ALBANY, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — New York lawmakers are proposing a bill that would provide public elementary schools with panic alarms.
The alarms would be used in emergencies, such as a lockdown or active shooter situation. Each school would get at least one alarm that would be directly linked to a police station.
There was a push for the bill at the state Capitol on Wednesday. Advocates were joined by family members of one of the victims of the mass shooting in Parkland, Fla.
The bill comes amid a new report by two of the largest labor and teacher unions in America that recommend caution for live active shooter drills. They said they support trauma-informed training, but schools are not considering the impact of live drills on students.
“What we saw in Parkland was a fire alarm going off, and that caused chaos. What we know is we need to keep it orderly and silent and make sure that the first responders can respond as quick as possible.”
Senator David Carlucci
(D-NY) 38th District
Lawmakers are hoping to pass the bill in the state budget and provide each school with at least one alarm.
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