Lapwai School District Installs the Rapid Responder Crisis Management System to Protect Students and Staff

Award-winning solution provides school security and first responders with instant access to critical campus information during emergencies

LAPWAI, ID –August 25, 2009 – Lapwai School District #341 announced today it has installed the award-winning Rapid Responder® crisis management system to protect its students and staff during a wide-range of emergencies. The Web-based Rapid Responder from Prepared Response, Inc. provides the district and the Nez Perce Tribal Police, Nez Perce County Sheriff’s Office, Idaho State Police, FBI, and other local, state, and federal first responders with secure and instant access to critical campus information including floor plans, aerial imagery and other important information via a computer. The district received a federal school safety grant in 2007 to install Rapid Responder which will help protect the district’s elementary, middle, high school and administration facilities. Prepared Response also provided emergency preparedness and tactical response consulting services for the district.

“The Lapwai School District is very serious about security and safety in our schools,” said Terry Smith, Superintendent of the Lapwai School District. “By installing a state-of-the-art crisis management system and training the staff in updated security procedures, we feel the district is better prepared to deal with emergencies in our schools. This process has added new dimensions to our partnerships with the various agencies and organizations involved in helping formulate a plan for our students and community that will be sustainable into the future.”

“Lapwai School District joins a growing list of school districts in Idaho that are using Rapid Responder to protect their campuses,” said Jim Finnell, President and CEO of Prepared Response. “Rapid Responder allows local police and fire agencies to work closely with district administrators so they can respond faster and in a more coordinated manner to better protect both students and staff.”

Rapid Responder has been used during a campus shooting, bomb threats, lock downs and other emergency situations on school campuses throughout the country. Rapid Responder is the only crisis management system certified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s SAFETY Act as a “Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technology.” Rapid Responder is being used in 16 states with over 12,000 end users including more than 630 public safety agencies and 400 school districts. This system was recognized in the Harvard/Noblis Innovations Award in Homeland Security that was presented to the State of Washington in September 2007 and is endorsed by the National Sheriffs’ Association.