First in a series
Nine is a magic number in the wide-ranging enhancement of safety steps the School District has taken in the month following the Newtown massacre.
At Tuesday’s 7 o’clock School Board meeting in Council Chambers, Supt. Dave LaRose will outline five steps toward upgrading and four that are in the process of being enacted.
The upgrades:
- Additional cameras at several school sites to ensure improved office surveillance.
- Additional radios t improve communication at several sites.
- Several meetings with the Police Dept. to deepen the existing partnership, including new commitments to a daily presence and patrols plus analysis of response times.
- Assertive action at school sites – team meetings to review procedures, meetings with staff and parents to solicit feedback and address concerns; enhanced lockdown drills, purposeful communication with staff, students and families, affirmation of check-in procedures, visit sign-ins and staff badges.
- Increased communication and promotion of District preparedness, resources and commitments via the web, auto calls and publications.
Four steps in the developmental stages:
- We are in the process, says Mr. LaRose, of conducting site access/safety assessment/walk-through exercises with law enforcement and our facility team. We are reviewing/evaluating campus needs and are prepared to make immediate investments.
- We are planning a coordinated “active shooter” drill with the Police Dept., says Mr. LaRose, at our high school during spring break.
- We are evaluating and identifying enhanced first-responder training for all site/department leaders, partnering again with the Police Dept., he says.
- Finally, the District is exploring a range of options and partnerships for mentoring students in need of adult support.
Mr. LaRose underlined two other points:
- The Police Dept. has live access to the School District’s video surveillance system. The District’s school resource officer has access, via his computer, in his car and on his phone.
- The Police Dept. response time is less than three minutes.
(To be continued)
