The Cobb County School District said Tuesday that all schools in the 113-school district were placed on a “brief lockdown” due to a systemwide issue with its AlertPoint emergency alert system.
In a social media message posted around noon, the district said that the lockdowns were lifted and “there was no threat to students or staff at any time. Teachers are teaching and students are learning.”
The message didn’t indicate how long the lockdowns lasted.
In 2017 Cobb schools began implementing AlertPoint, which allows each employee within a school—including administrators, teachers and other staffers—to activate a device should an emergency occur. This includes fires, active shooters and other intruders, physical altercations and medical emergencies.
When an AlertPoint device is activated, alert information is relayed via computer and mobile devices to school-level administrators and security personnel, as well as at the school district office, within seconds.
The location and identity of the person sending the alert also is transmitted. When a “Code Red” alert is triggered, flashing lights, beeping sounds and voice messages ring out, and the intercom system indicates a lockdown situation is underway.
The AlertPoint system is patterned after existing school fire emergency procedures.
Bells Ferry Elementary School in East Cobb was one of the first schools to use AlertPoint during a proof-of-concept period.
AlertPoint is one component of the district’s CobbShield emergency and safety program that has been developed in recent years.
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