Teachers during Georgia school shooting identified police with panic button

A gunman opened fire at Apalachee High School in Barrow County, Georgia, on Wednesday morning and killed four people, including two students and two teachers.

Authorities were first notified of an active incident when Apalachee High School faculty and staff deployed Centegix CrisisAlert ID technology, equipped with an unobtrusive panic button, to alert officials by pressing down on the badge.

“All of our teachers are armed with a form of an ID called Centegix,” Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith told reporters during a Wednesday evening press conference. 

WHO IS THE ALLEGED GEORGIA SCHOOL SHOOTER? WHAT WE KNOW

Law enforcement officers and firefighters work at the scene of a shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, on Sept. 4, 2024. (REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage / Reuters)

“Centegix alarms us and alerts the law enforcement office after buttons are pressed on an ID, and it alerts us that there is an active situation at the school for whatever reason.”

Centegix, a cloud-based wearable safety technology company, enables rapid notification of emergency situations and response by local law enforcement.

The safety solutions company, “was founded on the idea that technology can create safer, more secure environments. Our safety solution uses market-defining technology that delivers the functionality, connectivity, and accessibility needed to stand up to real-world emergencies,” according to the brand’s website.

APALACHEE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS RECOUNT HORROR OF DEADLY SHOOTING

Cars are parked on the sides of a road as law enforcement officers work at the scene of a shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, on Sept. 4, 2024. (REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage / Reuters)

Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey said during a press conference Wednesday night, “The protocols at this school and this system activated today prevented this from being a much larger tragedy than what we had here today.”

The alert system provided to educators and other school staff not only discreetly communicates to law enforcement of an emergency, but also indicates to police the precise locations of threats, with the ability to update floor plans as needed. 

The campus-wide safety platform also offers school personnel and law enforcement the option to quickly identify building visitors and safety assets, including AED, first aid kits and fire alarms.

Additionally, audiovisuals are distributed to caution bystanders about emergency situations.

Reunification of students and staff following evacuations and custody checks for parents during emergency pickups are software implementations also provided by Centegix.

GEORGIA HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING: FRIGHTENED STUDENT TEXTS MOM DURING HORRIFYING RAMPAGE

A man uses his phone as law enforcement officers work at the scene of a shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, on Sept. 4, 2024. (REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage / Reuters)

“We designed a private, managed network in…