LEE COUNTY — The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is using a new software to help deputies respond in a crisis.
It maps the hallways and rooms inside buildings to help first responders quickly get to the scene of a crisis.
Lee Memorial hospital, and three other hospitals in the Lee Health system have already been added to the database. The hope is that, if deputies have access to the floor plan, they’ll be able to quickly navigate the building in a crisis.
Sheriff Marceno announced the new software Thursday morning at a news conference, along with representatives from Lee Health, and Lee County Schools.
“The maps identify key features of the facilities, including numbers, hallways, stairwells, parking areas, and security camera locations," said Sheriff Carmine Marceno.
Sheriff Marceno played a video featuring a 9-1-1 call, showing how technology like this could have been useful during the Marjory Stoneman Douglass High School shooting. The Chief of Operations at Lee County Schools said a tragedy like that is exactly what this software prepares them for.
“With grid maps now made for 93 of our schools and buildings, 9-1-1 dispatchers can accurately direct deputies and other emergency responders to any location on any campus, allowing them to respond faster," said Dr. Ken Savage, the Chief of Operations for Dr. Lee Schools.
The school system is paying $220,000 for the service, and Lee Health is paying $54,000. They will also each have a yearly fee of $7,000. The Chief of Hospital Operations at Lee Health, Scott Kashman, said he feels like it’s money well spent.
“When I look at how much things are escalating in our society today, in our community, this is just another way that we can take a proactive measure in making sure that our patients, families, and staff are staying safe," said Kashman.
At the end of the meeting, Sheriff Marceno said any business that would like to be a part of the program, and have their facility mapped, can sign up by calling the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
