Broward Schools Add Another Layer of Security with Crisis Alert Badge

(Fort Lauderdale, FL) - Broward is the first school district in the state with three ways for employees to quickly notify first responders of an emergency, according to Broward Schools Superintendent Dr. Howard Hepburn. This morning, school officials demonstrated the lastest layer of protection, the CrisisAlert™ badge.

School board member and mother to a Parkland school shooting victim, Lori Alhadeff, says every school and District office will be equipped with a CrisisAlert™ badge at the start of the 2025/26 school year.

Dr. Hepburn says safety is his first concern and now "notifying first responders about when and where an emergency is taking place will be as easy as pressing a button."

Dr. Hepburn says pressing the alert badge button three times signals a medical emergency. Pressed eight or more times means there's an active shooter and the school goes on lockdown with a mass alert going out to law enforcement and parents.

“When seconds matter, every employee is equipped to get crucial information in the hands of those who can help,” said Hepburn.

The wearable badge activates strobe lights installed across all BCPS school campuses and offices. Hepburn adds, "It provides comprehensive coverage that includes parking lots and athletic fields. Teachers, administrators and staff can use their wearable badges to alert to various emergencies, ranging from medical incidents and student altercations to initiating a campuswide lockdown due to a school threat."