Education Department launches emergency alert system in public schools
The $18.8 million federally funded system, activated during a earthquake drill in Caguas, uses speakers, mobile alerts and a command center to coordinate responses with police and emergency agencies.
PhotoThe short version
- El Nuevo Día reports the system is installed in 836 buildings including schools, regional offices, cafeterias and special education centers
- Metro Puerto Rico reports the activation occurred at 10 a.m. Thursday during the ShakeOut drill at an elementary school in Caguas
- Both outlets state the system features loudspeakers covering five miles, pre-recorded voice alerts for earthquakes, fires, tsunamis and active shooters, plus push notifications via a mobile app
- El Nuevo Día and Metro Puerto Rico report the $18.8 million investment came from federal RESTART funds and the contract was awarded to ATI Systems
Launch during earthquake simulation
The Puerto Rico Department of Education activated a new emergency alert system on Thursday, Oct. 15 during the “ShakeOut” earthquake drill at an elementary school in Caguas. El Nuevo Día reported. Students in fourth grade practiced “Drop, Cover and Hold On” under their desks after hearing the alarm, according to the outlet.
Education Secretary Eliezer Ramos Parés and Security Commissioner César González were present. The system is already installed in 836 agency buildings, including schools, regional offices of the Office for the Improvement of Public Schools, school cafeterias and special education service centers, El Nuevo Día and Metro Puerto Rico reported.
Also on PuertoRico.com: Caguas travel guide
What the sources posted
Posts and statements below are the sources' own words, quoted as published. They are not independently verified.
Nuestra gobernadora Jenniffer González quiere que cada estudiante y cada empleado sepa qué hacer ante una emergencia y cuente con herramientas que faciliten una respuesta coordinada.
Our translation: Our governor Jenniffer González wants every student and every employee to know what to do in an emergency and to have tools that facilitate a coordinated response.
The source's own statement, as quoted by Metro Puerto Rico. Not verified by PuertoRico.com.
How the system works
The technology includes loudspeakers with a five-mile radius that broadcast pre-recorded voice alerts for various emergencies listed in the school emergency plan. It also sends audio and text push notifications to cellphones of school community members and can incorporate lighting systems for students in special education, El Nuevo Día reported.
Alerts can be activated centrally for island-wide events such as earthquakes or tsunamis, or locally by school directors for incidents like fires, gas leaks or active shooters. Directors and selected staff have been trained to trigger the system from a computer, cellphone or a panic button panel. The platform connects to two-year-old radio networks and automatically notifies the center of operations and the Emergency Management Bureau, which then coordinates with police, emergency management or medical services, according to both outlets.
Funding and future expansion
The project cost $18.8 million in federal funds, specifically RESTART funds aimed at strengthening schools’ emergency response and recovery capacity, Metro Puerto Rico and El Nuevo Día reported. The contract was awarded to ATI Systems, a company with experience in military, government and educational installations.
Ramos Parés said the system addresses lessons from Hurricane Maria in 2017 when entire regions lost communication. González indicated conversations have taken place with mayors of coastal towns to integrate the school alert system with municipal tsunami warning systems. A future phase will allow parents access via an app to receive notifications about their children’s schools, El Nuevo Día reported.
Where the sources differ
Both El Nuevo Día and Metro Puerto Rico agree on the $18.8 million federal cost, the activation date and location in Caguas during the Gran ShakeOut, the presence of Secretary Eliezer Ramos Parés and Commissioner César González (named González Cordero by Metro), and core features such as loudspeakers, mobile alerts and coordination with police and emergency agencies. El Nuevo Día provides more technical detail on the five-mile speaker radius, integration with special-education lighting, the panic button, step-by-step digital guidance that logs completed tasks, prior radio installations from two years ago, and possible future municipal tsunami integration. Metro Puerto Rico adds that the command center is in the Office of the Security Commissioner, that alerts can target a single facility, a region or all sites, and that radios were previously distributed to all 856 public schools. The number of equipped buildings is given as 836 by El Nuevo Día while Metro refers to the prior distribution to 856 schools.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not state how many schools still lack the new alert hardware, the exact number of staff trained so far, the current status of training in the seven educational regions, or when the parent-access mobile application will be launched. They also do not indicate whether the system has been tested with real emergencies or provide a timeline for full island-wide rollout beyond the 836 buildings already equipped.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Official Educación estrena sistema de alertas para atender emergencias en las escuelas públicas
- Reporting Educación estrena sistema de alertas para atender emergencias en las escuelas públicas
- Reporting Educación activa sistema de alertas de emergencia en las escuelas
How we checked this
El Nuevo Día and Metro Puerto Rico both covered the launch event and system capabilities on Oct. 15. Most operational details rest on statements by Security Commissioner César González, while the $18.8 million figure and federal RESTART funding source are corroborated by both outlets. The single official written statement quoted comes from Education Secretary Eliezer Ramos Parés via Metro Puerto Rico.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.