OFFICERS AND TAKEN INTO CUSTODY. HERE IN SOUTH FLORIDA. A MOBILE APP IS BEING USED TO KEEP STUDENTS SAFE IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY, LIKE WHAT HAPPENED AT FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY. IT’S CALLED SAFER WATCH AND IT’S ALREADY BEING USED IN OUR LOCAL SCHOOLS. OUR YASMINE JULMISSE EXPLAINS HOW QUICKLY FIRST RESPONDERS CAN GET TO A SCENE, AND WHEN THERE’S A CONFIRMED INCIDENT, WE WILL THEN PASS IT ALONG TO LAW ENFORCEMENT. SAFER WATCH IS A MOBILE APP THAT ALLOWS SCHOOLS, STUDENTS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO REPORT AN EMERGENCY IN REAL TIME. THE COMPANY IS ALSO BEHIND THE PANIC ALARM SYSTEMS THAT ARE IN MORE THAN 2000 SCHOOLS IN FLORIDA, INCLUDING PALM BEACH COUNTY SCHOOLS AND SOME IN SAINT LUCIE COUNTY. SAFER WATCH CREATED THEIR PANIC BUTTON IN RESPONSE TO THE MARJORY STONEMAN DOUGLAS HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING IN 2018. FOUNDER GINO ROMERO SAYS IN THE WAKE OF THE FSU SHOOTING THURSDAY, MULTIPLE PARKLAND PARENTS WHO HE’S WORKED CLOSELY WITH TO FINE TUNE HIS PRODUCT HAVE REACHED OUT. YESTERDAY, A FEW OF THEM REACHED OUT JUST TO SEE IF WE HAD ANY INFORMATION AS TO WHAT WAS GOING ON, ANY UPDATES THAT WERE HAPPENING, WHICH KIND OF FURTHER HIGHLIGHTS THAT THESE PROBLEMS STILL EXIST AND THE COMMUNICATION GAP STILL EXISTS. SO FAR. ROMERO SAYS SAFER WATCH HAS PREVENTED 12 PLANNED SCHOOL SHOOTINGS AND HAS CUT DOWN RESPONSE TIMES BY 35% ON AVERAGE. WHEN FACULTY AND STAFF AT A SCHOOL HIT THE PANIC BUTTON, IT SENDS THE EXACT LOCATION OF THE INCIDENT TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AND STAFF AT THE OPERATIONS CENTER BASED OUT OF BROWARD COUNTY. AT AN ADDED LAYER OF PROTECTION AND HELP. WATCH EMERGENCIES IN REAL TIME. RIGHT NOW, NOVA UNIVERSITY IN BROWARD IS ONE OF THE ONLY COLLEGES IN SOUTH FLORIDA THAT’S A SAFER WATCH PARTNER. BUT AS ROMERO SAYS, THE APP IS FOR ANYONE. IF YOU ARE A SUBSCRIBER TO SAFER WATCH APPLICATION, WHICH IS FREE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, LAW ENFORCEMENT SENDS OUT REAL TIME ALERTS FROM SAFER WATCH DIRECTLY TO THE PUBLIC. THAT KEEPS PEOPLE UPDATED IN REAL TIME, AS WELL AS IF YOU HAVE THE SAFER WATCH APPLICATION. AS A GENERAL CITIZEN OR A STUDENT, YOU’RE ABLE TO ACTUALLY COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY WITH LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT. NOW, YOU MAY HAVE HEARD THE TERM SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING. HOWEVER, SAFER WATCHES TERM IS SEE SOMETHING. SEND SOMETHING LIKE WHAT’S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW VIA THEIR APP. A LIVE STREAM SO THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS CAN SEE WHAT’S HAPPENING AT A SCENE IN% REAL TIME AT THE SAFER WATCH OPERATIONS CENTER IN BROWARD
FSU tragedy highlights importance of emergency response apps like SaferWatch
SaferWatch is a mobile app that allows schools, students, and the general public to report an emergency to law enforcement quickly.The company is also behind the panic alarm systems that are in more than 2,000 schools in Florida, including Palm Beach County Schools, and some schools in St. Lucie County.SaferWatch created its panic button in response to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland in 2018. Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.Founder Geno Roefaro says in the wake of the Florida State University shooting Thursday, multiple Parkland parents, whom he’s worked closely with to fine-tune the SaferWatch, reached out to him for more information.Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 News”A few of them reached out just to see if we had any information as to what was going on and any updates that were happening,” Roefaro said. “Which kind of further highlights that these problems still exist and the communication gaps still exist.”So far, Roefaro says SaferWatch has prevented 12 planned school shootings and has cut down response times by 35% on average.When faculty and staff at a school hit the panic button, it sends the exact location of the incident to law enforcement.Agencies who use SaferWatch, like the West Palm Beach Police Department, are then able to access the same information from incident in real time.Staff at the operations center based out of Broward County add an extra layer of protection and help watch emergencies as they’re happening.Right now, Nova University in Broward is one of the only colleges in South Florida that’s a SaferWatch partner, but Roefaro said the app is for anyone. “If you are a subscriber to the SaferWatch application, which is free to the general public, law enforcement sends out real-time alerts from SaferWatch directly to the public that keep you updated in real time,” he said. “As well as if you have the application as a general citizen or a student, you’re able to actually communicate directly with local law enforcement.”App users are also able to live stream an emergency to law enforcement directly on the app. SaferWatch’s motto is “if you see something, send something.”Top Headlines:Son of Florida deputy kills 2, wounds 6 others in shooting at Florida State UniversityLocal student, parent react to Florida State University mass shootingBoynton Beach woman arrested, accused of multi-city high-speed chase in stolen carNurse brutally attacked by patient at Palms West Hospital making strides in her recovery
SaferWatch is a mobile app that allows schools, students, and the general public to report an emergency to law enforcement quickly.
The company is also behind the panic alarm systems that are in more than 2,000 schools in Florida, including Palm Beach County Schools, and some schools in St. Lucie County.
SaferWatch created its panic button in response to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland in 2018.
Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.
Founder Geno Roefaro says in the wake of the Florida State University shooting Thursday, multiple Parkland parents, whom he’s worked closely with to fine-tune the SaferWatch, reached out to him for more information.
Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 News
“A few of them reached out just to see if we had any information as to what was going on and any updates that were happening,” Roefaro said. “Which kind of further highlights that these problems still exist and the communication gaps still exist.”
So far, Roefaro says SaferWatch has prevented 12 planned school shootings and has cut down response times by 35% on average.
When faculty and staff at a school hit the panic button, it sends the exact location of the incident to law enforcement.
Agencies who use SaferWatch, like the West Palm Beach Police Department, are then able to access the same information from incident in real time.
Staff at the operations center based out of Broward County add an extra layer of protection and help watch emergencies as they’re happening.
Right now, Nova University in Broward is one of the only colleges in South Florida that’s a SaferWatch partner, but Roefaro said the app is for anyone.
“If you are a subscriber to the SaferWatch application, which is free to the general public, law enforcement sends out real-time alerts from SaferWatch directly to the public that keep you updated in real time,” he said. “As well as if you have the application as a general citizen or a student, you’re able to actually communicate directly with local law enforcement.”
App users are also able to live stream an emergency to law enforcement directly on the app.
SaferWatch’s motto is “if you see something, send something.”
Top Headlines:
Son of Florida deputy kills 2, wounds 6 others in shooting at Florida State University
Local student, parent react to Florida State University mass shooting
Boynton Beach woman arrested, accused of multi-city high-speed chase in stolen car
Nurse brutally attacked by patient at Palms West Hospital making strides in her recovery
