Panic button app will allow staff at 28 Wake County schools to communicate instantly during threats

A new panic button and safety communication tool will soon be deployed in 28 schools in the Wake County Public School System.

The Rave Panic Button and alarm system is an app that school personnel can download to their phones, allowing them to communicate instantly during a threat and lockdown a school in seconds.

On Tuesday, the district's safety and security committee will discuss piloting the app at 28 Wake County schools this spring and then rolling it out to all 200 schools in the fall. The district hasn't yet selected the schools and plans to choose them at random. The schools would be elementary, middle and high schools.

Staff would be trained on the app's use before it would roll out anywhere.

"It's, like, safety," Mohammed Elmtouni, a Wake Schools parent, said. "This is a good idea and they should start and have it on all people's phones as soon as possible."

After the pilot program, staff would evaluate how well it worked and gather feedback about how and whether to deploy it district-wide.

In a presentation to the school board committee, district officials listed several benefits of using the app. It stores information on emergency plans that can also be made available to first responders. It has locator capabilities that can alert staff and first responders to the location of the emergency and measure a radius of concern around that spot.

National school security expert Kenneth Trump said it won't be a one-stop solution, however.

"Too often, people think today 'If we have an app for that, it's going to solve everything,'" he said. "Panic buttons can serve multiple purposes, but they can also have unintended consequences."

While Trump says false alarms could create panic and send schools into unnecessary lockdowns, parents in the county see the new tool as an added layer of security.

"If it's easy for faculty to access, and it's going to bring parents peace of mind...I think yeah, go for it," Vanessa Treires said.

In 2022, WRAL Investigates looked into the app, which was mostly used for medical emergencies. State lawmakers provided more than $4 million for every middle and high school to join, ideally by 2023.

Several other school systems have begun using the app already, including the Vance and Hoke county systems. Others are in the process of starting it, such as Nash County Public Schools.

The addition of the app comes as more students are bringing weapons to school and as schools receive social media threats, many which are never verified.

In another effort to deter visitors from bringing weapons to campus, a new clear bag policy applying to students, staff and visitors at extracurricular high school events, like football games, rolls out March 1.

The policy is as follows:

• Bring one clear bag no larger than 12" x 15" x 3". No other bags are permitted.

In addition to one clear bag, event attendees may carry:

• A small, clear clutch bag/wristlet no larger than 4" x 6" x 1";
• Bags containing medically necessary items for that attendee's assistance (e.g., an oxygen tank)
• Diaper bags

Each attendee is permitted to bring the following loose items, as long as any compartments capable of storage are left open and are empty (e.g., coat pocket, zippered compartment, etc.), including:

• Coats
• Blankets
• Seat cushions not exceeding 18 inches wide
• Soft baby carriers, slings, strollers and medically necessary equipment

Leaders in the Wake County Public School System will meet Tuesday at 1 p.m.

WRAL education reporter Emily Walkenhorst contributed to this report.