{"615025":{"#nid":"615025","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Develops Safety App for Social Workers ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia\u0026rsquo;s social workers have a new way to stay safe when their jobs take them to dangerous neighborhoods.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) designed \u0026ldquo;panic buttons\u0026rdquo; that the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) is rolling out among its employees. It works with the Click Safe app, which is used by child-welfare investigators and case managers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen pressed, the button on a key fob transmits a signal via Bluetooth to an app on the worker\u0026rsquo;s state-issued cellphone. The phone then silently notifies the agency\u0026rsquo;s call center, where a trained operator contacts the nearest 911 center with details on the alarm, a description of the employee, the location, and a request to rush law enforcement officers to the scene.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDFCS professionals can\u0026rsquo;t choose where they go, but the app is \u0026ldquo;a way to protect them when they\u0026rsquo;re protecting Georgia\u0026rsquo;s children,\u0026rdquo; said Tom Rawlings, the division\u0026rsquo;s interim director.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Our child-safety professionals are trained to de-escalate unpleasant situations, but having a panic button gives them assurance that help will be there if their verbal techniques aren\u0026rsquo;t successful,\u0026rdquo; Rawlings added.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDevelopment of Click Safe represents cooperation between two state entities. GTRI worked on the project at the request of Gov. Nathan Deal as part of his child-welfare initiatives.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Georgia Tech is proud to be part of this innovative collaboration between the Georgia Tech Research Institute, the state of Georgia, and the Department of Family and Children Services,\u0026rdquo; said President G.P. \u0026ldquo;Bud\u0026rdquo; Peterson. \u0026ldquo;We expect the Click Safe emergency-response system to become a powerful tool in helping protect DFCS case managers and child-welfare investigators in sometimes-dangerous situations as they focus on their vital work of ensuring the safety of Georgia\u0026rsquo;s children.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe work draws on GTRI\u0026rsquo;s specialized telecommunications expertise. Scientists adapted off-the-shelf technology to stand up to rigorous field testing to ensure reliable functionality across the state.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe system operates silently and out of sight. That\u0026rsquo;s to keep from alerting anyone threatening a case worker that law enforcement is on the way and potentially making a tense situation more dangerous in the minutes before officers arrive.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETo prevent accidental triggering of the device, the button must be pressed either for five seconds or five times in succession.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ELearn more about the device\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/dfcs.georgia.gov\/press-releases\/2018-12-04\/georgia-social-workers-get-unique-safety-app\u0022\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA specially designed phone app will give Georgia social workers a feeling of greater security when their job takes them to dangerous neighborhoods.\u0026nbsp;The Georgia Division of Family and Children Services partnered with the Georgia Tech Research Institute to create an emergency response system.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Georgia Division of Family and Children Services partnered with the Georgia Tech Research Institute to create an emergency response system."}],"uid":"27918","created_gmt":"2018-12-05 18:55:16","changed_gmt":"2018-12-05 18:56:11","author":"Laura Diamond","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2018-12-05T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2018-12-05T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"615023":{"id":"615023","type":"image","title":"A panic button for Georgia social workers","body":null,"created":"1544035814","gmt_created":"2018-12-05 18:50:14","changed":"1544035814","gmt_changed":"2018-12-05 18:50:14","alt":"","file":{"fid":"234188","name":"Copy of Finder Black_RedLight on Black_01.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Copy%20of%20Finder%20Black_RedLight%20on%20Black_01.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Copy%20of%20Finder%20Black_RedLight%20on%20Black_01.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":381091,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Copy%20of%20Finder%20Black_RedLight%20on%20Black_01.jpeg?itok=2F8qKSIn"}}},"media_ids":["615023"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/dfcs.georgia.gov\/press-releases\/2018-12-04\/georgia-social-workers-get-unique-safety-app","title":"Georgia social workers get unique safety app"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"416","name":"GTRI"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["laura.diamond@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}