The Cobb County School District is the first in the state to use a new emergency crisis management system called AlertPoint.
It's designed to work like a fire alarm system by giving teachers and staff throughout the school the ability to set off an emergency alert using hubs around campus that resemble smoke detectors.
"By having each teacher with access to the system, it's going to increase the speed at which we can respond to any type of situation in the school," said Dr. Mark Trachtenbroit, principal of Kennesaw Mountain High School.
Kennesaw Mountain High and Bells Ferry Elementary School are testing the system now.
When someone activates an alert, it sets off flashing lights, beeps and voice messages over the school intercom system, which allows for a range of alerts, from a medical emergency to a security breach.
The system immediately lets the front office, administrators and school police know who activated the alarm and where they are on campus, whether it's in a hallway, classroom, cafeteria, even outside.
The Cobb County School Distirct has plans to install AlertPoint in every school over the next several years.
SPLOST dollars will pay for the program's $5 million price tag.
