VIPER proposes using mass notification technology to trigger evacuations or lockdowns and prevent tragedies in schools. Parents, teachers and students can receive alerts simultaneously.
The recent shooting inside a school in Chile’s Biobío Region shook the entire country. The incident not only alarmed the school community in San Pedro de la Paz but also reopened an urgent debate: are schools prepared to handle emergencies of this magnitude?
Many schools currently lack effective operational protocols, or have paper guidelines that are hard to follow under pressure. Given this scenario, security experts warn of the need to adopt technology that enables fast, coordinated action in a crisis.
One concrete proposal comes from VIPER, a Chilean scale-up specializing in real-time emergency solutions. Drawing on its experience in higher education, it proposes implementing mass notification systems capable of alerting the entire school community, including parents, with clear instructions for events such as fires, shootings or accidents.
Digital protocols
The country was shocked a few days ago when a shooting took place inside a school in San Pedro de la Paz, in the Biobío Region. The incident left an entire school community in shock and brought back a sensitive issue that is rarely addressed in Chile: what should be done, how should people be notified and how should they act in an emergency of this magnitude inside a school, the company points out.
Camilo Salazar, COO of VIPER, argues that the difference between a successful evacuation and a tragedy can lie in the speed and precision of the alert. “Sending alert messages in time can make the difference between a safe evacuation and a tragedy. Today it is not enough to have protocols written on paper; you need technology and real training to carry them out effectively.”
The notification systems already used in countries such as the United States and Germany include protocols such as Shelter in Place (taking refuge without evacuating) and Lockdown (locking classrooms in the face of a direct threat), measures that allow a flexible response depending on the type of emergency.
The problem, VIPER warns, is that in Chile these concepts are not yet part of teacher training or school safety plans. “The problem is that in Chile there is no clarity about these concepts or how to apply them. In some cases, such as gas leaks or suspicious outsiders on the premises, schools do not evacuate for fear of exposing students even more. With a mass notification system and well-defined protocols, this can be handled more safely,” says Exequiel Gallardo, CEO of VIPER.
One of the keys to this tool is that it allows messages to be targeted by type of user. “We have the case of a university that, using our system, can evacuate all its campuses with messages targeted by role: staff, students or administrators. In schools, it is essential that parents also receive real-time information on whether their children are being evacuated or sheltered,” Gallardo adds.
VIPER’s system, operated from a web or mobile platform, can issue alerts in less than 10 seconds via SMS, email, phone calls or display panels, and can even coordinate with emergency services.
Drawing on its experience working with educational institutions across the country, Viper calls for looking at international models and adapting them. “It’s a matter of looking at what is already being done abroad and adapting it to our reality. Students’ safety cannot depend on luck alone,” conclude the two representatives of this Chilean startup.
More information about this VIPER service