1-button lockdown security system at Long Island school

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NEWS) - When it comes to security, most schools in Nassau County use card access for entry. And most have surveillance cameras. But when there is an emergency, schools have to lock the doors and call the parents, the students, the teachers. That process could take as long as 15 minutes.

Now Plainedge High School is at least one Long Island school that is using a new one-button lockdown technology to secure the building in under 15 seconds. Lee Mandel, CEO of IntraLogic Solutions, the company that created the technology, hopes to prevent school shootings similar to Sandy Hook by speeding up response times. The app can also be used if a fire breaks out or someone needs medical help.

"The concept is when you have a situation -- whether it's a bomb or we have a shooting situation -- there are camera assets around the perimeter of the school, perimeter of the facility... and if we can quickly access those cameras by one common operating picture, it really helps the first responders in responding but also in the investigation process as well," Mandel said.

From the Nassau County 911 center, dispatchers can access live cameras, floor plans and control doors to the building before first responders even arrive.

"You're going in there knowing where the risk is, you're going to go in and know where the offender is, where the shooter is," Nassau County Acting Police Commissioner Thomas Krumpter said.

The app was purchased by Nassau County and is free for public schools. Superintendent Dr. Edward Salina with the Plainedge School District said it is about preparation and prevention.

"It also automates a text message, an SMS message, and notifies parents of what's going on," Salina said. Someone is at the command center after hours monitoring the cameras. They have the ability to turn on floodlights and alert people on the property to leave using a microphone

Some students said the added layer of security makes them more comfortable.

Forty-nine of the 56 Nassau County public schools have components of IntraLogic technology already in use. Many of them plan on connecting to the Nassau County police system in the coming months.