The CENTEGIX item was a key action topic at the February 26, 2026, Cumberland County Board of Education meeting, following extensive discussion during the February 19 work session. The board ultimately approved a five-year agreement to implement the CENTEGIX CrisisAlert system—a wearable panic button solution designed for K-12 schools to enhance rapid emergency response across the district.

CENTEGIX CrisisAlert equips staff members with discreet, lanyard-worn badges featuring a single push-button. Pressing the button instantly sends a duress alert with precise real-time location data to on-site administrators and first responders, including 911 dispatch. Unlike mobile apps reliant on Wi-Fi/cellular or wall-mounted buttons, it offers full campus coverage—including outdoor areas like fields and parking lots—often independent of those networks, with redundancy.

Activation can also trigger integrated campus-wide notifications, such as flashing strobes, intercom announcements, computer screen takeovers, and lockdown protocols, compressing response times from minutes to seconds. It’s positioned as part of a layered safety approach, effective for medical emergencies, behavioral incidents, altercations, unauthorized visitors, or active threats, and aligns with initiatives like Alyssa’s Law, which requires silent panic alarms to be linked to law enforcement in many jurisdictions.

During the meeting, Director of Schools Dr. Farley emphasized stakeholder support, including from local law enforcement. One member abstained from the vote, but the item passed, authorizing any necessary budget amendments via executive approval.