Wood County Schools is implementing a new visitor management and security system from Centegix, a cloud-based wearable safety technology company, that provides badges with direct access to emergency services. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)

PARKERSBURG — In a move to enhance security and streamline emergency response, Wood County Schools is implementing the Centegix Safety Platform system in every school, including those currently under construction and even those slated for closure, and said this will give district employees direct access to emergency services through wearable badges.

Jeremy Bell, Wood County Schools’ safety and security coordinator, said the badges are designed to provide immediate access to emergency services and enhance overall school security.

“This is the direct line to the 911 center, and it locks down the buildings and notifies law enforcement,” Bell said.

He said badges will be given to every Wood County Schools employee, including service employees, and will be specific to the person they are assigned to.

“These badges will be employee specific. And it will have a GPS tracking number. They don’t have to change badges (when going to a school). They keep their same badge,” Bell said.

He said these badges will help to empower local teachers by giving them “a lot of tools in their belt”. He said these badges give them the power to respond quickly and effectively to any situation.

“To me, it gives the power to the teachers,” Bell said. “It allows teachers to say, ‘hey, in a critical incident, that I have a straight line of communication to the people that are responding, to the first responders.'”

Wood County Schools Superintendent Christie Willis said this wasn’t something she had access to when she was a teacher.

“I never had an SRO in the building,” Willis said. “This will provide every elementary teacher who doesn’t have an SRO full time in their building the security of knowing they can hit that badge and someone’s coming to help.”

Bell said the badges will also integrate the visitor management system. He said visitors will be scanned through a system that will run a background check of the ID and they will then be given lanyards, allowing administrators to monitor their location within the building.

“If I get onto a monitor, I can check and watch where the visitors are in the school,” Bell said. “That’s anybody when it comes to, you know, delivering something to the school, or have an IEP meeting, or even, you know, truck drivers who are delivering equipment, anything like that and that, they’re going to check their background too. Whenever they come in, they’re going to scan their license and see if they’re even allowed to be on the campus.”

He said training and protocols will be established with staff to ensure the system is used accurately and appropriately. He said they are also working closely with local law enforcement on training.

“How to give them access to strategies whenever an alert comes through, because it’s going to go to them, it’s who we want to respond in a critical incident,” Bell said.

He said the badges are Bluetooth-enabled, operating on a dedicated network independent of school Wi-Fi, ensuring functionality even in areas with poor internet or cell reception.

Willis said the district’s commitment to accessibility was a major factor in selecting the new system allowing accessibility for all students, including those with disabilities. She said the system’s emergency alert features are designed to be both audible and visible, meeting ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) standards.

She said the district expects to begin implementation this school year, with full rollout dependent on assessment and installation timelines. She said the new system represents a significant step forward in school safety, combining technology, training and community partnership to protect students and staff.

“I’m excited about it,” Willis said. “I think we’ve got a great company here that’s really going to train our staff, and I feel like they’re going to be invested to make sure this works, too.”