16 hours Ago
TEXARKANA, Texas - Pleasant Grove ISD is planning to increase school security and safety by creating new digital floor plans to share with first responders. Board members recently gave the operations director the green light to purchase a 3D scanning and mapping service for all campuses. The total cost of the new 3D mapping project is about $32,000 for all the district's campuses.
“It comes out to about .06 cents a square foot. That's an investment in kids, adults, and safety that we think is well worth it,” said Matt Fry, PGISD Director of Operations.
The new mapping technology will take 360-degree photos and measurements of spaces in each school and upload them into an interactive website that will work off an I-pad and can be accessed by school administrators and law enforcement agencies. School threats are a reality that can range from natural disasters and medical emergencies to active shooters and lockdown events. Fry says in any emergency, every second counts.
“Fire, paramedics, police or anybody that needs to get a quick idea of what these campuses look like, can come in from the outside and see that. The company we're using has it all hosted on a secure website,” said Fry. In addition to safety and security, he says the maps will be used for event planning and facility upgrades and maintenance.
In just the last couple years, the district has also increased security cameras, added more fencing, entry resistant window film, numbers on all the doors, and upgraded its communications system..
