Overview
Of School Security Measures
- Our current identification system is working in all locations,
with all staff members using special badges in order to enter our
facilities. Access is limited to the hours necessary for various
staff members, and we have the ability from a central location to
halt access immediately on any card. We also have the ability to
monitor “coming and going” in all buildings by card use,
and to control entrance doors.
- The next step in our district-wide security plan will be the addition
of cameras in hallways. Most likely beginning with the Harrington
Middle School, the cameras will be phased-in to all buildings as
funds are available. We are meeting with the architects and security
specialists right now to be sure that our plan is efficient and that
cameras work in concert with our overall security systems.
- We have in-serviced secretarial staff in all schools on the use
of our current security system and handling visitors to our schools.
We have posted notices advising visitors that unauthorized entrance
constitutes trespassing, and we now require identification before
releasing a student to an individual that is not known to staff.
- We have worked extensively with Mount Laurel Emergency Management
personnel, including police, fire and emergency medical technicians
in devising our emergency plans. We have participated in full-scale
disaster drills with this group, and we hold several positions on
the local emergency planning council.
- We are a participating district in the Burlington
County School Crisis Response Team, a jointure of 40 school districts
within the county. Its mission is to train in the handling of
conflicts relating specifically to schools. Our representative
has trained alongside member representatives with national expert
Cheri Lovre , who was called in to assist at Columbine and other
school disasters. The team stands ready to come into our district
with one phone call to provide release for teachers, additional
school nurses, counselors and administrators. Their purpose is
to relieve our personnel to work with special needs of our students,
staff and families in the event of a crisis.
- We recently installed additional options on our new telephone system
to allow for greater tracking of incoming calls and better retention
of telephone account information that will be helpful to police in
investigating suspicious calls to our schools.
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