(KLZA)-- Missouri Governor Mike Parson has announced that public and charter schools in Missouri can begin signing up to utilize a new state-funded mobile emergency alerting app that allows teachers and others to rapidly alert school staff and first responders to emergency situations. The alert app will be available free to schools and users.

The system puts a simple to use silent alerting app into the hands of teachers and school personnel, so they can get word out of an intruder or other emergency. We will continue to advance school safety and the ability to quickly respond to threats to Missouri- students and educators.

The Missouri Department of Public Safety has funding available for an emergency alert app to be available for public and charter schools across the state. Last month, Missouri contracted with Raptor Technologies to provide what is referred to as a silent panic alerting system.

Utilizing technology that schools already have in place, the app expedites and streamlines emergency response by allowing teachers and other school staff to quickly initiate an alert through their mobile device or computer. The silent alert works directly with 911 to provide critical information, such as location-based information and school campus maps, with first responders, law enforcement, and campus personnel - within seconds. Additionally, districts are able to schedule and manage their ongoing safety drills using the Raptor software.

Each district will have its own account that will link the alerts to selected area first responders. Raptor will conduct training for each district, beginning with pilot schools and then district-wide training. The company encourages districts interested in utilizing the app to contact Raptor to begin the enrollment process.

This month, Governor Parson also announced 169 school districts and charter schools have received grants from the newly created School Safety Grant Program. The $20 million grant was part of Governor Parson's Fiscal Year 2023 early supplemental budget request. Governor Parson's Fiscal Year 2024 budget proposal includes an additional $50 million for the program.