Silver Rail, other Bend-La Pine schools have emergency protocols, but not a silent ‘panic alarm’ system
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The tragic shooting at Bend's Silver Rail Elementary was over less than three minutes after the teen gunman shot his way through locked doors and into the school, authorities said.
While police have confirmed just how quickly the nation's latest school shooting began and ended, when a parent followed the shooter into the school and killed him, there have been efforts in recent years to avoid or quickly end such incidents, which often last far longer.
Bend-La Pine Schools use an emergency Standard Response Protocol, developed by the "I Love You Guys" Foundation, that includes five "Core actions": Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate and Shelter. There is also a Standard Reunification Method to account for students and reunite them in an organized manner.
Coincidentally, it was state Rep. Emerson Levy, a Bend Democrat, who introduced legislation in the 2023 session, House Bill 3101, that would have required Oregon school districts to install a system of wearable "panic alarms" that would silently, immediately alert law enforcement.
It was called Alyssa's Law, named for Alyssa Alhadeff, a 14-year-old student killed in a February 14, 2018 shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
Levy's initial bill did not pass, but lawmakers approved a broader school funding bill, HB 5014, that provided $2.5 million for Oregon schools to install such systems and required school districts to consider them in their school safety planning.
The provision is a “funded non-mandate,” which means school districts decide whether to install such systems from companies such as Punch Rescue.
“Then we can learn from them before we bring it fully statewide,” Levy told the Oregon Capital Chronicle.
Bend-La Pine Schools did not install such a system, as it explained in an after-action review and safety improvement plan issued after an October 2024 incident in which a 12-year-old Pilot Butte Middle School student brought a loaded handgun and target list to campus, but self-reported to a staff member and was disarmed.
The report noted that school districts could apply for one-time funding of $2,000 per school for the panic alarms, which it noted "is significantly lower than the costs of implementation." But in its recommendations, the school district said, "An emergency management software system that includes the capability of an alert system by staff would be beneficial to the district."
The report also looked at whether AI-assisted cameras or other types of AI solutions could "help keep kids safe." It noted that "historical incidents show that students know there are cameras in schools and still carry out unsafe behaviors such as fighting or vaping."
