An alarm system may have saved lives at Apalachee High. Here are the Upstate districts that use it.

GREENVILLE, SC (FOX Carolina) – A campus alarm system used by Apalachee High School to alert school police to threats may have saved lives. The technology is also being used by some Upstate school districts.

Teachers in Apalachee wear badges with a panic button made by Atlanta-based Centegix. If the button is pressed eight times in a row in a worst-case scenario, such as Wednesday’s school shooting, it sends a signal to school officials and law enforcement with the location of the threat.

“I saw the lockdown start before I heard the shots, so I had time to prepare,” said Apalachee High teacher Stephen Kreyenbuh. “Someone saw the threat before they acted, so it’s almost like we knew before anything really happened — before a life was taken. It’s crazy, the technology we have access to.”

FOX Carolina reached out to all Upstate school districts to ask if they are using Centegix.

Anderson 5 County confirmed it has the same Centegix technology.

Union County school officials said they are using the Raptor platform, which has been in operation for two years, to provide panic warnings and manage safety.

Pickens County schools have a similar, portable panic button for teachers that sends a discreet help signal to monitored networks, allowing for a quick response if a situation arises.

Many districts have indicated that they are not using Centegix. We are still waiting to hear back from many districts.

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