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Fort Worth staff report panic-alarm installs at childcare sites; cost about $500 each
Summary
Staff told council an initiative to add panic alarms to childcare facilities has completed 11 installations with an estimated installation cost of about $500 per site and that facilities would be responsible for monitoring costs; council asked whether CCPD funds could be used for YMCAs and for targeting high-crime areas.
City staff briefed the council on a safety program that installed panic alarms at local childcare facilities after a 2023 incident prompted a review of security gaps.
The presentation said staff partnered with childcare-associate groups and used CCPD-related funding to install alarms where needed. Staff reported roughly 270 childcare facilities exist in Fort Worth, with 11 installations completed and two additional installs planned soon. "I think 11 is where where we're sitting at right now, as far as installs that have been completed," a staff member said.
Council members asked about costs and operational responsibility. A staff official said, "The cost for the panic alarm install is right around $500," and added that ongoing monitoring would be the responsibility of the facility, whether a YMCA or a private childcare provider.
Councilman Nettles asked whether CCPD funding could be used to support YMCAs or other community sites in higher-crime areas; staff said it would be feasible to target funding to high-crime or hot-spot zones and offered to work with council members offline to identify priority sites.
Staff characterized the program as both a safety upgrade and a community-police engagement opportunity: installation visits included a site safety check and a follow-up plan to explain how to use the alarms. The council did not take a formal vote; staff said further installs and monitoring arrangements will proceed working with community partners.
