Creating Safer, Connected Schools With Unified Communication
Overview
BCCS serves students in grades pre-K–12, and their families, across three campuses, located in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. This forward-thinking school district is deeply committed to creating learning environments where everyone feels safe, informed, and supported, no matter the time of day. With programming that spans early childhood through adult education, extended-day activities, athletics, and on-site health services, the district recognized the need for a more reliable and unified approach to emergency communication and visitor management.
District Environment
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- Student Population: The district has an enrollment of approximately 2300 students.
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- Schools: The district is divided into three facilities; Elementary, Secondary (Middle/High School), and the Early College Academy/District Office.
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- Health Clinic: The on-site clinic supports students during the day and into the early evening.
Challenge
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- Define a solution that supports daily attendance and visitor management
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- Facilitate communication from emergency notifications to routine messaging and class scheduling for all building occupants
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- Improve speed and clarity of communication and standardize emergency response
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- Integrate existing systems to simplify the broadcast of emergency notifications and guidance
Solution
To address these challenges, the district implemented a coordinated, district-wide communication and safety strategy using American Time® clocks, the EverAlert® communication system, and Raptor® Technologies’ Emergency Management solution. Together, these systems support daily messaging, visitor screening through Raptor VisitorSafe, and rapid initiation of drills and emergency responses through both the Raptor Alert mobile app and stationary lockdown buttons. The result is a unified approach that strengthens preparedness while ensuring consistent, reliable communication for all campuses, reaching every location.
American Time & EverAlert
At the Early College Academy/District Office, synchronized Wi-Fi clocks and EverAlert displays were widely deployed, after an initial remodel of the building. This integrated system provides synchronized time across the facility, clear audiovisual messaging for daily communication, and pre-recorded emergency notifications for lockdowns and other critical events. By standardizing both routine and emergency messaging, students and staff interact with the same systems every day—building familiarity that becomes especially important during high-stress situations.
“Standardization, speed, and familiarity save lives,” said Guttu Meleka, Director of Operations at Brooklyn Center Community Schools. “By integrating The ‘I Love U Guys’ Foundation’s Standard Response Protocol (SRP) with American Time’s EverAlert and Raptor, we ensure that clear, consistent instructions reach every device, every hallway, and every classroom—without delay.”
This consistent, building-wide communication strategy ensures that when an emergency occurs, instructions are not only heard and seen, but immediately recognized and understood.
Raptor Technologies Emergency Management
To complement the building-based communication tools, the district implemented Raptor Emergency Management with Raptor Alert, giving staff the ability to initiate lockdowns, drills, or other alerts directly from mobile devices. The system aligns with The “I Love U Guys” Foundation SRP and enables rapid activation during both school-day and extended-hour activities. Once initiated, alerts are distributed simultaneously via app, text, and email to all school staff members with the app, while a live messaging thread allows connected users to share real-time updates as an incident or drill unfolds.
“Our responsibility is to create safe learning environments for students and staff that are grounded in predictable response,” said Superintendent Dr. Carly Baker. “This integrated approach strengthens our emergency response by making sure everyone receives the same trusted guidance at the same moment, allowing our schools to act quickly and confidently when it matters most.”
Together, Raptor and EverAlert ensure that emergency communications are not only fast, but coordinated—bridging mobile activation with building-wide audiovisual alerts so no one is left without direction.
Results
As part of its ongoing commitment to preparedness, the district recently conducted a planned lockdown drill at each of its three locations. The drill was designed to validate readiness across different environments by using multiple activation methods, including staff mobile devices and stationary lockdown buttons, while confirming that all systems worked together as intended.
Across all locations, the integration between Raptor and EverAlert functioned immediately. When activations were initiated, notifications were delivered without hesitation. Staff received mobile alerts at once, and EverAlert displays throughout classrooms, hallways, and shared spaces transitioned to drill notification screens, presenting clear, familiar response guidance aligned with established protocols.
Just as important, the process for clearing the drill was equally seamless. The all-clear was communicated simultaneously across platforms, ensuring that everyone received the same guidance at the same time—supporting calm, coordinated transitions back to normal operations.
By routinely testing and reinforcing these processes, the district strengthens preparedness at every level. The drill affirmed that students, staff, and visitors are supported by systems designed not only to respond quickly, but to foster confidence, predictability, and readiness before an emergency ever occurs.