Police, fire chiefs endorse CRGplans critical-incident mapping for district schools

East Bridgewater School Committee members heard from local police and fire officials on Oct. 14 about a commercial critical-incident mapping product that they say would help first responders and school staff during emergencies.

The discussion opened when Fire Department representative John Dezal summarized a recent demonstration from CRGplans: “What they do is they go in... and they do critical incident mapping,” Dezal said, adding that the maps layer floor plans, locations of fire extinguishers and AEDs and provide grid coordinates that can be accessed on phones and tablets. “This is something that would help us dramatically,” he said.

Committee members were told a proposal from CRGplans was included in the meeting packet. Officials described the system as a one-time setup fee with the vendor offering annual updates; Dezal said the company would return to update maps if, for example, the district builds a new Central School. Assistant Superintendent John Shea and the chiefs recommended a fuller presentation so committee members and other interested members of the public could see the product demonstration in detail.

Members asked about local use and regional adoption; firefighters said CRGplans works with municipal governments and schools across Massachusetts and nationally and that the vendor lists several local clients. The chiefs said the layered maps could be used for planning active-shooter and other multi-agency responses and for routine preplanning such as fire approaches and event logistics.

Next steps: the committee agreed to invite the vendor back and to schedule a 30-minute presentation, likely at a meeting or safety subcommittee gathering before the next regular meeting. Deputy Chief McLaughlin was named as a district staff contact to be included in scheduling.

The committee did not vote on any procurement or contract at the Oct. 14 meeting.