New Jersey to create digital maps of all school buildings to help first responders

New Jersey will create digital maps of public and private school buildings statewide to help first responders to act faster in the event of emergencies, including school shootings, officials said Tuesday.

Gov. Phil Murphy unveiled the $6.5 million initiative during a visit to a middle school in Paramus. The plan covers 3,000 schools and the money comes from federal funds approved last year.

The announcement comes three months after the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, which left 19 students and two teachers dead, and 17 other people wounded. The slow response by law enforcement during the incident led to widespread criticism and condemnation.

“With the epidemic of gun violence reaching every part of our communities, including our schools, we offer our families not empty promises, but concrete investments in tools and resources that will keep our students safe,” Murphy said in a statement.

Around 1,500 schools have already been mapped, officials said. The new initiative will cover the remaining schools.

The New Jersey State Police and the state Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness will contract with an outside vendor to assist with the mapping. Local law enforcement will then conduct annual walkthroughs to ensure the maps are accurate and up-to-date.

State Sen. Joseph Lagana said in a statement: “Given the rise in school shootings around the country, it is paramount that, in addition to having among the strongest gun safety laws in the nation and bolstering mental health services, we also do all we can to protect our students through providing law enforcement and first responders with every available tool that could help save lives.”