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USBE details procurement plan for panic devices, reports remaining unfunded safety needs
Summary
USBE presented its procurement and scoring process for wearable panic alerts, reported progress on distribution of bleed kits and first‑aid supplies, and listed unfunded minimum safety requests — including window protection, radio repeaters and firearm storage — that remain on LEAs' wish lists.
Chantal Cota, director of school safety and student services at the Utah State Board of Education, told the task force that the deadline for local education agencies to request bleed control and first‑aid kits was Nov. 14 and that the board had worked with contractors (named as Granger and Safeware) to get kits to schools.
On wearable panic alert devices, Cota said the procurement was in a scoring phase and that selections will account for device reliability, PSAP compatibility and what vendors propose to provide beyond a single teacher‑device minimum: "This is not something that we're just putting into the schools for the sake of putting in. This is something that we are very invested in and want to make sure, that if these panic alert devices ever have to be used, that they work, they are effective, and they are efficient." (Chantal Cota)
Cota also reviewed grant spending and reporting for FY24 (about $72 million awarded to 114 LEAs, $43 million reported spent) and FY25 (about $40 million to 132 LEAs with many LEAs still finalizing contracts). She listed common unfunded items from LEAs that included window protection, limited entry points, playground fencing, radio repeaters, SRO services and secure firearm storage.
Cota closed by describing outreach and technical review steps — including involvement of technology coordinators and PSAP experts — and said the USBE and School Safety Center will continue trainings and a final grant subcommittee meeting to recommend next steps.
Next steps: procurement moves from scoring to contract phase; vendors who meet scoring requirements will be notified.
