School district doubles down on active shooter protocol with technology

By Eli Higgins

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    HAYSVILLE, Kansas (KAKE) — “It’s a sad thing when that happens anywhere. Unfortunately, it’s something we have come to know as a society. We have to deal with it day in and day out now,” said Haysville Schools Operations Director B.J. Knudson.

Like many others, Knudson has spent the week with a heavy heart after a shooting at a Georgia high school killed four people and injured nine others.

“It’s only a matter of time, you know. It keeps getting closer and closer to home. And you know, we just have to stay vigilant on making sure we keep our policies in place,” said Knudson.

Knudson says it was a reminder for him that tragedies like this can happen anywhere, on any day, and it’s important to make sure you’re prepared.

He says the Haysville School District has a very detailed emergency plan posted throughout the school, and it’s also printed on the back of every employee badge.

On top of diligent employee training, Knudson says the school pays for an updated emergency alert app that every employee has and can activate at any time if something happens.

“About two and a half years ago, we rolled out what we call Raptor Alert. It’s an alert system through our phones, and if you look, it looks just like our standard response protocol. Anybody can set these off for any reason,” said Knudson.

Knudson says the second someone pushes it, the school goes on lockdown, and all staff get a message and can instantly communicate which protocol is best based on the nature of the emergency and get vital information to police in real-time.

Knudson says another advantage is that the School Resource Officers all have their own fobs and can let themselves into any of the doors in case of emergencies, so that staff doesn’t have to make that decision and potentially be tricked by a threat.

“Last February, at Haysville West Middle School, we had a caller on the line who said he was in the building with a gun. The school instantly went on lockdown. So it’s locked, lights, out of sight. and everybody was notified instantly,” said Knudson.

Knudson says it’s important for schools to expect the best outcome, while always being ready.

“Especially in Haysville, we do a great job of protecting our students here, making sure everybody’s safe and secure. And then if they do hear of anything, you know, don’t hesitate to speak up,” said Knudson.

Knudson says the system also allows them to get information gathered and out to parents in a fraction of the time it took without it.

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