If it seems like news of bomb threats at U.S. schools is becoming more common, that’s because it’s true.

In fact, a new study by the Educator’s Safety Network has identified a total of 1,276 bomb threats in the 2015-2016 school year. That is TWICE as many as 2012-13. To say these threats have increased at a sharp rate is an understatement.

The good news: Of all these threats, there were four explosive devices found and one detonation.

The disheartening news: The full report from the Educator’s Safety Network study contains the following warning: The question that must be considered is not “if” an explosive device will be detonated in a school but rather “when”.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THERE IS A REAL BOMB AT A SCHOOL?

What if there is a legitimate threat? If a building had to be evacuated, how can you make sure everyone gets out?

Real-time visibility is a function of RTLS software, such as ZulaFly’s Fuzion, that allows you to know who is where in real-time. In the moment where a suspicious object may be spotted, staff can call for help immediately. If necessary, efficient evacuation can begin swiftly.

EFFICIENT CAMPUS EVACUATION IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY

Bomb threats can be especially scary if the danger has come to light during a busy school day with a packed building. If someone sees something suspicious, warns everyone, and there’s a mass exodus out of the building, how do you know everyone actually has vacated and when?

With staff members and/or students wearing RTLS-based tags that they can use to call for help from anywhere, it is easier to know if each individual has made it to safety. Fuzion’s cloud-hosted mobile solution allows any designated person to access data from anywhere. Now, safety can be confirmed from a parking lot, vehicle, or wherever safe haven from the threat may be.

Once the building is safely emptied, experts can begin the work of safely eliminating the bomb threat and the educational operations can continue as usual.

While the Educator’s Safety Network also emphasizes the importance of local emergency officials to provide training, strategies, skills, and information related to responding to bomb threats, the real-time data and dashboards Fuzion provides in an emergency only further empowers staff members and decision makers to know who is still in the building and where they are located.

School security is a paramount issue in today’s America. With bomb threats on the rise, RTLS-based solutions can ensure safety and save time. Furthermore, software such as Fuzion ensures staff in classrooms are working in confidence, knowing that a dependable system is in place if an urgent, building-wide emergency such as a bomb threat arises.