School district installs Rapid Responder crisis management system

The Maricopa Unified School District announced Tuesday it has installed the award-winning Rapid Responder crisis management system to protect its students and staff during a wide range of emergencies. The Web-based Rapid Responder from Prepared Response Inc. provides police, fire and other first-responders with secure and instant access to critical campus information including floor plans, aerial imagery and other important information via a computer. The district received a federal school safety grant in 2007 to install Rapid Responder, which will help protect the district’s nine elementary, middle, high school and administration facilities. Prepared Response also provided emergency preparedness and tactical response consulting services for the district.

“We are grateful for the efforts of Prepared Response and we are excited about the implementation of the Rapid Responder System. Safety is a district-wide priority and this crisis management system will be invaluable for planning and, if necessary, crisis response,” stated district spokesman Tom Beckett.

“Maricopa Unified School District joins a growing list of Arizona school districts that are using Rapid Responder to protect their schools,” said Jim Finnell, president and CEO of Prepared Response, Inc. “Rapid Responder allows the Maricopa Police and Fire Departments to work closely with district administrators so they can respond faster and in a more coordinated manner with other agencies to better protect both students and staff.”

Rapid Responder has been used during a campus shooting, bomb threats, lockdowns and other emergency situations on school campuses throughout the country. Rapid Responder is the only crisis management system certified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s SAFETY Act as a “Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technology.” Rapid Responder is being used in 14 states with more than 5,000 users including nearly 600 public safety agencies and 345 school districts. This system was recognized in the Harvard/Noblis Innovations Award in Homeland Security that was presented to the state of Washington in September 2007 and is endorsed by the National Sheriffs’ Association.