Page 4 - ARUBATODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 3 april 2023
States aim to boost school safety after Tennessee shooting

By CLAIRE RUSH partment and also serves
Associated Press/Report for as assistant superintendent
America of middle school educa-
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — In tion. But he said school per-
the wake of an elementary sonnel use the badge ev-
school shooting in Tennes- ery day for things ranging
see earlier this week that from student fights to medi-
left three 9-year-olds and cal emergencies.
three adults dead, state "Earlier today we used it
legislatures across the when we had a student
country are moving for- who was unconscious. The
ward with bills aiming to im- staff member, instead of
prove school safety. leaving the kid to go call
The bills have been intro- for help, was able to just
duced in blue and red hit their button three times
states alike and would re- and had a lot of assistance
quire schools to install tech- real quickly," he said on
nology ranging from panic Thursday.
buttons, video surveillance "We've gotten tremendous
and emergency communi- feedback from our staff
cations systems. Most have regarding the fact that it
bipartisan support, with A smartphone is held during a demonstration of the Rave Panic Button application at the Arkansas makes them feel safer, em-
lawmakers seeing them as state Capitol in Little Rock, Ark., Aug. 11, 2015. powered," McMullen said.
a way to boost school se- Associated Press Panic alert devices gained
curity while avoiding politi- steam after the 2018 mass
cal gridlock on the hot-but- Leader William Lamberth all public school classrooms implement new security shooting at Marjory Stone-
ton issue of gun control. But said. to have panic alert devices measures such as panic man Douglas High School
some experts say teacher While Democratic state that would contact law en- devices. in Parkland, Florida.
safety training is more ef- lawmakers have called for forcement or emergency Las Vegas's Clark County Lori Alhadeff, whose
fective and less expensive tighter gun laws as a way services when activated. School District, among the 14-year-old daughter, Alys-
than the new technologies, to stem school shootings, If passed, the panic alert 10 largest districts nation- sa, was among the 17 killed,
which also can require up- many are now also sup- bill would make Oregon wide, is now using a system founded the group Make
grades or ongoing main- porting the school emer- the fourth state — along involving badges called Our Schools Safe and be-
tenance that may not be gency measures that have with Republican-led Florida CrisisAlert. The badges can gan advocating for panic
funded. largely been touted by Re- and Democratic-led New be worn around the neck buttons. She had texted her
That hasn't stopped states publicans. Jersey and New York — to and pressed to call for help daughter as shots rang out
from Oregon to Missouri to In Oregon, where Demo- enact such a law. Several or trigger a schoolwide that help was on the way.
Tennessee from pursuing crats control the Legis- other states are consider- lockdown. "It's really so important to
the systems. lature, a bill that would ing similar legislation. Olathe Public Schools in be proactive, and to re-
"I was asked by a col- require schools to send "If there's anything we suburban Kansas City, the ally accept the fact that
league if our schools will electronic notifications to know, it's that during an second-largest district in unfortunately this can
have to become fortresses parents as soon as possible emergency, time equals the state, also adopted happen anywhere at any
to keep our kids safe. And I after a safety threat occurs life," said one of the Or- CrisisAlert. The district has time, as we've seen over
told them yes, if that's what passed the state House egon bill's chief sponsors, yet to use it to respond to and over again," said Lori
it takes. I don't care if we unanimously this week. Two Democratic state Rep. Em- an active shooter situation, Kitaygorodsky, the group's
have to park a tank out- Democratic lawmakers are erson Levy. according to Jim McMul- spokesperson. "There's real-
side a school," Tennessee's the chief sponsors of an- Some school districts aren't len, who oversees the dis- ly nothing to lose by being
Republican House Majority other bill that would require waiting for legislation to trict's Safety Services De- prepared."q

About 25 train cars derail in Montana,

no injuries reported

Sunday in northwestern were carrying, he said. public, and understand-
Montana, with no injuries or Photos posted on social ing the reasons for this inci-
evacuations reported, au- media show some of the dent," the company said.
thorities said. cars appearing to dip just Montana's U.S. Sens. Steve
The cars, which were not into the river. Daines and Jon Tester said
believed to be carrying The train cars did not re- in separate tweets that
anything hazardous, de- lease any hazardous ma- they were monitoring the
railed near the town of Par- terials, Montana Rail Link derailment and were in
adise along the Clark Fork said in a statement. The touch with local officials.
River, said Bill Brown, a dis- company said the cause of Federal regulators and
patcher with the Sanders the derailment was being members of Congress are
County Sheriff's Office. investigated. urging railroads to do more
This image provided by Daffney Clairmont shows a train derailed Firefighters and representa- "We are committed to ad- to prevent derailments af-
along the Clark Fork River near Paradise, Mont., Sunday, April 2, tives of Montana Rail Link, dressing any impacts to the ter recent fiery wrecks in-
2023.
Associated Press which was operating the area as a result of this acci- volving hazardous chemi-
train, were responding and dent, prioritizing the safety cals in Ohio and Minnesota
PARADISE, Mont. (AP) — About 25 train cars derailed investigating what the cars of our employees and the prompted evacuations.q