KENT COUNTY, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – In the wake of the tragic 2023 Michigan State University shooting, law enforcement and schools across Michigan have been ramping up safety measures. As students return to school this fall, the Kent County Sheriff’s Office is rolling out a game- changing tool designed to keep them safe: the Emergency Radio Network.
According to Fox 17, this state-of-the-art network, already active in about 300 schools throughout Kent County, is a direct line to law enforcement in times of crisis. Rockford High School Principal Tom Hosford emphasized the importance of the new system, highlighting how it fits into his school’s safety protocols.
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Undersheriff Bryan Muir of the Kent County Sheriff’s Office explained, “What this network will allow is a direct communication from our schools back to the dispatch centers, both here for Kent County Sheriff’s Office and the city of Grand Rapids.”
The big red button: A simple, life-saving solution.
The Emergency Radio Network operates with a straightforward mechanism: a big, red button. According to Muir, pressing this button instantly triggers the dispatch centers. “Anytime they feel there’s a critical need for law enforcement at their school building, they just have to press a red button on a radio,” Muir said.
The system, which cost $2.8 million, offers real-time communication with a direct line to dispatchers. It also identifies the school needing help. “It just allows us to get police there almost immediately,
versus having to wait to establish that communication through traditional means,” Muir added.
The funding used came from ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) which was approved by the Kent County Commissioners. It’s used for not only the 14 public school districts in the county but also for the private, parochial and charter schools.
Why this beats 911: cutting through the chaos.
One of the major advantages of this network over traditional 911 calls is its efficiency. In the event of an emergency, 911 centers can be flooded with hundreds of calls, making it difficult to prioritize responses. “We may receive 100, 200, 500 cell phone calls all to our 911 system,” Muir pointed out. This direct line ensures that officers know exactly where to respond first, potentially saving lives by reducing response times.
Rockford High School Principal Thomas Hosford echoed the importance of the new network, saying that if something like what happened at Michigan State University were to happen anywhere in Kent County, “it will get us in communication with law enforcement that much faster.”
What’s next: integrating new tech for real-time response.
Undersheriff Muir hinted that this is just the beginning. The Kent County Sheriff’s Office is exploring further technological integrations, such as linking ring cameras to the network for real-time visual
information. This would allow dispatchers and officers to assess situations quickly and allocate resources more effectively.
As Kent County moves forward with these initiatives, the goal is clear: faster, smarter, and more effective responses to keep students and staff safe in an unpredictable world.
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