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STEUBENVILLE -- Jefferson County officials have been working on a new initiative aimed at keeping kids and schools safer.
911 Director Rob Herrington unveiled the new program, built around the SaferWatch App -- a communications network that links administrators, teachers, students, parents and first responders, as well as a school camera network -- about 1,400 of them countywide -- that 911 dispatchers could tap into in the event of a school emergency.
Herrington told the county commissioners with the SaferWatch App, emergency notifications go out to administrators and first responders in seconds. Teachers and staff can use a pendant emergency button, desktop buttons or smartphones to sound the alarm, but the system also will broadcast non-emergencies and tips about school-related activities.
He said participating schools would contract directly with the company, "we're not actively involved in that process other than actively supporting it." The cost per school would be $2,500.
"(It) will make our schools as safe as we can possibly make them," he said. "All notifications are tracked, so there's accountability for everything."
Herrington said the camera system is crucial: In the event of a shooting emergency or other incident, dispatchers would be able to look at the feed to to pinpoint where the problem is and feed that information to first responders.
"We have the technology to do this now, it's just a matter of getting the licensing straightened out," Herrington said, adding dispatchers would only access the cameras "when there is an incident."
He said the licensing fee will be $270 per camera -- that's about $400,000 for 1,400 cameras.
"We have to buy one-time software licenses to access the cameras in the schools," he said after the meeting. "We are asking (commissioners) to help in any way they can, and we will be meeting with them to discuss possible funding sources in the near future."
He told commissioners they used Jefferson County Christian Academy as a demo school to test the technology out.
"I think it's great," Morelli said. "What's more important than keeping our kids safe?"
Commissioners also:
≤ Were told Clerk of Courts Andrew Plesich had found out McKinley Architecture & Engineering's projected costs for his upgrades to his office came in at a combined $767,000. Plesich requested persmission to "explore alternative courses of action," including the feasibility of moving his auto title division to the Tower building and using the drive-thru.
Plesich told commissioners if the auto title office were to move, the state would provide and install computers, networking and printers.
≤ Awarded the contract for the Jefferson County Road 23-2.5 slip repair to Howard Bowers Cont acting, the low bidder at just under $155,848. Also bidding were Ohio-West Virginia Excavating, $161,149; and Craig Edward Susany Inc., $167,757. The engineer's estimate was $171,430.
≤ Designated April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month and Fair Housing Month in Jefferson County.
Jobs and Family Services Director Michelle Santin said Child Abuse Prevention month helps focus attention on this social problem that affects the community's most vulerable citizens -- those children endangered by abuse and neglect."
In 2022, she said her department investigated 608 reports concerning the well-being of children, 385 for families in need of services and for dependency cases and the other 223 of them for abuse/neglect allegations. She said 44 cases of abuse/neglect were substantiated and 27 deemed unsubstantiated.
Child Abuse Prevention Month "recognizes the importance of families and communities working together to strengthen families to prevent" abuse and neglect.
"Through this collaboration, prevention services and supports help protect children and produce thriving families," Santin wrote.