Hardin County Schools Showcase Raptor Security Suite Rollout, Including Panic Alerts, Visitor Screening and Reunification Drills

Hardin County Schools staff and school resource officers spent much of the board meeting describing the district’s implementation of a school security system recently purchased from Raptor Technologies.

District staff told the board the purchase was approved in May 2025 and installations began in September, with staff training being done in phases beginning in October. Lt. Mark Ellingham and Officer Larry Robinson, the district’s SROs, demonstrated key features including a panic alert badge, mobile app and ceiling-mounted beacons that allow the system to operate where cell service is limited.

“The Raptor app is really cool because in team assist mode, you can… summon team assist,” Lt. Mark Ellingham said during his presentation, describing options for calling for help in cases of combat, medical needs and other localized incidents.

Officials described five types of critical alerts preconfigured in the system: soft lockdown, hard lockdown, evacuation, shelter in place and a new “hold” mode intended to keep students in classrooms during medical procedures or other short-term incidents. They said the beacons allow alerts and location information to work inside buildings, even when cell coverage is low.

The visitor management feature uses a driver’s license scan that checks entries against national records and allows the district to add custom bans or permitted exceptions. The system syncs with the district’s student information software overnight so changes to employees and rosters are automatically updated, district staff said.

District presenters also described a reunification module intended for off-site evacuations. The district has entered into memorandums of understanding with three reunification sites and scheduled an eight-hour administrator training and reunification simulation exercise in January; Raptor trainers will lead the session, district staff said.

Board members and attendees acknowledged the cost, but repeatedly described what comes next as necessary. One attendee cautioned that taxpayers often balk at such expenditures, but several board members said a single incident avoided would justify the investment.

The district said it has encountered minor deployment issues (students handling panic badges like toys), but technology staff are working with Raptor to customize settings and reduce false activations. The district invited board members to participate in the reunification exercise.