Two state contracts that will strengthen school safety and emergency preparedness were approved this week by the Joint Legislative Contract Review Committee, advancing implementation of the Alabama School Security Act of 2024.
The committee approved a new mapping contract for every public school in the state, as well as a separate contract for a statewide school safety software platform designed to integrate emergency plans, reporting tools and law enforcement coordination, along with the maps.
Michelle Cone, an attorney representing the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency at the meeting, presented the contract to the panel. The contract authorizes a new agreement with Geo-Comm Inc. to create detailed, GIS-based digital maps of every public school campus in Alabama. The contract is worth $4.19 million and is fully funded by state dollars.
The mapping initiative is a core requirement of the Alabama School Security Act, which lawmakers passed in 2024 following growing concerns about campus safety and coordination between schools and first responders.
Committee members inquired about data ownership and storage, particularly whether the information would remain accessible and under state control. Cone emphasized that while Geo-Comm would host the system, Alabama would own the maps and could move them elsewhere if needed.
Under the contract, Geo-Comm will produce and host the digital maps, but the state will retain full ownership of the data.
“The state will be the owner of all maps provided pursuant to this agreement and will have the unconditional right to use and distribute them,” Cone said.
If the relationship with Geo-Comm ends, she said, the maps and underlying data will transfer fully to the state.
The second contract approved by the committee was with SchoolDogs Solutions Inc., a company that will provide a comprehensive, web-based school safety platform for K-12 campuses throughout the state. The contract is worth $2.29 million and is funded exclusively by state dollars.
The system acts as a centralized hub for school safety operations. The platform will house each school district’s emergency operation plans, allow staff to log safety concerns or maintenance issues in real time and integrate with the state’s new digital mapping system and law enforcement agencies.
The platform will also incorporate future upgrades at no additional cost, according to the contract, meaning new features added by the vendor will be available to Alabama schools automatically.
Committee members asked whether the platform would require additional local funding. Department Director of Governmental Affairs Tina Hammonds said schools would not be required to pay to access or use the system.
“The state will cover the cost of the platform so that every public school can use it,” Hammonds said.
The two contracts were developed through separate procurement processes. The mapping contract was issued through its own request for proposals, while the software platform was selected through a separate RFP process aimed specifically at school safety systems.
The Alabama School Security Act of 2024 requires the state to improve campus mapping, emergency planning and coordination between education and public safety agencies. Among its provisions are requirements for standardized digital campus maps accessible to first responders, updated emergency operation plans for schools and improved communication systems during crises.
Lawmakers cited school shootings nationally and emergency response gaps as motivations for the legislation.
Together, the Geo-Comm mapping system and the SchoolDogs Solutions platform are designed to meet these statutory requirements by providing schools and first responders with shared access to accurate campus layouts and real-time safety information.
“These two pieces are designed to work together,” Hammonds said. “The maps provide the spatial data, and the platform provides the operational system that schools and law enforcement will use every day.”
The committee approved both contracts without objection after concluding its questions.
