Pop Quiz: What do the great states of New Jersey, Florida, New York, Texas, Tennessee, Utah, Oklahoma, Georgia, Washington, and Oregon have in common?
Answer: They have all passed versions of legislation that are inspired by Alyssa’s Law.
That common thread is more than a policy trend; it represents a growing national movement to address one of the most urgent questions in K-12 education: How fast can help arrive when a life-threatening emergency unfolds on campus?
Alyssa’s Law is named for Alyssa Alhadeff, one of the 17 students and staff killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Valentine’s Day 2018. Nearly seven years later, more than 463 school shootings have occurred across the U.S.—with 70 already in 2025, and dozens more each year prior.
These numbers aren’t abstract. They represent administrators holding their breath each morning, hoping their schools don’t become the next headline.
But while gun violence garners national attention, school safety is much broader. Emergencies, from medical crises to altercations to environmental hazards, rarely announce themselves. What matters most is how quickly a school can react.
School safety isn’t just about preventing harm; it’s about creating a secure environment where students and staff feel supported and protected. A modern K-12 emergency alert system is a cornerstone of that mission. It:
With emergency events becoming more complex, outdated communication methods (i.e., office calls, radios, personal cell phones, email) simply cannot keep pace.
Momentum behind Alyssa’s Law has been steadily building. In 2025 alone:
The intent is simple but powerful: equip schools with silent, instant panic alerts that connect directly to local law enforcement, thereby reducing response times and saving lives.
Advocates stress that the technology must be paired with staff training, clear protocols, and intuitive tools that allow educators to make the right decision in seconds, not minutes.
Yet challenges remain:
This patchwork approach leaves millions of students without equal access to critical safety technology.
A recent survey by Sandy Hook Promise found:
Their message is clear: parents are anxious, and schools must act.
But acting quickly is easier said than done. Real emergencies expose operational weaknesses:
These gaps turn seconds into minutes and minutes into tragedy.
Communities have always cared deeply about school safety. What’s changing is how we protect students.
Modern emergency response requires:
But many schools still rely on siloed systems, outdated tools, or limited staff capacity. Even if the will exists, the resources often don’t. Installation costs, maintenance, connectivity challenges, and staffing constraints all make adoption difficult.
Still, students and educators deserve better. And technology exists to deliver it.
The smartphone in your pocket already contains much of the functionality needed to trigger and coordinate emergency alerts. When paired with the right platform, it becomes a life-saving tool.
That is the driving purpose behind Alyssa’s Law and the mission of Kokomo24/7®.
When seconds matter, schools need an emergency solution that works reliably, intuitively, and instantly.
Kokomo24/7®’s panic button solution offers:
All designed to align with Alyssa’s Law requirements; whether a state has adopted the full legislation or a modified version.
The end result? Fewer painful delays. More informed responders. A safer school community.
School safety isn’t a standalone initiative; it’s part of the trust that parents, educators, and communities place in K-12 institutions every day.
People aren’t asking for dozens of new tools. They’re asking for the right tools:
We can’t rewrite the past. We can’t know whether a panic alert system would have changed the outcome in Parkland.
But we can honor Alyssa’s memory by reducing the chances of another tragedy and by empowering schools with modern, reliable emergency technology.
Integrating Kokomo24/7®’s panic button solution is more than a tech upgrade.
It’s a commitment to protecting what matters most.
And that commitment is long overdue.
Since 2018, Kokomo24/7®’s configuration-based platform has helped over 120 national and global organizations respond quickly to safety, wellness, and compliance needs. From visitor management to behavioral threat assessment and emergency alerts, Kokomo24/7® powers holistic school safety for a better everyday experience.