Glen Lake Community Schools Install Gunshot Detection Technologies and Emergency Alert Stations as Key Components for Active Shooter Response

MAPLE CITY, Mich., Sept. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Glen Lake Community Schools, a Michigan public school system serving the communities of Cedar, Empire, Glen Arbor and Maple City, today announced the addition of key technologies they've incorporated into a strategic plan and vision to keep students, visitors and staff safe. The school began the process by looking for a comprehensive "armed intruder alarm system" including shot detection sensors and a rapid emergency response system that would alert students, staff and law enforcement during active shooter and other emergencies on school grounds.

Through an RFP process, the school ultimately chose Siemens Building Technologies, whose proposal integrated the Guardian Indoor Active Shooter Detection System with BluePoint's Rapid Emergency Response System (RERS). The Guardian Indoor Active Shooter Detection is a system of sensors and software that detect, locate and alert to shots fired in a building. Those sensors then trigger the BluePoint RERS, which immediately notifies first responders and building occupants of the exact location of the dangerous situation.

Alongside their commitment to academic excellence, the safety and security of students has always been the highest priority for Glen Lake schools. Over the years, the school has added surveillance cameras, powered and programmable locks, card readers to control entry and monitor traffic, and signage that helps orient emergency personnel throughout the facility. They also practice regular "lockdown" drills with staff and students under the guidance of Leelanau County Office of Emergency Management.

"Putting this plan together was an extensive cooperative effort that includes Director of Facilities & Operations Doug Dowdy, Director of Administration and Instructional Technology Marcus Mead, my office, and the Glen Lake Board of Education (BOE)," said Sander Scott, superintendent of schools. "We are extremely thankful to the BOE for their foresight and wisdom to commit district funds for this project. Together, we listened to our constituents and community groups who collectively agreed that our community has an obligation to do everything we can to keep our students safe."

Specified in the RFP was the school's desire for shot detection sensors that that could filter out false alerts by being able to discern the difference between a gunshot and a locker slamming, for example. "We are extremely pleased to be working with Siemens to bring this system to Glen Lake as the first school in Michigan to adopt the technology," said Christian Connors, CEO of Shooter Detection Systems. "Our sensors have been operating in the field at customer sites in schools, airports, manufacturing sites and other complex environments for over 26 million hours without a single false alert. Between our performance, U.S. Department of Homeland Security SAFETY Act Certification, and CPNI Approval for U.K. Government Use, Siemens and Glen Lake can trust the Guardian System to detect gunshots and alert accordingly, reducing response time to save lives in an active shooter incident."

Having shot detection sensors seamlessly integrated with the BluePoint Alert system provides immediate incident details to law enforcement for even faster response times for first responders. The BluePoint solution also includes police pull stations, which are similar to fire alarm pull stations, and a command and control incident management portal that enables real-time, silent, two-way communication between the command group and staff, allowing first responders to make fast and informed decisions. "Working with Siemens and the school district, our solution complements and completes all of the school's other security enhancements by integrating cameras, access control and shooter detection systems with our communications platform. The integration of these components provides a more valuable system to respond faster and protect lives," said John McNutt, co-founder and CEO of BluePoint Alert Solutions.

As the school implements the system, their next goal will be to run emergency drills incorporating these technologies in an effort to develop best practices for the school and local law enforcement to follow in an actual emergency. Siemens estimates the project will be complete by late September, at which time the school plans to host a Glen Lake School Safety Demonstration and Event where they will showcase how the system works to interested community, neighboring schools and members of the press.

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About Glen Lake Community Schools
Glen Lake Community Schools is a rural district in northern Michigan, surrounded by Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore. It was established in 1956 after it was voted to consolidate the smaller surrounding schools of Glen Arbor, Empire, Maple City and Cedar. Glen Lake is a Kindergarten through 12th grade school that prides itself on close, personal, community connections that make it a special place to live, work, and play.

About Siemens Building Technologies
Siemens Building Technologies is the world market leader for safe, energy efficient and environmentally friendly buildings and infrastructure. As a technology partner, consultant, service provider, system integrator and product supplier, Building Technologies offers fire safety, security, building automation, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) as well as energy management products and services in the USA.

About Shooter Detection Systems
As the security industry's leading provider of gunshot detection technology, Shooter Detection Systems (SDS) is focused on saving lives through the use of proven, military-grade technology designed by the world's foremost scientists. Developed in conjunction with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and a major defense contractor, SDS' gunshot detection systems are SAFETY Act Certified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Approved for U.K. Government Use by the Centre for the Protection of Critical Infrastructure (CPNI), and SL4 Certified by the Australian Government's Security Construction & Equipment Committee (SCEC). SDS serves customers in markets including K-12 and higher education, corporate, transportation, government, retail, entertainment, utility and manufacturing, and property management. For more information, visit http://www.shooterdetectionsystems.com, call 1-844-SHOT911, and follow on Twitter @shooterdetect.

About BluePoint
BluePoint Alert Solutions was founded with a very specific goal ? to speed the response times of police and other first responders in the event of an active shooter or other emergency
situation where lives are at stake. BluePoint has since added advanced communications and situational awareness technologies to its solution providing building leaders and first responders with the tools they need to resolve incidents faster and more effectively. It is first-to-market with a dedicated Rapid Emergency Response System (RERS) that acts like and is as intuitive as a standard "fire alarm" ? but is focused on alerting police and medical emergency responders and building occupants to potential danger. For more information please visit http://www.bluepointalert.com.

SOURCE Glen Lake Community Schools