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Novi schools outline upgraded emergency systems, threat‑assessment and mental‑health monitoring
Summary
District staff told the board on Jan. 23 that Novi Community School District has rolled out or expanded emergency apps, AI weapon detection on cameras, an electronic reunification tool and a student‑monitoring system that flagged mental‑health concerns for hundreds of students over 18 months.
The Novi Community School District presented a sweeping update on safety and security work Wednesday evening, detailing new technology, training and equipment the administration says are already in use across district buildings.
The presentation by Dennis Huisman and district staff summarized upgrades completed over the last two years and projects under way. ‘‘This is an app on the phone. All our staff members have this. It's an emergency button,’’ Huisman said of the Raptor Emergency Management app the district issued to staff.
The nut graf: district leaders said the changes are meant to speed law‑enforcement notification, improve reunification after incidents, strengthen threat and suicide assessment capabilities and surface student well‑being concerns earlier.
District officials described six main components of the program:
- Raptor Emergency Management and electronic reunification: Teachers and administrators now receive immediate alerts on their phones, and the district used the I Love You Guys Foundation exercise last June to train administrators on a digital reunification process meant to match students with approved caregivers after an incident.
- Threat and suicide assessment training: The district has trained multidisciplinary teams on Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG) and plans to add Columbia University Lighthouse Project suicide‑risk assessment training and online modules for staff and ancillary personnel.
- ZeroWise AI firearm detection: Huisman said the AI runs on 625 camera streams (the district has 827 camera streams total) and alerts law enforcement and administrators if a firearm is brandished. District staff noted that the vendor screens hits 24/7; many false positives reported included harmless items such as super soakers or color‑guard props.
- Camera refresh and mapping: The district completed a camera upgrade to 4K HD across campus and is updating CRG aerial maps (funded by GRAMA) so first responders can be directed to grid locations such as “C3.”
- Lockdown buckets and room supplies: The board previously approved more than 500 lockdown buckets stocked with water, food and restroom supplies; Huisman said delivery was coordinated with operations staff.
- Student monitoring (Blocksi) and digital threat tracking: The district flagged 380 students in the last 18 months with more than 1,019 incident hits; Huisman said 85.7% of those hits were mental‑health related and 14.3% were threatening behavior. Staff use the alerts to check on students and, when needed, start assessments or interventions.
Board members asked operational and compliance questions. Trustee Mishner asked whether threat and suicide assessment trainings meet policy requirements for annual training; Huisman said the district runs CSTAG annually for the staff who complete assessments and will use Columbia’s Lighthouse Project modules to repeat suicide assessment training. Trustee Mishner also asked about phone charging options for staff during extended lockdowns; Huisman said charging banks proved costly to include in every bucket but that universal USB‑C cords or classroom laptop chargers are being explored.
Administrators noted other work in progress: updating the district emergency operations plans to a new state template; planning camera placements for a new administration and robotics building; implementing a digital tool for storing threat and suicide assessment records; and piloting medical emergency response teams across buildings with CPR, AED and first‑aid certification. Huisman credited coordination with the mental‑health team: ‘‘We are checking on students to make sure they're okay,’’ he said, describing how Blocksi alerts led to follow‑ups by counselors.
District and board members emphasized the balance between safety and school climate. Trustee Beaudoin noted the importance of students feeling safe as well as physically secure; Huisman said staff and mental‑health leaders will analyze flagged data to identify root causes.
The board will consider additional operational details in a scheduled closed session on school safety; no construction or procurement approvals were taken during the public portion of the meeting.
Ending: Board members praised the centralization of safety work and the full‑time district role overseeing the program; Superintendent Micah said other districts have begun adding similar positions after seeing Novi’s approach.
