LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) -- It's a scene we've seen 22 times too many just this year. Another school shooting. More innocent lives taken too soon.
“It happened in an art room. That instantly hits home for me because my wife is an art teacher,” said Mike Dahl, Mobile Initiative CEO.
Dahl says after watching the tragic school shooting in Parkland, Florida, his company got to work building the Guardian System.
“This is on the screen so when you pick up the phone, this is what teachers would see. If you see a situation that you need to respond to, you select a suspicious person and that notifies every devise within the school, every teacher, school board, 9-1-1 and an immediate dispatch,” Dahl explained.
The system uses Wi-Fi and GPS and the inventors say can pinpoint the exact location of the shooter in real time. Teachers and administrators would carry devices and could immediately alert systems like Metro Safe. Chief of Public Services and former Louisville police chief Doug Hamilton says technology like this could save lives in an active shooter situation.
“Seconds can save lives. You get an immediate confirmed report instead of what you normally get which is numerous 911 calls,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton says he'd be open to piloting the system in the city. Dahl says they've discussed implementing the system with a number of different schools. Still, no word yet if JCPS will consider adding the technology to their safety procedures.
The system is also fairly cost effective. It costs about $10 a teacher and that includes implementation and training. Right now, manufacturing of these devices is happening outside of the US. Dahl says over the next couple of months they'll be moving all of their operations to Louisville, creating about 70 jobs.