Mobile County Public School System to upgrade security measures in several schools across the county

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) -The Mobile County Public School System has several security measures in place for its schools. Back in 2021, the school system introduced the crisis alert system to its high schools. Director of Safety and Security Andy Gatewood says it can be used to notify staff of a medical emergency, a fight or if the school needs to go into lockdown.

“Every employee in each school is issued a badge that they wear around their neck on a lanyard, and they can effectively get assistance from the responder team which is generally the administrator and resource officer,” said Andy Gatewood.

Once activated, the alert system takes over all computers and smartboards in a school and flashes color coded lights depending on the type of emergency. Like red for a full lockdown or green once all clear.

“It actually shows where the person is located when they press the alert so the administrators, resource officers whoever can quickly respond to that location,” said Gatewood.

The school system added the crisis alert system to their middle and K8 schools during the last school year. Now they’re set to add it to all 54 elementary schools.

“They can have emergencies just as anyone else, so we find it’s very important to give them that same capability and empower them with that same technology,” added Gatewood.

Soon they’ll also upgrade the camera systems at some schools like B.C. Rain and Murphy. Instead of the analog cameras they have now, they’ll soon have newer IP cameras like the rest of the schools. The cameras will be part of the new video management system.

“The administrator will be able to access the cameras for their school and back here at central office myself and the other resource officers will be able to access the cameras across the school system,” said Gatewood.

Gatewood says they’ll also upgrade the cameras by the doors. They already have a Raptor system that will do a background check on anyone who signs in and shows their driver’s license. They’re looking at adding facial recognition cameras as well.

“If we have a person that we know is a danger or shouldn’t be on campus we can actually scan a digital photograph of that person into the system…