A recent rash of school shootings in our state and in other parts of the country really put school safety back in the spotlight.

We're spending millions of dollars to beef up security not only at high schools, but now also at middle and elementary schools. And a Seattle company's really ahead of it all.

Prepared Response, Inc. saw a need after the Columbine School shooting and moved in right away to talk with the emergency responders. Those lessons learned helped the company develop a safety system for all schools. Officers on scene that day said they needed floor plans and evacuation routes to figure out the best and quickest way to shut down the violence.

The kids don't realize it's there, but the Rapid Responder system is now in place at every public high school in our state.

The system proved vital when a student fired a shot at Lewis and Clark High School in Spokane a few years back. Administrators pulled the fire alarm to evacuate the building and the SWAT team moved in.

"They saw the student popping his head out one door, and then the other and they were trying to figure out why that would be. Well, they opened the system and they were able to see an adjacent doorway, right here," said Gary Sabol with Prepared Response, Inc.

That door led to a chemistry lab with natural gas outlets, so the SWAT team quickly confined the suspect to the other room. They contained the shooter in just 12 minutes.

Here's how the system works.

The Prepared Response team photographs each school, carefully mapping out floor plans, aerial views, neighborhood views, hazardous chemicals, utility shut offs and evacuation routes.

In case of any emergency, like a fire or earthquake, local response crews have all that information at their fingertips.

They've never had to use it, but the Rapid Responder system has been in place at Hazen High School in Renton for several years. Rick Stubrud was the principal when the system was put in place.

"It's one of those things where we see this as one tool in a bag of tools that every principal would have," he said. "Everyone thinks of intruders probably, but you know jiminy Christmas, a fire, some type of natural disaster, a flood earthquake. Again, it's really a tool for fire, emergency responders and police agencies."

Every middle and elementary school principal in our state will get it next year. And Sabol says the system can be tailored to each school's needs.

"It can be linked to other databases too. Say, for example, you want to know who the sex offenders are in the area, you can maybe link to that system. We've done that with a number of schools," Sabol said.

If the school has cameras, those could also be linked to the system.

The company just signed a $7 million deal that extends their system to schools in Idaho, Arizona, Texas and South Carolina.

And more than just schools are using this system.

The port of Olympia, Spokane Convention Center, community colleges and others also use it. It is the only crisis management system that is certified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security through the SAFETY Act.