Lifesaving Potential Seen in “YOU Get It First”

This technology can reduce law-enforcement response times to school safety threats dramatically, from 9 to 12 minutes down to 4 minutes

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The early testing of YOU Get it First showed that by GREEN BAY, Wis. — The early testing of YOU Get it First showed that by reducing the number of steps in a school’s threat-reporting protocol, law enforcement response times can be up to 75 percent faster. The inspiration for this groundbreaking safety software, however, wasn’t a school crisis; it was starving artists.

At an art fair in the summer of 2015, inventor Jeff Hitzler chatted with vendors frustrated by the limitations in marketing their art. Hitzler was inspired to develop an app artists could use to inexpensively send graphic messages to patrons. When he ran the idea past colleague Richard (Dick) DuBois, the executive trainer/concept developer was intrigued by the prospect and thought it had much greater potential.

“I really did say to him, ‘You have no idea what you have thought of,’” DuBois said. “And I began working with him to develop his idea.”

Hitzler and DuBois determined the software could send several message types: Alerts, announcements, advertising, and appointments. The next step was bringing in IT expert Darryl Novotny.

“When Darryl came aboard to develop the functionality of the software, we discovered we had a terror threat alert system where everyone had the hardware – a smartphone – in their hands,” DuBois said. “This began as simple alert and advertising software but as we peeled back the onion, we had a much larger project.”

With that discovery, the team switched gears slightly and with help from Zymo Interactive, YOU Get It First was developed primarily as an alert tool to enhance safety in schools from daycare centers to public and private K-12 schools as well as colleges and universities. As an active shooter alert system, YOU Threat Alerts reduce authority response time by up to 75% over the industry average. This compelling and easy to use platform drives improved school district emergency communications. The technology also has the potential to enhance neighborhood watch programs and warnings systems such as AMBER Alert. And, just as Hitzler envisioned, YOU Get It First is also an effective, affordable, easy-to-use mobile marketing tool.

Developed by Forward Move LLC, YOU Get It First is a universal messaging and threat alert system that partners with education, business, government and other institutions to deliver important infographic messages to their audiences. Each user can uniquely customize the messages they send. YOU is simple, fast and cost effective for organizations of any size. For more information, call (920)371-1799 or visit yougetitfirst.com