Utah teachers equipped with wearable panic alarms to enhance school safety

OGDEN —  A new state law requires Utah teachers to wear panic alarms to be better prepared in emergencies.

“Every teacher in every classroom [will] have a wearable panic alert device. The purpose of that device is if there was something happening, they could activate that and get help on the way,” said Lane Findlay from the Weber School District.

Teachers can wear the devices around their necks and activate them in an emergency. Additionally, wall units are installed so teachers can call for assistance for non-emergencies like a student acting out.

“Teachers can use the devices to call the local dispatch for emergencies, and they can also be programmed to call school administrators or school resource officers,” he said. “And they can process that and send fire or police, depending on the situation. So, you know, you’re talking serious medical calls, active threats, those types of things.”

According to Findlay, so far, about 45% of their 49 schools are equipped with these devices. However, due to their cost, the district can’t roll them out all at once.

The devices run anywhere from $700,000 to $900,000 per high school. Findlay said they’re looking to take advantage of as many state and federal grants as possible.

The law went into effect earlier this year, but there is no deadline for implementing it.