By Vincent Busher, Marketing Coordinator at Alertus Technologies

Every year, schools aim to prioritize campus safety, but for many schools, this requires more resources than their district budgets allow. Fortunately, the number of grant programs offered at both the federal and state levels have increased to enable schools to purchase valuable safety systems and equipment. The latest of which is The Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office Stop School Violence: School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP).

K-12 school districts across the country are looking to capitalize on this competitive grant program valued at almost $25 million. It has been designed to help fill in gaps in campus emergency response plans and school security. This grant is available to all states, local government, Indian tribes, and public agencies. The 24-month award is offered to qualified recipients who can demonstrate a comprehensive approach to school safety. Each award given will hold a maximum amount of $500,000, determined on a case by case assessment of the facility’s overall needs.

Allowable requests for security improvements include, but are not limited to:

• Access Control Systems

• Panic Button Alarm Systems

• Intercom/PA Systems

• Emergency Alert Notifications via Text/Email

• Smart Phone Applications

• Two-Way Radios

• Social Media Monitoring

• Video Surveillance

• Law Enforcement Travel/Training for School Violence Prevention

Applications are currently being accepted now through May 31st, 2019. For additional information on the two-step application process, view the full application guide here.

If you’re interested in learning more about Alertus and how we help support schools through our Alertus Desktop Donation Initiative, please visit https://www.alertus.com/donation.