Officers and educators in Hoke County took part in an active shooter drill. This time, they got help from a new app aimed at faster response times.
Staff members are being asked to download the Rave Panic Button app onto their phones. It alerts school staff to threats, and allows them to report an emergency.
The press of a button can call 911.
Crews tested the technology at Hoke County High School on Monday. Teachers said they didn't know what to expect, but were glad they had the app to help.
"Now days, you kinda have to have something like this, so the fact that our campus is so large and we have a way to immediately reach out to everyone, it cuts down on the possibility of something devastating happening," said teacher Kristy Locklear.
Sheriff Hubert Peterkin said it's an effort to increase response times, too.
"In the event there's a school shooting or school situation, more than likely everyone that hears about it will be dispatched to that location, so we wanna make sure that everybody's on board," he said.
Peterkin said Hoke County schools and local law enforcement are the first in the state to use the app, but not the only ones.
"We've done testing all across the state that's extremely successful. Henderson County is in the process of launching this right now and I expect you'll hear more in the coming weeks and months," said Rave Mobile Safety COO Todd Miller.