$6.5 Million Initiative To Digitize School Maps For NJ First Responders

PARAMUS, NJ — A $6.5 million statewide initiative to provide first responders with digitized floor plans of school buildings was unveiled by Gov. Phil Murphy in late August during a visit to East Brook Middle School in Paramus.

State set-aside funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, signed into law in 2021, will enable the New Jersey Office of Homeland of Security and Preparedness and New Jersey State Police to contract with an outside vendor to assist with mapping.

Digital blueprints of around 1,500 of the state's 3,000 public and private schools will be created for first responders; these are "critical" to enable personnel to "swiftly respond to emergencies in unfamiliar environments," the state government said.

“Establishing a common operating picture during a potential threat environment scenario is critical for emergency response personnel to do their jobs in the most swift and effective manner possible," Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco said.

Emergency responders already have access to these simple maps, known as collaborative response graphics, for the other 1,500 of state schools, and this initiative will help "further safeguard" students and educators, the government said.

“With the epidemic of gun violence reaching every part of our communities, including our schools," Gov. Murphy said, "we offer our families not empty promises, but concrete investments in tools and resources that will keep our students safe."