Bill Calls for Emergency Alarms at Texas Schools
While some state lawmakers have filed school safety bills aimed at increasing gun access or regulation on school property, one legislator is taking a different approach to protecting Texas’ schoolchildren.
State Rep. Eddie Rodriguez, D-Austin, on Friday filed House Bill 1353, which would require school districts to equip their schools with electronic emergency alarms that notify police in the event of a school emergency, like a school shooting similar to what occurred in December at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.
"If [emergency buttons] are good enough for convenience stores and banks, they are good enough for Texas schools ...
Comments (19)
Marko Ramius
An emergency system for schools is already active and utilized, it's called 911. Most school offices and classrooms have a telephone, and most faculty and staff already have a cell phone. Also, it is interesting that Rep. Rodriquez compares a convenience store robbery to a mass shooter at a school. Convenience stores also have shot guns, so by his logic, if it's good enough for convenience stores, schools should have shot guns too.
But I doubt the panic button would save any time anyway. Let's say even if it saved seconds, the story admits it still took police 20 minutes to arrive. As the saying goes, "when seconds count, the police are only minutes away."
In summary, this bill seems to have been poorly thought out, and I am disappointed Mr. Permenter didn't mention any of these obvious shortcomings in his story.
Christine Carey via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Only if one of his frat buddies owns an emergency alarm system, and only if more funding is provided so it doesn't cut into Royce West's school money.
Christine Carey via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Appropriate school buildings would be a worthy investment. How to pay for it? Cut off the private law firms gobbling up $90mm per year at the administrative level.
Christine Carey via Texas Tribune on Facebook
No more Truett Trailer Parks.
Mike Openshaw via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Owners of stores ALSO have the option of carrying weapons; which one do you really believe more likely to actually STOP the criminal behavior, rather than merely report the crime afterward?
Darrel Mulloy via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Good idea, because when seconds count, the police are only minutes away.
Patrick Trotter via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Better idea than guns.
Jeff Allen via Texas Tribune on Facebook
an alarm and gun for the qualified adultS!
Cara Mendelsohn via Texas Tribune on Facebook
You know, some schools already have this and you would hate to know how many don't actually work!
Christine Carey via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Great idea. I'm sure my son's computer teacher at the middle school would greatly improve her regular screaming breakdowns if she was armed.
Dot Pate
Better idea--HOME SCHOOLING !
Mark Sharp via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Fast-acting Newtown officers "made it in under three minutes, arriving in the parking lot while gunfire could still be heard," according to New York Times interviews with the first responders that day.
In a rush to get the "one up" CNN.com posted an (proven) inaccurate timeline creating the 20-minute myth.
So what State Rep. Eddie Rodriguez would have you believe is that when someone calls 911 and says "There is this guy shooting a bunch of kids in the school !!! The 911 dispatcher would say, Oh I'm sorry, It will be at least 20 minutes before an officer can get there, next time get an panic alarm so we can respond faster."
Carlyn Short via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Of course it's a great idea, but who is going to pay for them?
Matthew Cowan via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Here is a novel idea Carlyn, how about the School Districts that are charged with the safety of your kids paying for it Perhaps not spending money on over architectural building. Reduce the superintendents pay will create savings.
This is nothing new. HISD put in alarms and phones in the classroom in the 1980's in response to a teacher being shot.
Adam Gongora via Texas Tribune on Facebook
rite on,,, maybe if the alarm is loud enough, it will scare away any1 trying to cause harm and protect the kids....????
Matthew Cowan via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Anything is possible Adam. It provides quicker notification of a situation and as a deterrent.
Kurt Schneider via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Utah and the Harrold (TX) school district have allowed teachers to carry concealed for decades. No shootings. The response to an alarm will be after the fact, not immediate.
Toni Mikel via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Small increase in Personal Property taxes could pay for it, that's where school money comes from partially. If NRA wants guns in schools then they can pay for it but I think it's a bad idea.
Martha Moreland Knight via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Each classroom needs a panic button at least to the office. Unruly students can be a danger to a teacher or other children in the class.