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Writer's pictureThe San Juan Daily Star

Island schools equipped with emergency communication radios



Education Secretary Yanira Raíces Vega (Facebook via Governor Pierluisi)

By The Star Staff


Puerto Rico Education Secretary Yanira Raíces Vega, along with the agency’s security commissioner, César González Cordero, announced on Monday the completion of the distribution and training process on the use of communication radios in all schools in Puerto Rico.


The initiative, which had an investment of $12 million in federal Restart funds, aims to strengthen security in school buildings.


“This initiative is one of our highest priorities, as it strengthens the security we offer to our students and all members of the school community,” Raíces Vega said. “Governor Pierluisi has been emphatic about the importance of reinforcing our protocols and providing all the necessary tools to have trained personnel and safer campuses for everyone. I thank the agencies that offered their expertise and support so that this project could be achieved.”


The initiative was accomplished through a collaborative effort between the Department of Education, the Department of Public Safety (DSP) and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB), which conducted an exhaustive analysis of the equipment and its integration into the PRPB repeater tower network.


González Cordero reiterated that “the lessons learned after the Hurricane Maria emergency seven years ago demonstrated the need to equip schools with effective communication systems to report any emergency.”


“Let us remember that hundreds of schools are used as shelters, and it is vital to maintain constant communication,” he said. “This system will allow us to report any incident that puts the school community at risk, not only due to the passage of atmospheric phenomena, but also situations that threaten safety at our schools. This is part of the operational plan that is designed for each school and that is reviewed periodically.”


As part of the project, the directors of the seven educational regions received the required training, which was provided by communications experts from the PRPB. The training covered the operation of the equipment, the codes or communication keys, and the definition of emergency calls. The regional directors were also informed about the location of the communication towers, and prohibitions on the use of the radios were discussed.

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