'Another layer': New technology to be added to Regina Catholic School safety system

(Kaylyn Whibbs/CTV News)

A new technology meant to quickly notify police and staff of emergent situations will be introduced into the Regina Catholic School Division (RCSD) safety system.

Twylla West, communications and media coordinator for Regina Catholic Schools, said their Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) system will enable an email system when pre-set codes are entered. When a code is set for a fire or lockdown, the program would automatically send emails out to school resource officers (SROs) and all staff connected to the school.

“If you are a Grade 2 teacher and you take your class to the Science Centre, and you're on your way back and you get an email that there's a lockdown, then you would not go into the school,” she said.

“That's kind of another layer.”

The Emergency Email Alerts will be processed via their InformaCast Notification System. The technology will come into play at all RCSD locations after the Easter Break, according to West. She said safety is always a top priority and they regularly practice and review protocols.

“It is part of the fluid process of addressing urgent and emergent situations proactively so we are fully prepared to react when necessary,” she said.

Cpl. Anthony Rodier, a school resource officer, said a program like this would be useful because it maximizes notification time and the ability to coordinate when an incident occurs.

“One of the hardest thing is, ‘Okay, who do I need to notify?’ If I’m given information, I have 12 constables and I have a sergeant notifying me, there’s going to be all that back and forth,” he said.

During lockdown drills, Rodier said the SRO responsible for the school would first schedule the drill with administrators.

“When the drill is called by the school, they all have their own systems to kind of initiate the drill,” he said. “Officers sometimes will go around with administrators and stuff like that as well, checking the school, and then interacting with the students, telling them they did a good job.”

“You generally try to go in uniform and when you walk into like a Grade 2 classroom, or especially kindergarten, stuff like that, they're all very excited, they like the bells and whistles, and the shiny stuff,” he added.

Rodier said each school is required to have two lockdown or secure the building drills per year.

He said lockdown drills are important because they have a responsibility as a police service and school division to make sure they can put staff and students in the safest position possible.

“We can kind of eliminate any dangers or anything as much as we possibly can in that way, and then through the lockdown procedure, we actually maximize that police response times and ability to do whatever the situation entails that we have to do,” he said.

He said they study events and things from around the world, learn lessons from other things that happen, and then discuss that with teachers and administrators on the best way to make sure everyone is safe.

West said all school drills operate the same way as in a real emergency.

“At the beginning of the year when we do initial drills with students, there typically is a heads up, but after that, drills come without warning. This is intentional to make sure everyone knows how to react,” she said.

“The reason we practice of course, so that students feel as prepared as possible, should anything happen.”