Westmoreland County dispatchers will now have the ability to instantly view live campus security footage when a 911 call comes in from the New Kensington-Arnold School District.
The district is implementing 911 camera sharing across district buildings in an effort to strengthen campus safety and speed emergency response.
“We want to ensure our kids are safe, and that we have the latest and greatest to stay ahead of the game, and every resource at our fingertips to prevent things,” said Superintendent Chris Sefcheck.
“I’m thrilled at the way we’re moving forward with preventative measures.”
A cost for the program was not immediately available.
New Ken-Arnold worked with 2Krew Security and Surveillance, a security integration firm, for the program.
If there is an emergency anywhere within the district, the local 911 dispatch center can access live video feeds from school security cameras in real time, according to officials. They say the visibility will help first responders with critical situational awareness, improving emergency response times and decision-making as incidents unfold.
“This is a game changer for emergency services,” said Gene Good, Westmoreland County Department of Public Safety’s 911 Operations Chief, in a statement. “When a 911 call comes in near the school, dispatchers automatically receive a prompt that there’s a camera, and can immediately see what’s happening on the ground. This is a key component in providing safe schools.”
The district also implemented unified door access and environmental sensors for vaping.