New Jersey launches new effort to protect students and teachers with electronically accessible school maps
PARAMUS, N.J. -- School safety is on the minds of many as tens of thousands of kids get ready to go back to school in New Jersey next week.
On Tuesday, Gov. Phil Murphy announced new efforts to protect teachers and students, CBS2's Kevin Rincon reported.
To an outsider, navigating through the halls of East Brook Middle School in Paramus can take some time. But in the event of an emergency, first responders don't always have the luxury of time.
If something were to happen, police, firefighters and EMTs would have to roll out blueprints to learn the layout.
"When you're pumped up on adrenaline and going into an emergency situation, that is not the time to process that information," East Brook Middle School Principal Ryan Aupperlee said.
The alternative is something called Collaborative Response Graphics. A 3D map was created for a school in Westchester County by Augmented Construction, a New York-based virtual design and construction firm. The ones that will be used in New Jersey will look similar.
"These electronically accessible renderings can provide a much faster means for pinpointing locations and emergency routes than any traditional building schematic which may currently be in use," Murphy said.
The governor announced the state will use $6.5 million in federal funding to map 1,500 of the 3,000 schools statewide. The other half has already been mapped.
"Every second in these situations count. The pressure points, the doors, the vent shafts, and such can be the real difference between life and death," Congressman Josh Gottheimer said.
Gottheimer added shootings are a concern. He says since 2018 there have been 119 deaths or injuries reported at K-12 schools nationwide.
"We know this will make their jobs much easier when, God forbid, there's something that needs to be addressed immediately," said Melissa Caminiti, president of the Paramus Board of Education.
"It could be a fire. It could be infrastructure. It could be something else that maybe is not quite as emotionally charged where this could be relevant," Aupperlee added.
The investment in this new technology is just one of several security features added over the years to ensure school remains a safe place for everyone.
