This school year, 2017-2018, Platteview High School has implemented a new app called CrisisGo: a safety assistant available on any smart phone. According to the company’s website, CrisisGo “brings all your team’s safety communication together, empowering everyone with tools and information to help each other at the time of an emergency.” Platteview can use this app to notify Platteview Trojans of any last minute changes or safety precautions, such as snow days or lock downs. Both teachers and parents have expressed how this app is very helpful and find it has been used multiple times this year alone; after all, communication is key.

Before using the CrisisGo app, many families had to stay up late at night or wake up early to catch a notification on the news if school was cancelled due to dangerous weather. However, with the CrisisGo app, students and parents were quickly notified of a school cancelation the night before. Jenny Welsh, a senior at Platteview, says “[CrisisGo] is similar to Twitter, in the sense that you don’t have to wait for [a notification]. It has immediate updates.”

It’s very important for parents and students to be notified of situations such as lock down drills, especially since the number of America’s mass shootings have increased dramatically in recent years. According to an article by NBC, “Number of Mass Shootings on the Rise, Most at Schools: FBI Report”, the majority of attacks in the last decade occurring at a business or a school. Not only are parents and students involved, but teachers also benefit using the app by receiving live updates during similar situations. Shannon Clayton – an English teacher at Platteview – reported that the CrisisGo app is much more efficient than apps used in the past, due to it’s instantaneous communication between Platteview’s staff members. “I feel more confident in what I’m supposed to do as a teacher,” says Clayton. “I have steps to follow right there on my phone or iPad, [which] takes all the guesswork out of [emergency situations].”

“CrisisGo is so convenient,” says senior, Madi McKewon. “Most of us have our phones on us all the time, so it’s easy for us to get the notifications.” The CrisisGo app is extremely helpful for students, parents, and teachers, keeping them aware of what’s going on at Platteview.

What do you think? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.