Couldn't they just request additional TGs on NJICS?
Care and maintenance of a shiny new APX radio for each administrator and staff member gets really expensive, especially when you consider the only time they get used is in periodic drills. The rest of the time the radio is sitting in a bottom drawer with the battery slowly draining and gathering dust.
Assigning radios to applications like this is a poor use of resources.
It also results in the radio user not being competent in usage of the radio when an emergency does happen. Been there, done that, and I discourage users on my own system from using it like that.
It also creates a false sense of security.
It also doesn't take into account possible in-building coverage issues, which is not uncommon in modern steel reinforced concrete buildings, like a school. That's sort of addressed in this line:
"In Cranford High School, this new technology Utilizes Cellular Boosters strategically placed throughout the school to ensure clear communication throughout the entirety of the school and campus."
In this application, "cellular boosters" can mean a number of things. It might be a BDA system designed for the specific cell bands in use. It might be a microcell system, or it may be a public safety type BDA system. Either way, it's often a cheaper solution for cellular, sometimes the carriers will pay for it, and it can serve a lot more users than just the occasional public safety/school resource officer that wanders down the hall.
The other -huge- benefit is that it off loads traffic from the trunked system. If you look back at many of these school shootings, you get a ton of responders show up. Each one probably has their mobile sitting on their own dispatch channel. Their hand held is probably on some mutual aid channel. That ties up limited resources at the local trunked site. Now add in additional talkgroups for the school admin/staff that probably couldn't even spell LMR, BDA or FCC, and expect them to keep radio traffic limited to reduce strain on an overloaded trunked site.
School admin/staff doesn't need to be carry high end trunked radios. Waste of money, waste of resources and it never works out the way they think it will. It might make the admin feel special, but usually what you'll find is that the LAST thing public safety wants is untrained/non-public safety users popping up on their system "trying to help".
