Dallastown officials demonstrate Navigate360 ‘wildcat’ panic badge pilot; formal vote set for July

Dallastown Area School District staff demonstrated a pilot of a districtwide emergency notification system built by Navigate360 on June 12 and told the board they plan to seek formal approval of the purchase at the July 10 meeting using funds from the School Safety and Mental Health grant.

The system uses staff badges with an integrated panic button that triangulates the badge location from existing wireless access points. When a badge is pressed, administrators and school resource officers (SROs) receive text, phone and email alerts listing the building and room. Presenters emphasized the system does not replace 911 but shortens the time to alert campus responders.

During an in‑meeting demonstration a badge press generated a notification stating: “Panic button named 0091 has been pressed by the following location. Dallastown Area School District, Dallastown Area High School Second Floor 300 Hall Theater Room.” Presenters said badges will be assigned to individuals, and the system can accommodate substitute badges for staff who do not carry a permanent badge.

Why it matters: Administrators framed the system as a layer of protection to reduce response time in life‑threatening emergencies and to empower staff to report urgent incidents immediately. The board was told the proposed implementation would cover roughly 900 badges across the district and the total proposal presented was $197,806; the district plans to fund the purchase from a grant contingent on the state budget.

Key details: Technology leverages the district’s existing Wi‑Fi access points to locate a badge indoors; presenters said outdoor coverage on athletic fields may require additional wireless access points in future. The pilot at Dallastown Elementary included staff use and technical testing. Presenters said the product is configurable for on‑campus use and can be limited to certain hours, though staff suggested caution about restricting hours because custodians and evening activities may be present.

Board reaction: Board members asked questions about false activations, after‑hours use, substitute staff, and whether alerts would go directly to 911; presenters said the alert goes to the district control group and SROs so they can immediately act and contact 911 if required. The district said it did not select an option to forward alerts directly to 911 to avoid the dispatch delay of a separate call process.

Next steps: Administration will return to the board July 10 with a funding request and final contract terms for approval. Presenters said the grant funding has been identified but remains subject to final state budget approval.