CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – The state of Missouri is purchasing computer software to help schools formulate better emergency preparedness procedures for dealing with anything from pandemic disease outbreaks to school shootings.
According to Missouri Homeland Security Coordinator Paul Fennewald, the software is intended to enable schools to convert their emergency plans to a Web format, which would grant emergency personnel easy access to them. Personnel would be able to quickly retrieve school floor plans and the locations of utility shutoffs.
The software will augment the health emergencies planning tool developed by the state Department of Health and Senior Services and the Missouri School Boards’ Association by including a wider range of disasters. The program will also be available to private schools, colleges and licensed day-care facilities at no cost.
The software purchase is funded by the Homeland Security Advisory Council, which voted last week to spend $1.6 million in federal money on the software.
Fennewald expects the new program to be up and running within three months.
