Coral Springs gets new technology that allows an immediate law enforcement response

Coral Springs, Florida – According to Alexander Falcone, new technology allows an immediate law enforcement response at Chabad of Coral Springs schools.

The system was installed with the support of a school safety grant as a response to the Feb. 14, 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Falcone, the director of emergency management at Coral Springs, said.

“We have implemented a lot of different solutions that we knew were problems during the incident,” Falcone said on Thursday.

According to Falcone, the system includes software designed to help officers stop an attack and provide intelligence to offices on the ground. A hard-wired panic button, also accessible with an app, can trigger the alert system to the dispatch center.

“They can view the cameras in real-time. They are able to lock and unlock doors remotely. They’re able to get over the PA system of the school or building,” Falcone said. “With the video in that instance, it was 15 minutes delayed, so we thought we still had a shooter in a building when in fact that shooter had fled.”

The city’s goal is to expand the capability of the system to be active anywhere where people congregate, Falcone said. He said it can work at hospitals, movie theaters, and places of worship.

“We know that in these situations seconds really matter and they save lives, so getting in that door and getting an officer right to that threat is a top priority,” Falcone said, adding that “the information we get from a 911 call may not be accurate but when we’re able to put trained eyes on an asset right there in real-time we’re able to more accurately provide information to our responding officers, fire personnel and we’re able to get to people much more quickly.”