School districts must carefully consider crisis management systems due to limited budgets. Simplicity is important for emergency responders to easily access and understand information. Features relying on third-party applications should be avoided as they may not be accessible or secure during emergencies. Solutions must be available offline via USB drives and have automatic data updates and encryption for security and reliability. Districts should be able to easily update information themselves without special skills or software. Providers must have adequate liability coverage and work closely with first responders to develop coordinated emergency plans. Funding may be available through grants, capital budgets, private foundations, or state legislatures.