Advancing School Safety with Alyssa's Law in West Virginia

Ensuring the safety of educational institutions remains a paramount concern across the nation, prompting states to implement measures for swift emergency response during crises. West Virginia is the latest state to propose the adoption of wearable panic alert systems in schools through House Bill 2394. If passed, West Virginia will become the eighth state to enact Alyssa’s Law.

This new legislation comes on the heels of a series of threats directed at schools throughout the state, which led to the FBI’s involvement in September of last year. Fortunately, law enforcement officials swiftly detained the individuals responsible for the threats, preventing any harm. This initiative clearly responds to the fears generated by those incidents and demonstrates a commitment to improve crisis management in districts statewide.

Understanding House Bill 2394: What Schools Need to Know

Requirements for Compliance

House Bill 2394 mandates the adoption of a wearable panic alert system within all educational institutions throughout the state of West Virginia. Each county school board is required to provide the following for every school within their jurisdiction in order to meet compliance.

• Implement a system that is capable of transmitting 9-1-1 calls and mobile activations directly to local emergency responders while concurrently initiating a campus-wide lockdown notification in the event of a crisis.
• Equip each staff member with a wearable panic button to facilitate immediate emergency alerts.
• Provide annual training prior to the commencement of the academic year to ensure that all personnel are adequately informed about the functionality of the system and the protocols for its use.
• Ensure that all security-related data, including surveillance camera feeds, site maps, and access controls, is accessible to local law enforcement agencies.

While the bill outlines clear responsibilities, specific penalties for non-compliance have not been explicitly detailed.

Timeline for Compliance

The West Virginia State Board of Education, in collaboration with the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, must establish a legislative rule by December 31, 2025, to implement the new system. At this time, it is unclear when school boards will be required to implement the new system.

Other States That Have Passed Alyssa’s Law

Several states have enacted Alyssa’s Law to enhance safety measures within educational institutions. New Jersey started this movement in February 2019, followed by Florida in 2020 and New York in 2022. Subsequently, Texas and Tennessee implemented similar laws in 2023, while Utah enacted its legislation in April 2024, with Oklahoma following in June 2024. Although these statutes differ among states, they generally require the installation of silent panic alarms or equivalent safety systems to enhance emergency response capabilities.

How 911Cellular Can Help Schools Achieve Alyssa’s Law Compliance in West Virginia

At 911Cellular, we specialize in emergency communication solutions designed to significantly reduce response times, streamline emergency communications and improve critical incident response efficiency and outcomes. Our solutions have been deployed in schools nationwide, helping them meet and exceed Alyssa’s Law requirements.

BadgeR+ Wearable Panic Button

Our BadgeR+ wearable panic button is a WiFi-compatible solution that offers:

• Customizable single, double and triple touch activation for immediate emergency alerts sent to the appropriate response teams.
• Directly notify 9-1-1 centers and first responders.
• Location-based tracking to ensure responders reach the right area quickly.

911Cellular Portal and Dispatcher App

Our comprehensive Portal and Dispatcher App ensures that schools can effectively manage emergencies by:

• Providing real-time situational awareness through integration of existing security tools.
• Enabling seamless coordination between internal and external emergency responders.

Spark Alert Relay

Automate building procedures as soon as a panic alarm is triggered with our Spark Alert Relay hardware. Here’s how Spark works:

• Active Cloud Monitoring: Spark constantly monitors the cloud for predetermined key commands that indicate the need for a response.
• Panic Alarm Activation: Immediately following the activation of a panic button, Spark recognizes that one of the keywords indicating the need for a response is associated with the incident.
• Trigger Response Protocols: Upon recognizing the keyword, Spark activates the corresponding safety hardware, such as sirens, strobes, PA announcements and building lockdowns.
• Safety Measures: Devices remain active for a pre-set duration or until a designated individual manually deactivates them.

This system ensures that essential safety measures are implemented within seconds of a panic button activation, drastically reducing response time and mitigating potential harm in an emergency.

Additional Safety Tools

While these tools are not mentioned in the current draft of West Virginia’s Alyssa’s Law legislation, they can be paired with wearable devices and our Portal and Dispatcher App to create wrap-around protection.

• Keyboard Panic Buttons - Install this software to enable students to quickly signal for help from any computer with a simple keystroke.
• Wall-Mounted Panic Buttons - Ensure that school visitors can alert security to any issues by installing these units in high-traffic areas.
• Mobile Safety App - With a Mobile Safety App, everyone has access to emergency services from the palm of their hand. These apps also include additional non-emergency features that can enhance all aspects of your safety strategy.
• Emergency Notification System - By integrating our Emergency Notification System, your team can seamlessly alert staff and students about an issue following the activation of a panic button.

Investing in Safer Schools

As West Virginia moves toward implementing House Bill 2394, schools can lean on the experts at 911Cellular to help implement a solution with proven technology designed to reduce response times, save lives, and give schools peace of mind.

Find out why schools across the country trust 911Cellular keep their students and staff safe. Schedule a demo today!