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MINDEN, La. (AP) — If there ever will be a violent threat to a Webster Parish school, officials are better prepared to eliminate it.
A security project several years in the works that allows school and homeland security to look inside the halls of every parish school, is nearing completion.
A grant through the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness combined with the Webster OHS and school board security allowed for the purchase and import of digital map plans of parish schools.
"I can pull up a digital map, point to a camera and it will come up," Webster schools security director Buster Flowers said. "I can monitor in my office. If we've got someone moving on the school, I can track him."
Webster Director of Homeland Security John Stanley also has access to the system so in the event of an active shooter, planning and coordination can begin immediately.
"It's the school board's system," Stanley said. "I just have the window into it in case we have an event. I can look and direct the responders."
Depending on the size, Stanley tells The Minden Press-Herald (http://bit.ly/1hG0yQN) each school has about 30 cameras.
The school board funded the cameras and online system, while the GOHSEP grant funded the purchase of the digital plans.
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Information from: Minden Press-Herald, http://www.press-herald.com/
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