SEATTLE, WA – More than 3,000 K-12 and higher education campuses are now using Prepared Response Inc.’s Rapid Responder crisis management system. The system is being used in more than 350 school districts in 15 states and over 600 public safety agencies nationwide. Rapid Responder provides first responders and school security with instant access to critical campus information including emergency plans, floor plans, aerial imagery, interior and exterior photos, geospatial (GIS) information, hazardous materials locations, utility shut-offs, and evacuation routes for students and staff. The system has been used to successfully mitigate an “active shooter” response at a high school as well as bomb threats, lock downs and fire incidents. Rapid Responder is the only “all hazards” campus crisis management system to be certified for anti-terrorism use by the federal government under the SAFETY Act of 2002.
“School district officials are focused on providing a safe environment for students, staff and visitors,” said Jim Finnell, former first responder and President and CEO of Prepared Response. “Rapid Responder provides first responders with instant access to response plans and valuable site-specific information before they get to the school which saves critical time in an emergency. Rapid Responder also helps drive collaboration between first responders and school officials before an emergency takes place.”
“The greatest benefit, I believe, was bringing the school and local emergency responders together to talk about a difficult subject. This was time well spent,” said Alan Robertson, Facility Manager with Williamsburg-James City County Schools (VA). “We installed Rapid Responder in the summer of 2008 and we reference the material stored on the site frequently. Virginia requires an annual review of all school crisis plans and since our plans are all posted on Rapid Responder, it’s easy for me to check them.”
Rapid Responder has been Certified as a “Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technology” through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s SAFETY Act (Support Anti-Terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies Act of 2002) program and provides infrastructure owners with powerful federal liability protection in the event of an act of terrorism, either domestic or international. This Certification, awarded to fewer than 130 solutions of all types in the past seven years, deems Rapid Responder “reliable, effective and safe” and as an “Approved Product for Homeland Security” by the Department of Homeland Security. Prepared Response has partnered with insurance industry leaders to reduce insurance costs for government and commercial clients.
Rapid Responder is deployed in nearly 15,000 facilities nationwide including schools, airports, hotels, stadiums, hospitals, convention centers and other critical infrastructure across the country. The system is endorsed by the National Sheriffs Association and was the featured solution in the 2007 Harvard Noblis Award for Innovations in Homeland Security. The company also provides National Incident Management System (NIMS) training and other emergency preparedness consulting services for facility and school officials.
About Prepared Response, Inc. Prepared Response Inc. develops emergency preparedness solutions that enable police, fire, and other emergency responders to save lives and mitigate property damage. The company’s flagship product, Rapid Responder®, runs on laptop computers and allows first responders to instantly access to secure, critical facility information including tactical, site and floor plans, aerial and 360 degree imagery, interior and exterior photos, staging areas, hazardous materials locations, utility shut-offs, and evacuation routes for virtually any facility. Rapid Responder is endorsed by the National Sheriffs’ Association and is certified as a “Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technology” through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s SAFETY Act program. The Rapid Responder system protects nearly 15,000 facilities and is currently deployed in educational facilities, public buildings, critical infrastructure, and private facilities across the U.S.
The privately held company, headquartered in Seattle, Washington, was formed in September 2000. Additional information can be found at www.preparedresponse.com or by calling 1-800-705-1856.
For more information, contact: Gary Sabol, Public Relations Manager Prepared Response, Inc. Phone: 206-223-5544 Email: gsabol@preparedresponse.com