Davie County Schools begins phased rollout of Open Gate weapons detection and Rave panic app

Mary Foster, the district's director of safety, told the school board the district has started a phased rollout of Open Gate weapons-detection units and is piloting the state-provided Rave panic button app for staff.

Foster said the Open Gate system is more sophisticated than a standard metal detector, uses algorithms to identify potential threats and is configured for high throughput so students can enter with backpacks and phones. The district purchased 18 units: four at the high school, two at each middle school, and one at each elementary school plus units for the Early College and the Central Davie campus. Initial implementation prioritizes mass student entry; visitor screening, late arrivals and athletic-event procedures will be phased in after the morning-entry process is running smoothly.

Foster said staff visited an operating system at McMichael High School (Rockingham County) to develop local procedures. Items flagged by the algorithm (for example instrument cases or bags) will be set aside for visual inspection.

Foster also described the Rave panic button app, provided by the state. The app is optional for staff, integrates with 911 and is geo-fenced by campus. Activation requires deliberate steps (slide to unlock, hold the button for a period), reducing accidental activations. The district can configure recipients and use a "staff assist" feature for issues that do not require 911 response (for example a disruptive student or an animal on the playground). Training and tests have begun at campuses, Foster said, and early feedback from staff has been positive.

Board members asked how staff-assist recipients are selected and Foster said principals can target alerts to appropriate administrators and SROs. Foster told the board the district's approach is phased and deliberate: "Slow is smooth; smooth is fast," she said, describing the plan to refine procedures at smaller steps before broader rollouts.