Jack Johnson

Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, Nov. 5, 2024

Tennessee Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) and state Rep. Ron Gant (R-Piperton) are pushing to expand silent panic alarms to schools statewide.

The effort comes after the duo sponsored and passed legislation in 2024 that allocated $48,000 in grant funding to six schools — Christ's Legacy Academy, Hollow Rock, Priest Lake Christian Academy, Gibson County Special Schools, Sacred Heart Cathedral School and Franklin County Schools — as part of a pilot program that provided lanyard alarms that share location data to first responders when activated.

“This is not a theoretical solution; it is a proven one,” Gant said during an Oct. 22 press conference. “In Georgia, silent panic alarms helped first responders reach the scene of the Apalachee High School shooting in under two minutes. Six months later, Georgia put silent panic alarms in every classroom. Tennessee should do the same.” 

The press conference was hosted with Make Our Schools Safe Tennessee (MOSS TN), a chapter of the Florida-based nonprofit founded by the parents of 14-year-old Alyssa Alhadeff, who was murdered in the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida. 

“Alyssa’s Law,” legislation calling for introduction of silent panic alarms have passed in 10 states including Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. Earlier this year, Metro Nashville Public Schools announced the implementation of an AI-powered weapons detection system in all MNPS high schools following the fatal Jan. 22 shooting at Antioch High School.

“With the technology the way it is now and being able to pinpoint a location, they know exactly where they need to send help,” Johnson told Williamson Scene. "It's really exciting.”

A statewide rollout would cost an estimated $19.2 million for the approximate 2400 public and private school campuses. Johnson added that it’s unclear if the initiative would come from an appropriation from the state Department of Education’s budget next year, or if he will need to sponsor new legislation for funding. 

“As technology evolves, there are probably going to be new ideas that come about,” Johnson said. “I think these panic alarms are a piece of that — they're not going to solve every problem. A combination of all these different things incrementally makes our schools and our kids a lot safer.”