Freeport High School implemented new security measures by installing the new BluePoint alarm system.
“It’s a deterrent for any school shooting to occur now and in the future,” School Resource Officer Alejandro Gutierrez said.
But how does Bluepoint actually work?
According to Gutierrez, they work similarly to a fire alarm where if you pull the alarm, it will notify the fire alarm. However, instead of alerting the fire department, the Bluepoint system will notify the police department. The device alerts police to what device was pulled and where it was pulled.
Last year, Gov. JB Pritzker announced plans to pursue a cell phone ban in K-12 schools, but some parents believe that banning phones in schools will make students less safe as they won’t be able to contact their parents in an emergency or call 9-1-1 if needed.
“I think that it’s a way for the school to get ahead of next year when students in Illinois can’t have their phones in school, and a lot of the push back on it is parents wanting their students to have phones so that way if they can call 911 in case of an emergency,” Math Teacher Rachel Petty said.
“It’s probably something they should do,” Earth Science Teacher Chad Hersey said. “t’s a good thing, but it’s kind of scary this is what we have to do in schools.”
“Anything that is safety related is a positive thing,” English Teacher Tyler Spinnato said. “People should realize that we’re kind of in a sad state in America where we think it’s necessary to do this in a school. The situation we’re in is kind of sad.”
