When a teacher or staff member at a Manatee County school presses their CENTEGIX badge, something new happens now: Four nearby security cameras automatically start streaming live video to first responders. The School District of Manatee County is among the first in the United States to implement a cloud-to-cloud integration between CENTEGIX crisis alert technology and OpenEye security cameras. The system, which went live across more than 60 schools this year, aims to give responders critical visual information during emergencies before they even arrive on campus.WATCH NOW: Manatee County schools among first in nation to stream live video during emergencies Manatee County schools among first in nation to stream live video during emergencies"The biggest thing five years ago when we implemented the CENTEGIX product, many of our school administrators said, 'What can we do moving forward to give us an opportunity to see what is occurring in the area?'" said Scott Hanson, chief technology officer for the School District of Manatee County. "This gives them more information to be able to respond."How it worksWhen a staff member activates their wearable CENTEGIX badge whether for a medical emergency, behavioral incident or security threat the system uses geospatial technology to identify the four closest cameras within approximately a 75-foot radius.Those camera feeds automatically stream live into the CENTEGIX Safety Platform, which responders access on their phones or computers. School administrators, safety personnel, and in the case of a lockdown law enforcement can view the feeds simultaneously."If there's a staff alert that occurs on a campus or district office, we generally have anywhere from three to seven responders depending on the size of the campus," Hanson explained. "The four nearest cameras in proximity of the alert will stream live, and that provides an opportunity for the responders at each school site and our district safety and security personnel to monitor that event to see what type of assistance may be required." The system also displays school blueprints, exit pathways and the locations of critical resources like AED devices.Sheriff's office: "First eyes inside"During a school lockdown, the live video feeds also stream to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office Real-Time Intelligence Center, where crime analysts monitor the situation and relay information to responding deputies."They're the first eyes inside the building," said Elicia Main, crime analyst and Real-Time Information Center manager at the Manatee County Sheriff's Office. "We're essentially responding immediately because the analysts are inside that school the second that alert goes off." Main, who has children in Manatee County schools, said the integration provides crucial "situational awareness" that helps deputies respond more effectively."The analysts are looking at the five nearest cameras, they're immediately engaging, trying to find whether there's an assailant or what the lockdown would be for, so they can relay that information back to patrol deputies and our dispatch," Main said.Analysts use the school blueprints in coordination with live video to guide deputies through unfamiliar buildings during what Main described as "a lot of chaos."Already making a differenceThe district began rolling out the integration last spring, starting with high schools, then middle schools, then elementary schools. Officials say the system has already proven valuable.Hanson recalled witnessing the technology prevent a potential fight at a middle school just weeks ago."There was a behavior incident with two students that were starting to get to the point where a physical altercation may have broken out," Hanson said. "The teacher quickly did the staff alert, and in 15 seconds the resource officer was right there. That prevented that altercation."The system has also been activated during medical emergencies, allowing responders to quickly locate the nearest AED devices and coordinate ambulance access points.Since the start of the school year, the sheriff's office has responded to two lockdown situations using the new video integration, both in Bradenton's jurisdiction. Main said those incidents taught her team valuable lessons about coordinating with multiple law enforcement agencies across the county.Privacy protections built inBoth district and law enforcement officials emphasized that the system includes privacy safeguards."Once that alert is cleared, we can no longer see those cameras," Main said. "Unless there's an active alert, we cannot go inside any of the cameras inside the school, so it's keeping the students protected from extra eyes looking at them while they're in school."The live feeds are not recorded within the CENTEGIX interface. Cameras are positioned outside classrooms in hallways, cafeterias, and exterior areas not inside instructional spaces.For staff alerts that don't involve lockdowns, the video feeds remain accessible only to school-based responders and district safety personnel. Law enforcement does not receive access unless a lockdown is initiated.No additional costThe district was able to implement the integration at no additional cost by leveraging its existing CENTEGIX crisis alert system and OpenEye camera infrastructure."I think the bonus was we were able to do that at no additional cost," Hanson said. "The partnership between CENTEGIX, Manatee County School System and OpenEye created an opportunity to take advantage of our existing infrastructure."Every staff member in the district including substitute teachers is issued a wearable CENTEGIX badge."At the end of the day, you have a high school campus with 140 staff members," Hanson said. "That's 140 eyes that could potentially activate the system, and that's our commitment. Safety is the number one priority."A tool, not a replacementBoth Hanson and Main stressed that the technology is designed to support, not replace, human responders."This will never replace the physical presence of our school administrators, our staff, our guardians, our resource officers," Hanson said. "This is a tool to provide more information to strengthen our emergency response across all schools in our district offices."For Main, the system offers both professional and personal reassurance."I've had a lot of faith in law enforcement and also with Manatee County schools they always put safety first," Main said. "This is just an added comfort that I know the work we're doing here gets them help faster. It's not only for my work family that gets there safer and faster with more information, but also my personal family. I know that it makes them a little bit safer."The bigger pictureAccording to CENTEGIX, the integration supports school safety initiatives and helps districts meet state and local emergency response requirements, including Alyssa's Law where applicable. The law, enacted in several states following the Parkland shooting, requires schools to have silent panic alarm systems."Student success depends on creating schools where students and staff feel safe, supported, and ready to learn," said Dr. Laurie Breslin, superintendent of the School District of Manatee County, in a statement. "By continuing to strengthen how we prepare for and respond to safety incidents, we're helping create the kind of environment where our educators can teach with confidence and our students can thrive."Hanson said the ultimate goal is simple."Our superintendent's vision is to let teachers focus on teaching, students focus on learning," he said. "And creating that safe environment is so critical for them to do that."The system is now operational across all Manatee County school campuses and district offices, covering approximately 42,000 students and more than 6,000 employees. ...read more read less