Long gone are the days of parent phone chains. Today, faster communications and instant alerts for any situation can empower school administrators to handle difficult events and put parent concerns at ease with better prepared school safety management. Keeping students safe and families informed in an increasingly uncertain world is a top priority for public and private school administrators. The author discusses K12 Alerts, an innovative emergency messaging software service developed by T. Gregory Bender that offers email, text-to-cell-phone, and telephone voice alert messaging solutions for schools--empowering school administrators to communicate important alert messages to parents and staff in a matter of minutes. K12 Alerts enables school districts to send real-time emergency messaging (e.g., weather alerts, school closings, bomb alerts, virus alerts, etc.) to parents and staff via e-mail and/or SMS text-based cell phone messages. K12 Alerts not only serves typical children but also those with special needs.