Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Platteville schools to use $25,000 DOJ grant for high‑resolution digital maps to speed emergency response
Summary
The Platteville School District will deploy detailed digital building maps funded by a $25,000 Wisconsin Department of Justice grant to give dispatchers and first responders room‑level location data for 911 calls, officials said; the board heard the update and implementation timeline.
The Platteville School Board heard on-site and dispatch-focused safety improvements funded by a $25,000 Wisconsin Department of Justice grant that paid for high-resolution digital maps of district buildings.
Demetri, a district presenter, told the board the grant paid for a one-time mapping effort covering all four school buildings and the maintenance and activities complex. “25,000 is a 1-time cost,” he said, adding that the maps should remain useful for up to 10 years unless the district undertakes a major remodel.
Brad and Officer Jared described how the maps integrate with emergency dispatch. Officer Jared, a Platteville police officer, said the mapping will load into the telecommunicator’s system so dispatchers can click to pinpoint a caller’s location on an interior floor plan. “It will be able to put the school map on the system that the telecommunicator uses,” he said, noting the system can show hallways, doors and even the location of fire extinguishers.
Board members questioned ongoing costs and interoperability. Demetri said there is no required annual software fee unless the district purchases a major upgrade; he also said Grant County telecommunicators already have the maps and the district plans to share them with local fire and EMS for RapidSOS integration before the school year begins.
Presenters emphasized practical benefits: dispatchers will receive location data accurate to within a few feet, which can cut response time and guide responders to the correct door or room in multi-entrance buildings. They also said upgraded door-access controls and training will let building administrators and some staff unlock doors remotely when necessary.
The board did not take a formal vote on the mapping update during the presentation; the presenters said the technical linkage to county dispatch should be completed before the school year starts and that training on upgraded door access is scheduled for the coming weeks.
