who was confident he could build the
program.
Thus, Share911 was created. Endress
compares the app to Uber. The same way
you can order a car, you can initiate a
school lockdown, shelter in place or immediate
evacuation while simultaneously
notifying the police.
Their first version of the app was
launched in 2012, two weeks after the
Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting
in Newtown Conn., with Northern
Highlands Regional High School in Allendale
as their first customer.
Since then, the app has been implemented
in schools all across America.
Though the idea stemmed from school
safety, Share911 is also used at The Valley
Hospital in Ridgewood and their corresponding
85 facilities, as well as The
Mall at Short Hills in Short Hills and St.
Joseph’s Church in Oradell.
A basic version is offered for free,
but an upgraded version with additional
features is sold for $3 a month per employee.
The added features include the
ability for teachers and administrators to
report if a student is missing, whether
they are in danger or safe, and their
exact location based on a check-in system
specific to the school’s floor plan.
In one word, it’s efficient. When alerted,
first responders know exactly where
they need to go and who they’re looking
for.
“Like Waze the world’s largest community
based traffic and navigation
app, it shows you things that are on
your way to your destination. If you’re
in a school lockdown, your destination
is safety and this is going to show you
where safety is,” said Endress.
He acknowledges that he doesn’t
have the ability to stop an intruder, but
he can empower people with the information
they need, which can ultimately
make the difference in saving someone’s
life.
“The power of our system is the
speed at which we contact everybody
that needs to be notified,” said Bailey.
Bailey does admit, however, that it’s
been challenging to convince people
that there’s a better way to communicate
in an emergency.
“For a long time, people were told to
dial 911 and wait for the police to arrive.
Our system notifies everybody instantly
and then provides information back to
everybody. We all know it’s going to
take the police several minutes to get
there so use this information to get yourself
safe,” said Bailey.
Both Endress and Bailey are heavily
invested in making sure their clients are
comfortable using the app. During the
first year they launched, they were at
every drill that took place to ensure
nothing went wrong. Further, if a live
event is to occur (they would know since
they receive every alert), both of them
stop what they’re doing to make sure
things go accordingly. Trainings are administered
and videos and resource documents
are sent out. Endress says he’s
even acquired quite a few frequent flyer
BC The Mag FALL 2018 59
Erik Endress (pictured center)
with Lisa Gross, superintendent
of Norwood Public Schools, and
her principal, Vito DeLaura Jr.
Share911
sends threat alerts
to its users and
emergency personnel,
letting them know
all the specifics in
real time.