North Baltimore, OH, February 11 – North Baltimore Local Schools ran an emergency evacuation drill, clearing the entire school of nearly 300 students in a matter of just 30 seconds using the Alertus Enhanced Notification System. Superintendent Ryan Delaney ran this drill with the Regional Director of Homeland Security, along with other top safety officials from Wood County. From the parking lot, Delaney opened the Alertus app on his phone, selected the emergency message, tapped the button, and in under 30 seconds, the entire building was evacuated.
Alertus Enhanced Notification System works seamlessly with a school’s existing infrastructure, partnering with other technologies like desktop computers, digital signage, PA systems, fire alarm panels, speakers, and VoIP phones to communicate quickly, consistently, and effectively. This means that with a simple tap of a button, school officials can reach students and staff instantly to notify them of an active shooter, severe weather issue, and can even send other more mundane announcements.
At Delaney’s schools, approximately five staff members have the ability to send out notifications via Alertus. To other superintendents, Delaney would say, “To be honest, you might not have time to get to your PA. The Alertus button alone would save numerous lives. I did this drill from my phone, and everyone has their phone on them.” He called the drill “perfect,” explaining that really nothing went wrong. “The flashing of the Alertus system itself let everyone know. There was no panic; it ran smoothly,” Delaney said. Prior to setting up Alertus, Delaney explained that the school would use a basic PA system for emergency evacuations. The lag time between realizing there is an incident, communicating it to someone, and having them get it over the PA is far longer than the swiftness of sending an alert with the tap of a button. Delaney set up Alertus at North Baltimore Local Schools through the DriveMind Group.
The DriveMind Group is a hub for educational tools and services that are designed to help schools run safely, efficiently and ensure that students and educators have what they need to truly thrive. From building safety to curriculum enhancement, the DriveMind Group recommends solutions that can empower and protect school leadership, teachers and students.
