May 2, 2007—Prepared Response, Inc., a developer of crisis management planning and response systems, has been awarded $7 million to install its Rapid Responder system in 1,000 schools in South Carolina, Texas, Arizona, Idaho, and Washington state.
The deployments are being funded through the US Dept. of Education’s Emergency Response and Crisis Management (ERCM) grant program and other government funding sources.
The Rapid Responder system aggregates more than 300 data points about the school, including floor plans, photos, evacuation routes, hazardous materials, etc., and places the information in a central, highly secure database so it is available to schools, police, fire, and other agencies via the Web or laptop computers.
With instant access to a shared database of critical facility information, school safety teams, police and fire can respond faster, in a more coordinated manner, and with enhanced situational awareness, explains Prepared Response.
The company also points out that Rapid Responder is the only crisis management system certified by the US Department of Homeland Security through the SAFETY Act. The certification process validates Rapid Responder as an effective, reliable, and safe anti-terrorism technology and places Rapid Responder on the DHS Approved Product List for Homeland Security.
According to school officials, one of the major advantages of the Rapid Responder system is the company’s collaborative approach to emergency planning. PRI’s highly experienced professional services team facilitates meetings between school officials and first responders, including policy, sheriff, fire, and others, that fosters dialog and builds relationships.
During these pre-planning meetings, the various agencies discuss each other’s needs and how they can collaborate and coordinate their response during a wide variety of emergency situations, from shootings and lockdowns to fires, earthquakes, tornadoes, and hazmat spills.
For more information visit the Prepared Response Web site.
