Updates to lockdown routines for Wayne County schools
WAYNE COUNTY, NY – School districts are starting the new year with some changes to their lockdown routines, including notifying parents a week before the scheduled drill.
According to the New York State Board of Regents, parents have asked for more information on emergency preparedness.
Alisa Stoep, a Wayne County mother, is indifferent to the change. She said these exercises have always given the family peace of mind. Her children even look forward to them.
“I mean, anything can happen to us any day,” Stoep said. “Luckily, we believe that God has everything under control.”
Schools must conduct four lockdown drills each school year. Sheriff Rob Milby said they support classes in their learning processes.
“Let’s face it, these things (tragedies) happen in the United States, we can’t ignore them, we can’t bury our heads in the sand, we have to be able to prepare our children,” Sheriff Milby said.
Milby said law enforcement conducts its own drills during the summer, which are more of a mock scenario. Students are not involved in reenactments.
This year they are working with new technology – a communications system between the school, officers and 911 that gives dispatchers easy access to surveillance cameras.
“When that call comes in, 911 immediately has a visual indication of the problem in the school building; communication is immediate,” Sheriff Milby explained. “Once we arrive on scene, we can access the building electronically.”
He said dispatchers can even access the intercom.
The technology was developed by two companies, Tap App and 4D-Scape, and Milby said he was able to secure it for most counties with the help of a grant.
Milby hopes it will be a comfort to parents to know what a groundbreaking innovation this represents.
“It’s very important that they go through the procedure, it’s very important that they get practice and learn how to behave during a lockdown exercise,” said Sheriff Milby.
“The school administrator makes it clear to them that it is important to do this,” Stoep said, “but he also makes it clear to them that they do not have to live in fear every day.”
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