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New York City Launches Pilot Linking Public Schools Directly to 911

Officials say direct integration trims crucial minutes from school emergency response.

Overview

  • The city unveiled the Emergency Alert System at Spring Creek Community School in Brooklyn, the first site with the technology installed.
  • The pilot will cover 25 school buildings housing 51 public schools across all five boroughs during the 2025–26 school year.
  • Staff can initiate an alert from fixed buttons or wireless lanyards, with notifications reaching 911 dispatchers in under 10 seconds.
  • The platform provides real-time dashboards, audio and visual lockdown indicators, and location details for responders and school administrators.
  • City officials say the system was built by the Office of Technology and Innovation to integrate with NYC’s 911 infrastructure, following a separate 2023 panic-button pilot that, as Gothamist reports, drew federal scrutiny and was not expanded.