Oregon House-passed school budget includes Emerson Levy’s ‘Alyssa’s Law’ funding for panic alarm systems
SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) - The Oregon House has passed House Bill 5014, a record $10.2 billion budget for K-12 schools that includes $2.5 million for schools to install panic alarm systems, a provision championed by Rep. Emerson Levy (D-Bend).
The panic alarm systems keep schools safe by alerting first responders to all types of emergencies, including natural disasters and medical emergencies, and give the exact geo-tagged location to all law enforcement and EMS systems.
“I promised my daughter and her classmates I would do everything I could to keep them safe. Students and teachers deserve to feel safe at school. Today, we made a big step towards that goal,”said Levy.
Alyssa’s Law is named in memory of Alyssa Alhadeff, a 14-year-old student who tragically lost her life during the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2017.
During the shooting, both the fire alarm and the code red signals were set off, giving students mixed messages to both run in and run out of the school. Alhadeff was killed in the doorway of her English class. Emergency panic alarm systems can prevent miscommunications in schools.
"The first three minutes of an emergency are the most critical," added Levy, “These funds address how schools can more effectively react in those crucial seconds."
House Bill 5014 now moves to the Senate for a vote.
“I look forward to the Senate returning so this common-sense approach to school safety can be implemented in our schools. This is long overdue,” added Levy.
