Lawton Public Schools app tool to combat threats

Everyone knows the world they live in is going to the dogs. From school shootings to suicide or bomb threats, it’s no wonder they’re always looking over their shoulder.

But every now and then, there is some sort of new idea that helps combat the issue.

The Oklahoma Legislature passed House Bill 4073, known as “Alyssa’s Law,” in June 2024 to enhance school security with a mobile panic alert system.

The act is named after Alyssa Alhadeff, a 14-year-old student from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, according to a press release. Alhadeff was the victim of a school shooter who killed 17 people on February 14, 2018.

Lawton Public Schools has been using mobile alert systems longer than the bill has been active.

“LPS became a Rave school longer than five years ago,” Dr. Jason James, Chief Operating Officer of LPS, said. “Rave is the app that allows you to make notifications to the authorities if there’s a shooter. It just gives our teachers another tool to notify people that there is an emergency that they are aware of.”

Compared to Gaggle, which is software used to detect keystrokes that track potential threats, Rave notifies outside agencies of threats such as suicides, notifying employees so they can call 911.

Even though there have been recent threats, they’ve never had to use it due to their own school police department.

“We’ve never had a situation where we’ve needed a call,” James said.

The app doesn’t record audio, video or help with medical emergencies, but there are ways to combat that.

“Every one of our classrooms are equipped with a phone that has an automatic outside line,” James said. “Our teachers are instructed to call 911.”