments, announced the launch of its pilot program with Calhoun County Schools in Alabama. The solution consists of a duress alarm system that helps to prepare and protect all staff, personnel, and first responders in the event of onsite incidents and emergencies, as well as evacuation monitoring. Spearheaded by Calhoun County Sheriff Larry Amerson, the program is part of President Obama's "Now is the Time" plan, which establishes US$150 million in grants to reduce gun violence and increase safety in schools across the nation.
Affigent, an IT solutions provider and VAR focused on the federal, state, and local governments, announced the launch of its pilot program with Calhoun County Schools in Alabama. The solution consists of a duress alarm system that helps to prepare and protect all staff, personnel, and first responders in the event of onsite incidents and emergencies, as well as evacuation monitoring. Spearheaded by Calhoun County Sheriff Larry Amerson, the program is part of President Obama's "Now is the Time" plan, which establishes US$150 million in grants to reduce gun violence and increase safety in schools across the nation.
"Ensuring the safety of our children and teachers at school is now among our highest priorities," said Amerson. "Finding technology solutions to enhance school safety is of critical importance, and we feel that partnering with Affigent is a major step in addressing this issue throughout our county's school system."
The news arrives on the heels of Affigent announcing new physical security capabilities to augment its security division. The program will draw on key components of Affigent's holistic physical and cybersecurity solution to create a comprehensive alarm and notification system across Calhoun County Schools. The solution will help schools stay up-to-date on all activities and communications to be better prepared and protected during times of emergency.
Calhoun County Schools will implement a school-wide safety alert system that integrates its existing security technology with a personal alert system to be worn or carried by school staff members at all times. In the event of an emergency, individuals in duress can trigger an instant alarm that enables law enforcement and security personnel to detect their location and monitor through video surveillance equipment in real-time. The tags also initiate instant notification to mobile phones, computers, two-way radios, and other communication devices via the school's directory.
To increase accountability and support investigative efforts, the system tracks and stores activity data for all personnel and can trigger alarms based on intruders, unauthorized removal of property and/or extreme changes in temperature, which could indicate a natural disaster. The solution will deploy across Calhoun County's existing wireless infrastructure to maximize cost-efficiency and ROI.
"Affigent launched its security division with the belief that true security requires controlling physical access, as well as managing and securing data," said Ken Grimsley, President, Affigent. "Our system is engineered to provide a repeatable solution and common operating procedure across US public and private schools, so this is just the beginning of what government, industry and communities can accomplish together."
The pilot program in Calhoun County is scheduled to launch at the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year, and will run through the fall term.