Gwinnett County will spend $5 million to improve the emergency alert systems at county and Buford City schools.
The new systems are intended for school emergencies, and include notification buttons, direct links to the county’s 911 center and live video capabilities. Some schools will have automatic locking systems on certain doors, automatic notifications and radio amplification.
The money comes from SPLOST, and includes $3.9 million for the county system and $313,944 for the city of Buford. The rest of the money will go toward paying for connections to the 911 center.
The system is intended to improve public safety notification, communication and response to emergencies at public schools. The agreements between Gwinnett, Buford schools and the county school system say all entities recognize that “increased information and quicker notification to public safety agencies will provide better and more appropriate responses,” which will improve the safety of those in the schools.
In a statement, Gwinnett Commission Chairman Charlotte Nash said the system “is one more step we can take to be ready if an emergency occurs at a school location.”
The two school boards are each expected to consider the agreements later this month.
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