FETC 2025 Exhibitor in Action: How CrisisGo helped Pasco County Schools cultivate safer classrooms
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Today’s K12 schools face increasing pressures to prioritize student, visitor and staff safety while ensuring rapid, effective responses to emergencies.
One school district making significant strides in this area is Pasco County Schools in Florida. By partnering with CrisisGo the district transformed its safety protocols, integrating technology to enhance crisis communication and response.
Here’s how Pasco County leveraged CrisisGo’s customizable solutions to create a safer environment for students and staff, and how these solutions are empowering teachers to effectively response to emergencies as they arise.
The Need for Advanced Safety Solutions in Pasco County Schools
In 2019 Pasco County Schools recognized its need for advanced safety solutions in light of evolving threats such as active shooters, severe weather, and medical emergencies.
With more than 70,000 students and hundreds of buildings spread across the county, Pasco County Schools’ main goal was to unify crisis communications and response planning between its staff, district leaders and local first responders.
Previously, the district relied on traditional methods like phone trees and email chains to manage emergencies, which proved too slow when faced with critical situations. The school board needed a system that could deliver immediate alerts, streamline communication, and provide first responders with essential situational data.
With the help of a three-year federal grant, Pasco County Schools began an ongoing partnership with CrisisGo.
Customizing CrisisGo for PCS’ Unique Requirements
Pasco County administrators worked closely with CrisisGo to refine the platform’s capabilities to fit their school environments. This included integrating a district-wide mobile app with automated alerts, geofencing capabilities, and real-time updates, allowing each school to have a customized safety plan.
Embedded within the CrisisGo app is a panic button feature that gives educators immediate access to issuing emergency alerts and communicating with students, parents and district leaders. Pasco County Schools’ version of the app also enabled the district to send critical notifications directly to local authorities, based on the type of emergency reported.
In addition to providing real-time alerts and communication at their fingertips, the CrisisGo app was customized to integrate with Pasco’s existing safety protocols, including the ability to conduct emergency drills digitally.
The app’s Safety iPass feature enabled Pasco County Schools to provide real-time updates during safety drills, allowing administrators to track attendance, monitor evacuation routes, and receive feedback on areas for improvement. This flexibility made CrisisGo an essential tool in enhancing Pasco’s ability to manage school safety in both everyday situations and emergency crises.
Enhancing Real-Time Communication and Response Capabilities
One of the most critical aspects of any emergency response is the ability to communicate clearly and quickly with all necessary parties. A cornerstone of Pasco County’s safety enhancement was integrating CrisisGo’s real-time communication features, which have drastically improved the district's response to potential threats.
The CrisisGo app now allows PCS teachers to report emergencies via their smartphones, which are then transmitted to the appropriate parties, including law enforcement and school administrators. In situations where speed is essential, like an active shooter scenario, this feature is invaluable. The district also uses the app to facilitate communication during less urgent situations, such as severe weather or medical emergencies.
CrisisGo’s real-time capabilities extend to communication with first responders as well. Pasco County’s collaboration with local law enforcement ensures that during emergencies, first responders can access the same information as school personnel. This includes building maps, emergency plans, and situational updates, which provide responders with the context they need to act efficiently upon arrival at the scene. This two-way communication has significantly reduced response times and improved coordination between the district’s school leaders and first responders.
Training and Empowering Educators
One of the challenges of implementing a district-wide safety solution is getting everyone on board and empowering staff to be super users of its technology.
Before Pasco County Schools rolled out CrisisGo, staff across the district participated in comprehensive training sessions, focusing on how to operate the app during various emergency scenarios.
Teachers were also trained to manage their students during an emergency while using the app to communicate with administrators about their classroom’s status.
This training helped PCS teachers and support staff feel confident using the platform in real-time – especially when under pressure – and understand the protocols for different types of crises, from intruder alerts to extreme weather events to medical emergencies.
Continuous Improvement and Future Expansion
Pasco County has said its partnership with CrisisGo is an evolving process, with administrators regularly reviewing the system’s effectiveness and identifying areas for improvement. The app’s flexibility has allowed the district to continue adapting the platform as new safety challenges emerge.
The district’s safety enhancement plans included extending the platform’s use to monitoring school grounds with IoT devices that can trigger automated alerts when unusual activity is detected.
CrisisGo’s Ongoing Commitment to Crisis Prevention
CrisisGo is proving to be an invaluable asset for K12 school districts across the U.S., from Missouri to Illinois and Florida. By integrating advanced safety features with real-time communication, behavioral assessments, and seamless collaboration with first responders, the platform helps schools prevent crises before they escalate. Pasco County Schools and many other districts are leveraging CrisisGo to create safer learning environments, setting a standard for school safety practices nationwide.
You can learn even more about CrisisGo and its safety solutions by visiting Booth #439 in the FECT 2025 Expo Hall.
Don’t forget: There’s still time to register for FETC 2025!
All conference registrations include admission to our keynote sessions, networking events and expo hall, including three specialized pavilions focused on Safety & Security, Cybersecurity, and EdTech Startups. Discounted group rates and early bird rates are available.
Sources
https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.crisisgo.com/education&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1731257409079970&usg=AOvVaw0XjGdeWQzWwlyPHn576d_E
https://www.crisisgo.com/blog/customizing-safety-solutions-how-crisisgo-gave-pasco-county-exactly-what-they-needed
https://www.fox13news.com/news/crisisgo-app-gives-on-demand-emergency-response-to-pasco-educators
