YUHSD approves interoperability IGA with City of Yuma to integrate alerts with first responders

The Yuma Union High School District governing board on Jan. 8 approved an intergovernmental agreement with the City of Yuma to establish a school safety interoperability program that district staff said will let school personnel alert law enforcement and share building maps and camera images during critical incidents.

Health and safety director Rob Gonzales described the system as an “integrated critical incident management system” that would use a Rave app for users to initiate contact with first responders and a management console the district can use to manage alerts and provide critical information to responding officers. Gonzales said the system can integrate with the computer-aided dispatch (CAD) systems used by local first responders and — if the district chooses — with the district’s camera systems so first responders can see a “bird’s-eye view” of a building and entry and exit points.

District staff said the interoperability program is funded by grant monies received by the Yuma Police Department and is available to other local school districts as a community-wide resource. Training for district users is included in the implementation plan, and staff said they are finishing contract details and expect to begin technical integration soon.

“Training is absolutely involved,” Gonzales said, adding that implementation will require time for vendors to review district systems and for both sides to plan integration. The board approved the IGA unanimously.

The motion to approve the IGA was made and seconded from the dais; board members recorded an affirmative voice vote and the meeting record shows the motion carried unanimously. District staff listed IT and health-and-safety staff as assignees for next steps, with a follow-up expected to report an implementation timeline to the board.