New school mapping grants bring the wisdom of the battlefield to school emergencies

Legislation made $14 million available for schools to get grants that would make it easier for first responders to navigate school corridors in an emergency.

With multiple doors, corridors and staircases — not to mention some with nearly 5,000 students on campus — an active school shooter presents the most challenging kind of circumstance for emergency responders to find where help is needed.

And seconds can mean the difference between life and death if the emergency involves bleeding and trauma.

“What you’re trying to do in an event like this is cut through the fog of confusion as much as possible,” said Alex Carney, chief operating officer for Critical Response Group (CRG).