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School board approves Emergent3 safety-app pilot after demonstration and discussion
Summary
The Wisconsin Rapids School District board approved purchase and annual licensing for the Emergent3 school safety app after a vendor demonstration and questions about training, integration with first responders, and cost. The board authorized a $6,500 one-time setup charge (building & grounds budget) and a $9,000 annual fee (technology budget).
The Wisconsin Rapids School District Board of Education voted to approve the Emergent3 school safety app, authorizing a one-time setup fee of $6,500 and an annual subscription of $9,000.
Board members discussed a vendor demonstration that showed app features including push alerts to staff computers and phones, drill and silent-alert modes, two-click teacher check-ins, a chat history for after-action review, and campus mapping that highlights unsafe areas and shows who has checked in. The vendor said the app can be customized to match the district’s existing emergency verbiage and that first responders can be added as external recipients.
The district described the proposal as a response to two incidents this school year in which staff had limited situational information. District staff said Emergent3 would give teachers and administrators more timely, location-specific information and offer a historical log for after-action reviews. The vendor representative demonstrated a “lockdown” drill that prompts staff for location and safety status, then opens a chat and shows a live map of buildings and rooms.
Board members asked about integration with school resource officers and dispatch; the presentation said local SROs and dispatch participated in demos and the app can be routed to dispatch so the appropriate responder is notified. The vendor said mapping and a “cleared/uncleared” status for rooms are visible to law enforcement in real time. The district noted the system is for internal communications only and will not automatically update parents.
Following discussion about training, user interface simplicity, and redundancy if radios fail, a board member moved to approve the proposal. The motion carried on roll call. The vote recorded yes votes from John Benbow; John Kremes; Chris Indoch; Kathy Stevenson; Elizabeth St. Myers; and Julie Tim. The motion’s mover and seconder were not specified on the public transcript.
District staff said the $6,500 setup cost will be paid from the building and grounds budget and the $9,000 annual subscription from the technology budget. The district described this as the least expensive option they reviewed and emphasized that unlimited user accounts are included so many staff and external partners can be invited.
The board meeting continued with remaining agenda items after the vote.
