This device saved many Apalachee teens – and it could save your kids

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - The panic alarm device that alerted authorities to Wednesday’s shooting at Apalachee High School is also in use across the CSRA.

It’s a card worn on a lanyard, and school employees can press a button that calls for help if there’s an active shooter or other danger.

Officials say they were notified of the Apalachee shooting through the Centegix emergency alert system.

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In Centegix’s system, eight presses in a row signal a worst-case scenario on campus, like a school shooting.

GPS data from that button signals school police and law enforcement as to where the physical threat is located, right down to the hallway.

The Colt Gray, the suspect in the Apalachee High shooting, knew exactly where to go.

Schools in McDuffie counties use Centegix, and Columbia County uses a similar system.

It may just look like a badge, but to school districts, it’s a reminder that when it comes to school safety, seconds matter.

With several clicks on their lanyard, they can shut down the school and sound the alarm that help is on the way.

In 2019, a district-wide safety grant gave McDuffie County school staff a new accessory.

“It is part of our dress code, essentially and all staff wear their Centegix badge every day, all day long,” said Stacy Amerson, principal of Dearing Elementary.

The device looks like nothing more than a credit card.

“This Centegix system has just been a very succinct, very quick way for us to respond to any concerns, medical concerns, discipline concerns or anything, you know, intruder concerns,” said Amerson.

Leaders say the white card is saving time and lives.

“Our times are dependent upon the nature of the threat. It takes over computers that come over the strobe system. We can even use this for our tornado, and severe weather alert drills,” said Amerson.

Three clicks of the badge signal a medical emergency and eight clicks call for an entire lockdown.

As soon as this happens, medical personnel are able to directly locate where the threat may be.

“Both of our school and within the district, there’s been medical emergencies that have necessitated the use of the synthetic system. The great thing about the interface of this system is that we have it on our phones as well as on our desktops as well as the ability to activate an alert here. When an alert is activated, a map pops up. So I can pull up my cell phone, if I’m sitting at my desk, it will take over my computer and it will show the exact location where the personnel press the button,” said Amerson.

While the bill to make a panic system a requirement in all Georgia Public Schools failed this year, Centegix says 80% of Georgia schools have this system.

The system even provides a training mode to help students learn the drills.

“We’re not scared, we’re prepared. We know what to do that allowed us to use this system to show our students and our staff how it takes over what it says what our response needs to be,” said Amerson.

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