Hazelwood school one of first in the nation to add color-coded security system to help first responders
By Melanie JohnsonPublished: Aug. 8, 2023 FLORISSANT, Mo. (KMOV) - A Hazelwood school is one of the first elementary schools in the country to install a color-coded security measure designed to guide first responders in times of crisis.“If, unfortunately, something were to happen, having that system, people will know where to go quickly,” said Hazelwood Assistant Superintendent Christopher Norman.“It’s going to reduce response time for those officers once they get on scene,” Ann Vastmans of St. Louis County Emergency Management said. “It doesn’t require any technology. It is not something that relies on the internet. It is within the building. It’s on the building. It’s something that’s going to be in their line of sight.Brown Elementary serves as a pilot school that has implemented colorful arrows in addition to colors on walls and room numbers as a guide through the building.According to the county, this security measure will be added to the over 400 schools across 20 districts in St. Louis County.“We expect all schools to have this rolled out within the next two years or so,” Vastmans said. “Policemen and firemen from other districts may not be familiar with the layout of that school because they’ve never been there, so having that color coding is going to reduce that response time.”A $130 million bond-funded security upgrade for Hazelwood schools included color-coded facilities, double-door vestibule entry, and an improved surveillance camera system.“Our security personnel can be anywhere and be able to see what’s going on in an instant,” said Norman. “If my child was attending here, I’d be glad to see these things are happening.www.kmov.com