Politics & Government
'Ricky And Alyssa's Law' To Allow For Panic Buttons In GA Classrooms
The law to place panic buttons in every public school is named after a Georgia teacher and a Florida student killed in mass shootings.
Mobile panic alert systems will be soon be in Georgia public and private schools after "Ricky and Alyssa's Law" takes effect on Tuesday.
The panic alert systems, which will be called "Alyssa's Alert," will connect with state and local first responders in real time in the case of a school emergency, according to the law.
Public schools have one year to share maps of their buildings with law enforcement and give panic alert devices to every teacher and administrator in a building, WTOC reported. Wearable panic buttons can alert first responders to the exact location of an emergency.
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Former police chief and 911inform representative Shannon Torres said the buttons can be used for an active threat like a school shooting or a medical emergency. The New Jersey-based company provides panic alert devices.
“Having a system in place, digital technology like 911 Inform, in combination with the training and the muscle memory that you law enforcement officers do with constant training for these crisis situations, you know, that’s the best protection and peace of mind that you can give your students, your teachers, your community,” Torres told WTOC.
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The Senate-based law passed in April and additionally mandates schools obtain mapping data, which will be regulated by Georgia homeland security officials. This will include floor plans, aerial imagery and building details.
The new legislation is the namesake of Florida student Alyssa Alhadeff and Georgia coach Richard Aspinwall, WTOC reported.
Alhadeff, originally from New Jersey, was 14 years old when she was killed in a mass shooting in February 2018 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. She was one of 17 people killed.
Aspinwall was a football defensive coordinator and math teacher at Apalachee High School in Barrow County, where he was one of four people to be shot and killed in September 2024.
Georgia schools have until July 1, 2026 to fully comply with the law.
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