HOUSTON, Sept. 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Raptor Technologies® and Critical Response Group Inc. (CRG) today announce their strategic partnership to advance communications between schools and first responders. The partnership elevates the aligned missions of Raptor and CRG: to protect every child, every school, every day and to enable first responders to make better decisions faster with the ultimate goal of saving lives, respectively.
“After exhaustive research on our approach to safety enhancements, our district selected Raptor because it offered visitor, emergency, drill, and reunification management within one system,” said Toms River Regional Schools Assistant Superintendent James Ricotta, Jr. “Since we joined together with CRG and Raptor Technologies, Toms River Schools—the sixth largest school district in New Jersey—has the best and most cost effective security upgrades available, has achieved full compliance for local regulations related to Alyssa’s Law, and has the peace of mind that we’re providing our students and staff the highest level of safety and security we can offer.”
Collaborative Response Graphics® (CRGs®) are a battle proven planning technique widely used within the U.S. Military Special Operations community. CRGs prepare first responders for more effective command and control when responding to unfamiliar locations. These standardized, site-specific, and geo-rectified “common operating pictures” combine floor plans, high-resolution imagery, and a gridded overlay together into one map. The combined technology goes well beyond an interactive floorplan by putting the identical mapping solution in standard use by public safety organizations across the country in the hands of first responders and school personnel simultaneously.
“Finding new or better ways to make schools safer is an ongoing professional endeavor of mine, so leveraging these two proven security solutions to enhance our ability to secure our schools was a no-brainer for me,” said Patrick Kissane, Director of School Safety and Security at Edison Township School District and Executive Director of the New Jersey Association of School Resource Officers. “Combining the capabilities of Raptor and CRG allows school officials and first responders to receive quick alerts and increase their situational awareness when reacting to an emergency.”
The seamless integration of CRGs within the Raptor Emergency Management Suite combines proven emergency practices with 21st-century technology to help school districts and law enforcement work together during an emergency. The ability to communicate and collaborate in this manner provides a true common operating picture during an emergency to reduce response time and ultimately save lives. Beyond active incidents, the CRGs can be used during drills, exercises, and reunification events, further enhancing the partnership between schools and local first responder agencies.
About Raptor Technologies®
Raptor Technologies is the nation’s leading provider of integrated school safety technologies for K-12 schools across the United States. Founded in 2002 with the mission to protect every child, every school, every day, Raptor® solutions include Raptor Visitor Management, Raptor Emergency Management, and Raptor Volunteer Management on one integrated platform. Released in 2020, Raptor Alert, a mobile panic button solution and school emergency notification system expedites awareness and response to localized incidents and school- or district-wide emergency situations with the touch of a button. The Raptor system also enables schools to screen students, staff, and visitors with optional custom health-related questions and to run detailed reports to help facilitate contact tracing.
Raptor Technologies is a privately held corporation based in Houston, Texas. As of 2020, over 32,000 schools across the nation trust Raptor to help protect their schools.
For more information, visit www.raptortech.com.
About Critical Response Group, Inc.
Critical Response Group is a team of dedicated, experienced, and proven professionals from the U.S. Military Special Operations and domestic public safety communities. Members of Critical Response Group have served as Police Chiefs, SWAT team commanders, Fire Chiefs, Emergency Management Coordinators, State Fusion Center Directors, and former members of the U.S. Military Special Operations Command who have served on numerous tours in combat. They have a proven record of success operating in environments ranging from the war on terror overseas to man-made and natural disasters here at home.
For more information, visit www.crgplans.com.
Media Contact:
Ida Yenney, KCPR
(818) 419-0516
idayenney@gmail.com