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TAUNTON, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Becoming the second school district in the Commonwealth to do so, the City of Taunton is giving its public schools a high-tech tool to help prepare for any potential active shooter scenarios on campus.
All 12 Taunton Public Schools will each be equipped with 3D maps by the start of the next academic year to help police navigate the buildings quickly and efficiently. Taunton Schools Director of Student Services and Transportation Stephanie Hoye says the maps will provide full 360-degree views of every space in every one of the schools.
"It's a drone they send in, and they take still pictures, and they put them all together. If you have a command center outside of school and you have SWAT teams inside, they're actually able to communicate to the people that are in the school exactly where to go, and where there are closets, doors, a camera," Hoye said.
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First responders will get a chance to study the maps ahead of time to get a familiarity with the buildings' layouts. Taunton Superintendent John Cabral says the technology runs akin to a virtual tour of a new home.
"Instead of doing the tour in-person you can do the virtual reality tours, it's very similar as far as what you see when you're walking through a home. You will have the same technology for all of our schools [to have] someone to help you navigate the halls will ensure you can get to that space safely and also swiftly," Cabral said.
WBZ's Kim Tunnicliffe (@KimWBZ) reports.
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