Raleigh County Schools introduces Syntegix staff badges and installs weapons-detection gates at high schools

Raleigh County Schools announced two safety initiatives for the district: countywide staff Syntegix badges that let employees signal for help and share their location, and weapons-detection systems being installed at four high schools and the Beckley career center, an agency official said.

The agency official said the Syntegix badge has two primary uses. Internally, a staff member can press the badge to summon a principal or medical team to a specific location during incidents such as medical emergencies. Externally, the official said, the badge can notify first responders directly so school administrators do not have to call emergency services. “This badge will do it for us,” the agency official said.

The district described the weapons-detection systems as funded by the Board of Education and being rolled out in phases. The agency official said the systems were implemented first at ACT and then at other high schools, and that the four high schools and the career center in Beckley will have the systems operational by the end of the month. At present, the systems are being used to screen students as they enter buildings; the district plans to expand screening so visitors will eventually pass through the detectors. The official also noted the systems are portable and could be used at athletic events at stadiums and gymnasiums.

The district introduced a short informational video explaining the Cheyah Open Gate screening process. In the video, a presenter described the system as designed for automatic, fast walk-through screening that usually does not require removing backpacks, bags or purses. The video listed items that may remain in a backpack (for example, a water bottle, books, a cell phone) and items that must be removed and carried (three-ring binders, laptops, collapsible umbrellas, metal lunchboxes, metal or glass pencil cases). The presenter instructed people to listen to staff, use the shortest line, have required items ready for staff (for example, hand a laptop to a staff member before walking through) and keep moving through the gate.

The video said that if the gate alarms or an indicator light turns red, an attendant will direct the person to a designated search area for a quick bag check, and that law enforcement will be notified if a weapon or contraband is found. The agency official thanked the Board of Education for allocating resources for these safety measures and encouraged viewers to watch the video.

No formal vote was recorded in the transcript of this presentation; the agency official stated that the Board of Education has approved funding and the programs are being implemented.