T-R PHOTO BY MICHAEL D. DAVIS — The Safe Track App founders Scott Bolen, Joe Miller, Ben Adams, and Jeff Niederman talk to a group on the middle school bleachers during the app’s first test on March 15.

TOLEDO — In light of yet another horrific school shooting, this time in Nashville, Tenn., school safety and security are back in the spotlight, and teachers, administrators and law enforcement officials are taking it more seriously than ever before, even at places like South Tama County.

What started as just a conversation between two STC teachers could now be a lifesaver in the event of an active shooter situation. High School Industrial Arts Teacher Jeff Niederman and former STC High School Principal Mark Grotelushen met to talk after an Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate (ALICE) training and decided they needed something better to increase communication because “seconds matter.” The result is The Safe Track App.

How does it work? The school or business would purchase the app, and then any student or employee would be able to get it free on their phone.

If and when any emergency situation — from an active shooter to a bomb threat to a fire — would arise, the proper authorities would be alerted with just the pressing of one button, which either the police or STC staff would be able to push. The Safe Track app turns the phone into a walkie-talkie, so that no matter where one is during the emergency, they would be able to communicate with those in charge.

“We hope that no one will have to use this app, but if they do, they will know ahead of time how it works and how to get out of the school safely,” Niederman said.

Gun violence related events in schools are sadly more common today than ever. The K-12 School Shooting Database reports that there were more than 300 school shooting incidents in 2022 alone in the United States. Just in Iowa, there have been 19 school shootings that resulted in nine victims wounded, six victims killed, and 10 total deaths. The latest occurred on Jan. 23 at an alternative education program in Des Moines, which ended in two teenagers dead and the program’s founder being critically wounded.

On March 15, four of the six Safe Track founders — Niederman, Scott Bolen, Ben Adams, and Joe Miller — met at the STC Middle School to run a test on the app. Standing in front of a group of STC students and faculty, Adams, the middle school principal, explained how it worked before starting the tests.

Adams pushed the emergency button on the app for the first test, which led to the group sitting on the bleacher’s phones to buzz and light up. After that, Toledo Police Chief Dan Quigley walked into the gymnasium, having gotten an alert on his phone as well, and Tama Police Officer Tyler Ayala-Pagan was also on hand.

“It’s better to be prepared for (the worst) and not need it than not be prepared when tragedy strikes,” Quigley said.

For the last test of the day, students and staff split into groups spreading out all around the middle school. Once in their places, a trial of the walkie-talkie feature was done to show that no matter where a student or staff member is in the school, they would be able to communicate successfully.

While plenty of work remains to be done, Niederman is optimistic about the app’s potential to make a difference in a potentially life or death situation.

“I think everything we wanted to work works,” he said.

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Contact Robert Maharry at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.