Byline: Donna Vavala

Aug. 21--Students returning for a new school year Monday did so in a safer environment where the ability to contact parents quickly in an emergency is dramatically enhanced.

The Bay County School District stepped up its safety program this year with the addition of its cutting-edge emergency notification system, its new Campus CrimeStoppers program and extra teacher training.

The new Immediate Response Information System, or IRIS, is a web-based notification system, owned and operated by TechRadium, Inc ., that will allow the district to better communicate with parents and employees via telephone and e-mail during an emergency.

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