The Broward School Board has given approval to a new school safety measure: an emergency panic alert system, also known as Alyssa Alert.

The Florida Legislature passed a measure in 2020 that set aside more than $6 million in recurring funds to provide technology to install a mobile panic alert system in every public school in the state. The system connects to first responders.

The bill passed after Lori Alhadeff, now a Broward County school board member, campaigned in memory of her daughter Alyssa, who was killed in the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.

The measure is known as Alyssa’s Law and has now been signed into law in seven states. “Every time Alyssa’s alert goes off and a life is saved, Alyssa was a part of it,” Lori told WLRN in a 2022 interview.

When the wearable device, which is similar to a panic button accessory, is activated, it alerts first responders of situations such as an active shooter or health emergency.

It is unclear when Broward will begin using this system in its schools.

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