LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - University of Nebraska-Lincoln students are working on an app to help Lincoln Public Schools teachers and administrators communicate better in emergencies.
The app will be able to help inform teachers about which type of emergency procedures have begun, the Lincoln Journal Star reported . The district has four categories of emergency responses: lockout, lockdown, evacuate and shelter.
A lockout response would involve teachers locking school doors to keep a potential threat out. Lockdowns require classroom doors to be locked, lights to be turned off and students to remain hidden. Situations such as fires or tornadoes would warrant an evacuation while sheltering in place could be caused by bombs or hazardous materials incidents.
The app would display a specific icon associated with one of the categories depending on the type of emergency. The final design may include a brief description about what has prompted the emergency event.
The app would complement communications over intercom, radio or in person, said Joe Wright, the district’s security director.
“It’s another way to communicate,” he said. “The visual part is so important.”
Students from the Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management’s design studio will have a year to work on the project. The school district’s project is one of 14 that the studio choose to work on this year, said Mark Antonson, the studio’s director.
While security apps that perform similar functions are already available, the design process will allow the district to work directly with the students to specialize the app for the district’s needs.
The district’s board on Nov. 28 agreed to pay up to $50,000 for the student’s work.
___
Information from: Lincoln Journal Star, http://www.journalstar.com
Please read our comment policy before commenting.