PA Lawmakers To Push For More School Panic Alarms

HARRISBURG, PA — Four state legislators are preparing to introduce legislation that would require schools in the state to consider installing silent panic alarms in classrooms.

The bill would join Pennsylvania with other states that have adopted what is known as Alyssa's Law, named after one of the victims in the February 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

"Our legislation would require schools to consider implementing a panic alarm system within their classrooms during the annual review of their safety and security practices," the quartet stated in a memo to colleagues seeking support for the measure. "These panic alarms would be directly linked to law enforcement responders and signal a life-threatening emergency."

The bill is being introduced by four House Democrats: Johanny Cepeda-Freyitz of Berks County, Lisa Borowski of Delaware County, Justin Fleming of Dauphin County and Kyle Donahue of Lackawanna County.

Alyssa Alhadeff was a 14-year-old student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas who died when a former student opened fire and killed 17 people in the mass school shooting. Alyssa’s mother, Lori Alhadeff founded a nonprofit organization, Make Our Schools Safe, which is aimed at providing safety features tailored to the specific needs of schools.

Seven states have passed Alyssa's Law thus far: New Jersey, Florida, New York, Texas, Tennessee, Utah and Oklahoma.

"We can always do more to help ensure the safety of our students and school employees, and this legislation would be another step towards ensuring our schools have the resources they need to maximize the safety of all people," the lawmakers' memo states. "By passing Alyssa’s Law, we would be providing for safer classrooms, faster response times, and more lives saved during potential emergency situations."