[Trending News] Panic button launches next week at Wake County schools

A “panic button” app will roll out next Monday on Feb. 17 at more than 130 Wake County schools, the district confirms. 

The Rave Panic Button and alarm system is an app that school staff can download to their phones. At the press of a digital button, teachers can alert authorities and communicate instantly during a threat, locking down a school in seconds.

“I think anything that will help us keep our students and staff safe is really important,” said Christina Cole, president of the Wake County North Carolina Association of Educators. “The speediness of it feels like something that’s helpful.”

Teachers in dozens of Wake County schools already have the app as part of a pilot program that ran in 27 schools between March 2024 and June 2024.

The first phase was set to launch Jan. 13 and the second one Feb. 3. But the district had to delay the launch for the first phase and then again for the second phase. A software glitch, unrelated to RAVE, prevented the app from accessing employee information and contact data. It pushed back its rollout to the entire district.

“My hope is that it doesn’t become a sort of burden to staff … and they feel like it’s of use to them and a good resource for them to use when there are safety concerns in their classroom or hallway or school,” Cole said. 

Janay Powell, the director of campus culture at Maureen Joy Charter School, believes quick access to authorities in emergencies could be helpful. However, she worries the app could lead to problems if staff members don’t go through proper training.

“[Staff members] just need to know, what are the protocols in place if they are hitting that panic button,” Powell said.  

Cole said the app is a good addition – not a replacement – for the procedures schools already have. 

“More adults, professionals in the building are actually the things that keep us safe … Again, not just the technology, but having the right people in the building to keep our school communities going and keep them safe,” Cole said.

Powell’s school doesn’t currently use the app, but she said training will be an important piece of implementation.

“They just need to know what protocols are in place if they are hitting that panic button,” Powell said. “I think this could be a helpful thing once all of the kinks are worked out.”

During Wake County’s pilot program, no incidents of using the panic button have been reported, said Lisa Luten, a spokesperson for the district. School leaders ran about a dozen tests of the button to ensure it worked, and they were successful.

Wake County leaders say all local 911 centers are fully set up to receive and monitor Rave alerts for the district. School board members will talk more about the rollout during Tuesday’s safety and security committee meeting.