LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — A proposed bill in the Kentucky legislature aims to enhance school safety by encouraging the implementation of wearable panic alert systems in schools across the state.

House Bill 14, which will be heard in committee Wednesday morning, encourages schools to implement "wearable panic alarm" technology. The system, already in use at Meade County Schools, allows teachers to silently alert law enforcement and administrators in emergency situations with the push of a button.

Mark Martin, superintendent of Meade County Schools, emphasized the significance of the technology in critical moments.

“Seconds matter, and in those extreme situations, it’s paramount that everyone on campus knows their role in an appropriate response,” Martin said.

Meade County was among the first school districts in Kentucky to implement the system, which operates through a discreet badge worn by teachers. Pressing the button eight times triggers an immediate lockdown and notifies authorities. A lesser response is initiated if pressed three times, alerting school administrators, resource officers, and medical staff.

The system, which includes GPS tracking, allows law enforcement to pinpoint the exact location of a threat inside the school.

Martin noted that while the technology is often used for behavioral incidents, it has also been crucial in medical emergencies, such as seizures and diabetic episodes.

“It’s an investment in people, and you can’t put a price on human life,” Martin said.

The technology has already been credited with preventing further tragedy at a Georgia high school shooting.

At Apalachee High School, a 14-year-old opened fire and killed two students and two staff members. The school had installed the panic alarm technology a week before the shooting. According to the Associated Press, from the time employees pressed their badges to the time school resource officers approached the shooter and took him into custody, three minutes passed.

Now, Kentucky lawmakers hope to make it more widely available.

For families like Matilda Jenkins, whose grandchildren are in school, safety remains a top concern.

“I don’t know what’s going on with the world—it’s crazy,” Jenkins said. “I hope they have the measurements of what they need to do to protect our children.”

If passed, House Bill 14 could provide additional financial resources for schools to implement the panic alert system, giving parents and educators greater peace of mind.

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