MABLETON, Ga. -- As police worked all night to track down a threat to a Gwinnett County school promising to be the next "Columbine," school administrators across the state said it's just another reminder of how diligent they need to be.
One school in Cobb County is taking safety a step further, equipping one classroom with a rapid response kit for an active shooter.
Dawn Whipple, a teacher at Pebblebrook High School, won a classroom makeover from the College Football Playoff Fund this year focused on making her room more secure. For her, safety is just as important as school work.
“I think it's essential,” Whipple told 11Alive’s Kaitlyn Ross. “Unfortunately, we're in a time period where the nature of education where you have to think about it.”
Because of the grant, Whipple was able to outfit her classroom with blackout curtains that can be rolled down quickly, a rapid response first aid kit and a deadbolt that can be locked from the inside.
SSI Guardian, which is a provider of security-related products for schools, installed the security measures in Whipple’s room, the only one in the Cobb County School District with the equipment. President Michael Yorio said they should be standard in every classroom.
“Every school in America should put safety as their top priority,” he said. “You can only save a person's life if you have the right equipment.”
Pebblebrook’s Principal Travis Joshua told 11Alive all of their educators train for active shooter situations without any specialized equipment, but he said he would love to get it in all of their classrooms.
“It's something that's been on the forefront of our minds as educators in terms of how to keep schools more secure,” he said.
With nearly daily reminders of the threats schools face on social media, Whipple said she's grateful to have more tools to protect her students.
“In this day in age, I think that's all you can do, is be prepared,” she said.
Nine other classrooms across the U.S. won the classroom makeover this year. They're hoping to award even more teachers the makeover next year.
