Keeping School Campuses Safe with Vertex Call Handling

Today’s school safety systems are under more pressure than ever. To keep their staff and students safe, campuses need to be prepared for the worst – from natural disasters to school shootings and beyond.

The threats are real and growing. School shootings, like the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary, have increased steadily since 2010. Natural disasters like tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding, and wildfires are on the rise as well, especially those causing over $1 billion in damage.

When disasters strike – such as the EF-5 tornado that struck Joplin, Missouri or Hurricane Laura that battered Texas – schools need effective emergency systems in place. But, more often than not, crises expose insufficient communication systems. Power outages, damaged infrastructure and overwhelmed channels leave staff and first responders struggling to coordinate a response.

Compounding the issue, many school districts lack a dedicated emergency response team or safety coordinator. That means planning, response and communication are often fragmented, especially in rural or underfunded districts.

This environment has created a critical need for modern, reliable school safety infrastructure. Systems must be able to withstand pressure, route information clearly and keep leadership in control during crises. Because when everything else breaks down, communication must not.

Problem: Traditional Phone Lines in Schools

Most K–12 schools and universities still rely on main office lines or non-emergency numbers to report critical incidents. The problem? These systems weren’t built for emergencies.

Calls made through front office phone lines don’t include caller location. They can’t support text-based communication. They lack routing tools that immediately send alerts to first responders. And they don’t have a built-in way to document the event or enable silent communication when speaking isn’t safe (like text-to-911).

In an emergency, those missing pieces matter. Without precise location data or the ability to text back and forth, dispatchers and responders are left guessing. Routing delays can slow down the chain of response. And the lack of documentation makes it harder to review, learn or improve after an incident.

These limitations can cause confusion among staff, students and first responders – all while precious seconds tick away.

Emergencies demand clarity, speed and control. Traditional communication systems weren’t designed with those needs in mind. Schools need tools that support real-time coordination, automated alerts and better situational awareness. When safety is on the line, the right message at the right time can make all the difference.

Solution: Vertex Call Handling

During a crisis, seconds matter. Too many schools are still relying on outdated communication systems like a main office phone line. To protect students, staff and facilities, schools need a comprehensive emergency response tool. They need Vertex Call Handling by CentralSquare.

Built specifically for school safety and scalability, Vertex provides a comprehensive communication platform that can be tailored to your needs. Whether you’re running a single elementary school or a multi-building university, Vertex puts real-time tools at your fingertips.

Features like call location query show exactly where a call is coming from, which is critical during large-scale events or on sprawling campuses. One-button lockdown instantly alerts staff and initiates safety protocols. Text-to-911 allows silent, discreet messages when speaking isn’t safe.

With efficient routing, calls go directly to the right team based on urgency, location or incident type. Call logging and reporting supports training, compliance and post-incident analysis. And because Vertex doesn’t require a user app for staff and students, it simplifies deployment and adoption for your school.

From routine coordination to life-threatening situations, Vertex integrates your emergency and non-emergency communications. This leads to seamless coordination between departments, security and responders for a faster, safer response.

Other Benefits of Vertex

Vertex Call Handling isn’t just for the worst-case scenario. It’s also designed to handle the everyday emergencies that campuses face. From school fights to suspicious activity, it gives staff and security the tools to act fast, stay coordinated and protect students without delay.

In the event of a school fight, staff can trigger an automated alert to security or law enforcement with just a couple taps. Priority routing ensures emergency calls move to the front of the line, with caller location tracked in real time. Staff can also activate crowd control features, issuing dispersal messages over intercoms and coordinating with colleagues to move students to safety without escalating the situation.

If there’s suspicious activity, like someone loitering near a dorm, students can discreetly and anonymously report it. Security receives the alert instantly, sees where it was reported and gets live updates as the situation evolves. This allows them to act quickly, notify law enforcement if needed and respond before it becomes a more serious incident.

Vertex helps schools get ahead of threats, not just react to them. It bridges the gap between awareness and action, enabling safer and faster responses across campus.

The Time for Change is Now

When it comes to natural disasters and active shooter situations, no one thinks it will happen to them. Hopefully it never does, but your school needs to be prepared. Even if it only helps with daily incidents like school fights or suspicious activity, a modern communication system like Vertex Call Handling is worth the investment.

An investment in school safety is never wasted. In 2024, Utah approved a $100 million school safety bill, mandating panic buttons in every classroom and an armed security officer on each campus. Texas passed a similar law, requiring armed security officers in every school. These officers must receive active shooter response training that has been approved by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE).

These legislative moves send a clear message: schools must be prepared. Emergency communication is just as critical as physical security, and right now most schools still rely on outdated systems that don’t provide the necessary tools or support in a dire situation.

Are you evaluating your school safety and communication systems? Vertex Call Handling by CentralSquare is a comprehensive emergency communication tool that will protect your students and staff and better equip responders to come to your aid.

Vertex Call Handling provides location tracking, instant lockdown capabilities, text-to-911, automated alerts and much more. Schedule a discovery call today to learn how Vertex can help your school respond to crises with speed and safety.