CALEDONIA – Caledonia-Mumford Central School District in Western New York has finished implementing the New York State Sheriff’s Association (NYSSA) Rapid Responder Program, designed for Sheriffs, local law enforcement, fire, medical, and school personnel to respond faster and more efficiently in an emergency.

According to a press release from Livingston County Sheriff Thomas Dougherty, Rapid Responder is an all-hazards site-based crisis management system which provides school administrators and first responders instant access to site specific emergency response information, including floor plans, aerial views, site maps, hazardous material locations, utility shut off information, emergency and evacuation plans, and live camera feed.

“In a time of emergency, clear communication is required,” said Bob Molisani, Superintendent of the Caledonia Mumford Central School District. ‘With this technology, all responders will have at their fingertips the information that they need. It has everything that we would normally pull from memory, and during a time of emergency or crisis, it is highly unlikely that we remember everything we need to.”

Since implementing Rapid Responder,Cal-Mum has been assigning authorized users including their administrators and first responders, into the system. In the very near future, they will start using it to log drills and then work toward using it for table-top drills with their local emergency responders for various scenarios. They plan to completely do away with the hard copy response plan system and rely solely on Rapid Responder to easily amend plans and have up-to-date information for all of their district’s schools.

“The biggest benefit of the NYSSA Rapid Responder Program is bringing all school officials and first responders together on one program, using modern technology,” said Sheriff Dougherty. “We can and will train together and be prepared for the worst as a collective team. Through this partnership, we are able to have a more coordinated effort when responding to Caledonia-Mumford CSD. The NYSSA Rapid Responder program provides stability to the situation at hand quickly, and as the Sheriff, that is exactly what I want.”

Prior to implementing the NYSSA Rapid Responder Program, Caledonia-Mumford CSD had an array of safety plans from weather-related incidents to intruders. All of the response plans were spelled out, but the district utilized a hard copy, binder system that can be inadequate during an actual emergency. Their schools are also equipped with a panic button system, a school resource officer, visitor management procedures, and escorts. A few years ago, they also underwent a large school safety audit that they have used to make various safety upgrades.

Currently deployed in over 16,000 facilities nationwide, Rapid Responder is SAFETY Act certified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and has been successfully used during active shooter events, bomb threats, lock downs and other emergency situations.