Coppell ISD has increased its campus safety policies by adopting NaviGate Prepared, an app allowing administrators throughout the district to have access to floor plans in schools.

Last year, the District Safety and Security Design Committee in CISD, comprised of students, teachers and parents in the community began looking at ways to improve communication for first responders. Navigate Prepared was recommended by the committee.

NaviGate Prepared is a software offering many new additions to CISD’s emergency preparedness process, including interactive maps.

The program also allows first responders to view every room with 360 degrees along with photos from different angles of each room, creating a 3D model of the rooms. The maps will give them access to easily locate shut off valves, life safety items and other dangerous rooms such as chemical storages, labs and mechanical rooms.

“The software is easy to use by everyone who has access and provides a tool to help staff respond safely and effectively during drills and emergency situations,” Director of Student and Staff Services Jennifer Villines said. “For example, if we go into lock-down, that information can be communicated campus-wide to the staff and first responders through the app.”

Throughout the week of Dec. 3-7, the program sent its OnSite Implementation Service Team to come in and photograph classrooms throughout CISD buildings.

Before NaviGate Prepared, first responders would have knowledge about the building and facilities around, but not necessarily specific information inside the room, such as furniture.

“Navigate is a nice tool for those types of things, and it could be there is a secondary issue and we have to evacuate the building for gas, any agency that needs that type of tool would have access to it,” Coppell High School Principal Dr. Nicole Jund said. “While we label the doors and try to help any agency trying to come into the building, this would actually give a preparedness level that’s beyond the standard when it comes to safety.”  

For students, implementing new safety procedures is ideal due to the increasing amount of security breaches occurring throughout the world.

“It’ll help a lot in terms of knowing if there is a school shooting and the school would know exactly where they are at all times,” CHS junior Trisha Narwekar said. “If there is a situation where you don’t know who’s at your door or if they’re knocking. A lot of times, people will open the door thinking it’s the police or a friend. The administration will have a way or finding them and keeping them safe.”

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