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PERRY, Iowa — Several people are crediting a piece of technology for the quick response time by law enforcement during the deadly shooting at Perry High School Thursday morning.

Law enforcement agencies from across the metro responded to a SEARS alert at the Perry High School reporting an active shooter inside the school. When law enforcement arrived on scene they found multiple people injured and suffering from gunshot wounds. One victim, a 6th grade student identified as 11-year-old Ahmir Jolliff, died from his injuries.

The SEARS Activation System, which stands for School Emergency Alert Response System, is a kind of radio technology. The system allows for users to contact their area emergency dispatch at the push of a button, without having to use a phone to call 911. The device contacts dispatch within seconds of the button being activated. It also alerts nearby schools of any emergency situation.

At a news conference Friday afternoon, Perry Community School District Superintendent Clark Wicks said having the SEARS system is what allowed them to save lives.

“We hit that SEARS button, I think Mr. Snowgren our assistant principal, went in and that got pressed right away and I think it was within seven minutes of getting the button pushed that we had law enforcement there and soon after that we had about over 150 law enforcement and ambulance, any kind of service that we needed. It was critical and I think it’s still another way that we were able to save lives.”

Iowa Department of Public Safety Special Agent Don Schnitker said the quick response by law enforcement is due to the SEARS system.

“I think the response by Perry was immediate. I think they got to that school very quickly and I think the school emergency radio was a very important part in that,” Schnitker said. “You know that quick notification, that early notification that something’s wrong, getting cars moving that way is really how you prevent and end these tragedies as soon as possible.”

The SEARS system is only available in Dallas County, but similar technology is available to the rest of the state due to federal funding the state received in 2023. According to DPS, about 90% of schools in the state have access to similar emergency radio systems.