Silent Alarm Technology Now Mandatory in Texas Schools

JACKSONVILLE, Texas (KETK) – Preventative technology that could have saved lives during the recent school shooting in Georgia will soon be implemented in Texas.

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Authorities believe the silent alarm system that Georgia high school teachers had saved countless lives during Wednesday’s horrific shooting. As a preventative measure, the same system is now being used and installed in all Texas schools.

“That’s how first responders were able to respond so quickly, with a silent panic alert,” said Bill Avera, Jacksonville ISD police chief and director of school safety.

It will now officially be a must-have in Texas schools. In June 2023, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a bill requiring every classroom to have a silent panic alarm system. That’s in addition to 100 other requirements, according to Avera.

“Silent panic alarm technology was part of House Bill 3 during the last legislative session,” Avera said.

Avera is also the president of the Texas School District Police Chiefs Association and he said this technology will be critical to keeping our kids safe at school. Its sole purpose will be to get help on the scene quickly by directly contacting everyone.

“It’s a revolutionary device, it’s been around for a long time and many districts have been using it for years,” Avera said. “The goal of this device is to remove what we call time barriers.”

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He said it could be different for each school, but how it will be used will not be made public for security reasons.

“An app on your phone, it could be a button on your computer screen, it could be a touch button, it could be a physical device,” Avera said. “It’s of great importance to the public to know that policies, procedures, protocols and devices are in place in every school in Texas.”

Authorities want people to know that child safety remains a top priority in Texas and throughout East Texas.

“School safety is taken very seriously here, from the school board to the superintendents office to the front-line support staff,” Avera said.

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