Alcorn School District Partners with Alcorn County 911 to Enhance Student Safety
The Alcorn School District (ASD) has made significant strides in improving student safety by partnering with Alcorn County 911 to enhance the monitoring and communication capabilities of its school bus fleet. This collaboration equips all ASD buses with radio communication systems, allowing them to be monitored in real time alongside first responders like the Alcorn County Sheriff’s Department and local fire departments.
The bus radio system enables 911 operators to track the exact location of every school bus across the district, thanks to a live server hosted in the 911 call center. This integration allows emergency responders to react quickly to a specific location in any situation involving a school bus. Additionally, buses that travel across the state or even beyond Mississippi’s borders can still be monitored in real time. Through the integration with Alcorn County’s 911 dispatch center, the location of these buses can be tracked, further ensuring the safety of students and staff on trips. Whether in a routine route or a field trip out of the district, the ability to track buses provides an extra layer of security and control.
In addition to seeing the busses’ specific location, operators in the 911 call center also can patch through emergency management personnel, allowing them to speak directly with bus drivers if needed during an emergency. This capability ensures that buses can be seamlessly integrated into any coordinated emergency response, including natural disasters, where quick communication is critical.
The implementation of these radio systems also eliminates the need for bus drivers to rely solely on cell service, which can be unreliable in some of the more rural routes within the district. In the event of an emergency, this radio system provides a much more dependable line of communication, ensuring that drivers can stay connected regardless of cell signal strength. Bus drivers can also legally use the radio system while the bus is in motion eliminating the need for drivers to pull to the side of a road, potentially creating a greater or additional safety hazard, to use their cell phones.
ASD Transportation Director Randy Holt expressed his confidence in the initiative, emphasizing how it enhances the district’s ability to protect students both inside and outside the classroom. “This collaboration ensures that our students are protected both inside and outside the classroom. Knowing that our buses are monitored in real time by 911 should offer peace of mind to families and staff alike,” Holt said.
Alcorn School District Superintendent Brandon Quinn praises Alcorn County 911 in collaborating with the district for this program. “The Alcorn School District is constantly striving to find additional methods to ensure student safety. Being able to collaborate with Alcorn County 911 has opened a whole new level of response and protection for our students and staff on our school buses.”
Alcorn County 911 Director Kim McCreless adds, “Communication is everything. The level of communication and relationship this project has established between the Alcorn School District and Alcorn County Emergency Management is going allow us to better ensure the safety of our community in all situations, but especially in the event of some type of emergency.”
This partnership, a first of its kind in the area, reflects the Alcorn School District’s commitment to student safety and Alcorn County Emergency Management’s dedication to emergency preparedness across all aspects of their community.