Technology has undoubtedly become an integral part of our school systems, and security is no exception. Corona del Mar High School (CdM) recently implemented the security app Titan HST into the school’s security program, connecting students, teachers, administrators, parents, and police officers with just the touch of a button. The app, created by CdM alumnus Vic Merjanian, allows users to “use each other as their best defense,” said Samantha Payne, English teacher and supervisor of Titan for Corona del Mar.
The app allows users to report an incident directly from their smartphones. There are six types of emergencies to choose from: weather, a fight on campus, a medical emergency, a weapon on campus, drug use, and a stranger on campus. Though anyone can report an emergency, an alert is only seen by administrators, including Officer Clemente, the resource officer on campus. Administrators then look into the incident and verify whether there is a real threat to students without causing a panic by notifying everyone on campus.
Whenever a student sends an alert, their location is sent to administrators. This allows faculty members to reach the site of the emergency as soon as possible. However, all users are tracked whenever they are on campus, making it easier for faculty members to know the location of any student in case of an emergency. For privacy reasons, the GPS feature of the app turns off whenever the user leaves campus.