Twenty schools in New York’s Oneida and Rockland counties are participating in a pilot program that provides a direct link to police and other entities during emergencies.
The schools are using Mutualink’s IP-based communications platform to improve real-time communications and information sharing by bridging radio, video, telephone and public address/intercom systems. The company claims its system has cut emergency response time by as much as 50%.
The Mutualink K12 solution includes panic buttons that initiate emergency response, automatically engaging radio and video communications. Schools using the system maintain complete control over with whom they share video, audio and other information. All communications are encrypted for maximum security.
Oneida and Rockland counties will each have 10 county-designated schools outfitted with the system. The pilot program will be implemented later this month by the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services’ Office of Interoperable and Emergency Communications, in conjunction with each county’s sheriff’s office or emergency management office.
